Absolutely eye-popping film noir about an alienated hit-man. Not without a certain musty charm, especially the scene at the Village Gate where a "beatnik" jazz musician sings "Dressed in Black".
Comment
05/09/08
Blast Of Silence (1961)
88 %
Reviews Counted: 8 Fresh: 7 Rotten:1 Average Rating: 7.2/10
Runtime: 77 mins
Synopsis: Allen Baron's chilly 1961 noir BLAST OF SILENCE follows hitman Frank Bruno (played by Baron) as he returns to New York City during Christmastime. Ostensibly in the city to perform a hit, the coldhearted Bruno finds himself unable to focus, instead choosing to lose himself in the winter... [More]
Genre: Dramas
Reviews
1 - 8 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
The film plays like an unholy marriage between the realist films noir of the '40s like The Naked City and the early independent dramas of John Cassavetes...
05/03/08
The tension doesn't so much revolve around the antihero's job, redemption, or ultimate fate but rather the disconnect between its mundane milieu and the grandiose flourishes they're meant to convey.
04/16/08
There's lots to recommend this shoestring picture, not the least of which is Baron's acting ability.
01/22/08
With its finger-popping jazz score and beat-inspired interior monologue (in second person, no less), this might seem comical if it weren't so rooted in existential dread.
01/22/08
Top Critic
Tells you everything you wanted to know about how a cautious professional hit man thinks and acts.
10/22/04
1 - 8 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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