Saturday, April 2, 2011

Classic Rewind: Experiment in Terror (1962)

Blake Edwards' Experiment in Terror ('62) may just be the best film that the recently deceased, primarily lightweight director ever made. 
-
-
Known for The Pink Panther series and the flawed but iconic Breakfast at Tiffany's, it's rather staggering how well-oiled this black-and-white noir-thriller really is, with its absolutely luscious San Francisco photography, a savory Henry Mancini jazz score and its propulsive, suspenseful plotting.
-
In the way that it sticks to the details and is obviously composed by someone who knows what he's doing (i.e. putting it altogether with real pizazz and obedience), the film reminded me of David Fincher's Zodiac, another San Francisco serial-killer saga with a shot or two of the Golden Gate Bridge.
-
Much to my delight, Experiment in Terror is not a "horror" film in the strictest sense, but rather a stunningly shot by-the-details police procedural in which the killer doesn't know that the Feds (led by Glenn Ford) are on his tail as he stalks the lovely Lee Remick
-
I love the way that Edwards frames his shots frequently with men in the foreground or background (either in their cars, a phone booth, a window, etc.) focused on Lee Remick and leaves it up to us to decide if they're killers or detectives. The finale at Candlestick Park is a real spectacle. [A-]

No comments:

Post a Comment