The Naked City

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Alain E Definitely overrated because it is very uneven trying to decide whether to be a realistic crime story, insert some commentary about the city or even attempt to add some ridiculous comedy with the old lady who comes to advise the police to find the killer using magic tricks. The scene with the dead girl’s parents was very strong. The description of the mundane things the police has to do investigating a crime was close to reality. The final long chase is totally impossible. The police hear a single shot in a city milieu and immediately locate where the suspect is. Photography is indeed excellent but editing of the extraneous elements would have improved the picture. Of course the critics already anointed it with 86% approval rating. Barry Fitzgerald successfully balanced his role of a police officer and a coedic element. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/12/25 Full Review tucker s Extremely entertaining, especially considering it was filmed almost 80 years ago. Decades ahead of it's time Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/30/25 Full Review Russ G I'd have to rate this as a failed cinematic experiment. It did spawn a TV series, though. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/15/25 Full Review Insomniac X This archetypal procedural drama brought documentary-style presentation to the popular film noir movement of the 1940's. Stunning location photography provides a window into the city's past, while a perfectly cast crew of characters animate a story that is by turns brutal, humorous, and heartbreaking. The pairing of an impulsive rookie with a seasoned but warmhearted veteran has been borrowed by everybody from Kurosawa to Fincher. A must-see for crime genre fans. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/05/25 Full Review Lane B If it weren't for the mediocrity of the acting and dialogue, and the awful narration this could have been a classic film noir masterpiece. If you are at all interested in excellent cinephotography ignore all that and see this film. The cinephotographer William Daniels won an Academy Award for his work and anyone with an eye for photography can see why. Shot on the streets of New York, Daniels delivers one masterful street scene after the other that rivals the best street photography of that era: Helen Levit, William Klein, Robert Frank and Cartier Bresson. Each shot on the street is set up like a revelation of New York street life from foreground to deep background. Night photography is mysterious and detailed, broad daylight is exquisite – everywhere you look there is life and action. I will be showing this film to my college students from this day forward. Don't miss it. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/22/24 Full Review acsdoug D The story is really not too bad of a police procedural. I just thought the excessive and often lame narration detracted too much from the story. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/04/24 Full Review Read all reviews

The Naked City

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