The Noir City: What is it about tunnels?

By

Tony D'Ambra

– August 5, 2010Posted in: Lobby, Noir Cities

Act of Violence (1948) Dir: Fred Zinnemann | DP: Robert Surtees | Locale: Los Angeles
 

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Related posts:

1. City in Darkness: Kansas City Library Goes Noir
2. Frisco City Noir 6: On-the-Spot Reports
3. NOIR CITY DC: The 2009 Film Noir Festival
4. New York City Noir: Dark Dangerous Corrupt Sexy
5. Film Noir Digest: News from Noir City 7

Tags: film noir

2 Comments

1. DeeDee

   Posted August 5, 2010 at 7:41 PM

   Hi! Tony d’Ambra…
   Great screenshot!
   Great Film!
   How many other films that are considered film noir used tunnels in their scenes?

   By the way,the 1949 film “Act of Violence”) became a “great film” for me after your review this summer over there on my blog.

   Here is what author Spencer Selby, had to say about the film “Act of Violence”…“Fearful veteran is hunted by a man who blames him for wartime massacre. Significant chronicle of respected citizen’s flight into dark, menacing night world strong on resonance and imagery.”

   I agree with Selby…because I could almost sense the coolness and the breeze of the night air after Van Heflin’s and Mary Astor’s character left the bar after it closed and during the dénouement.

   I also thought the imagery was strong during Heflin’s flight from actor Robert Ryan.

   Thanks, for sharing!
   DeeDee ;) :)

2. Sam Juliano

   Posted August 6, 2010 at 1:09 AM

   Yes, a great film, and a formidable recurring motif in noir and and some classic prison dramas like Bresson’s A MAN ESCAPED and a film titled ESCAPE FROM EAST BERLIN. The excitement in such a setting in built in, and we can add some films that utilized the sewers as having the same allure (i.e. Reed’s THE THIRD MAN)