Product: Pickup on South Street (The Criterion Collection) (1953)
Rating: 5.0
No one to like in this brutal Noir
Everyone is vicious. Maybe too realistic?? There are no decent characters for a bit of relief from the nastiness. The tension & plot never let up. Even Thelma Ritter is a professional snitch and what little humour she has is beyond black. The acting and camera work are outstanding. Even Jean Peters who I thought of as just a pretty face is quite incredible. Widmark is expert at this kind of part, but Kiley even surpasses him in combining greed and cowardice.Kiley uses girlfriend Peters as a delivery girl but the microfilm gets picked by pickpoket Widmark. The commies are upset not getting the scientific secrets so they lean hard on Kiley who leans hard on Peters.This film is so tense I can only watch it once in a great while. Whereas most Noirs I can gobble like cookies.