Daily Movie Rec 5/15/24
Kansas City Confidential (1952)
Directed by: Phil Karlson
Cinematography by: George E. Diskant
Country: United States
Plot:
Delivery driver Joe Rolfe (John Payne) is implicated in a bank heist in a classic case of mistaken identity. Thirsty for revenge, he tracks down the criminals he took the fall for with deadly results.
First Images:
A bustling street outside a bank, crowded with people. A man studiously watching the entrance to the bank. A delivery man unloading four boxes from the back of his truck, bringing them into the neighboring florist shop.
Last Images:
An embrace. A Kiss. The end.
Thoughts:
A bit flat compared to the upper tiers of film noir. The women are underwritten, the characters have little depth, complexity, or arcs, the fatalism is weak (an elemental cornerstone of noir), and the craft is tame. Still, the thrills of the film's early goings and a relatively decent story of patsies and revenge make Kansas City Confidential worth watching. The structure is also unique for a heist film, as the plot establishes the setup in the opening scenes and gets to the heist within the first 10-15 minutes, leaving the rest of the film for Joe's vengeful hunt. Good atmosphere; too much hypermacho posturing.
Favorite Shot:
The POV from an antagonist’s perspective as he wrestles with Joe on the floor of a boat - and Joe slowly turns the antagonist’s gun back on him.
Where to watch:
Prime Video/Kanopy/Tubi
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