Product: Pickup on South Street (The Criterion Collection) (1953)
Rating: 5.0
Pickup on South Street
Idiosyncratic director Sam Fuller's most successful film is prime noir, with priceless tough guy patter emanating from the scummy Skip, and also featuring a sultry femme fatale turn from Peters. On-location shooting in lower Manhattan adds an authentic feel, and the premise itself is a cut above most standard crime stories: beyond the espionage yarn, the audience yearns to know whether Skip, a man with no conscience, can develop one under extraordinary circumstances. Widmark is aces, as is Thelma Ritter playing Jo, a veteran stoolie. Noir fans should pounce.