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The Asphalt Jungle

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

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The Asphalt Jungle is a brilliantly conceived and executed anatomy of a crime -- or, as director John Huston and scripter Ben Maddow put it, "a left-handed form of human endeavor." Recently paroled master criminal Erwin "Doc" Riedenschneider (Sam Jaffe), with funding from crooked attorney Emmerich (Louis Calhern), gathers several crooks together in Cincinnati for a Big Caper. Among those involved are Dix (Sterling Hayden), an impoverished hood who sees the upcoming jewel heist as a means to

Unrated, 1 hr. 52 min.

Drama, Classics

Ben Maddow, John Huston

Jul 6, 2004

Cast

All Critics (27) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (25) | Rotten (1) | DVD (7)

One of the first films to depict crime from the POV of the deviants rather than the police, this seminal film (arguably Huston's best) had a huge influence on the genre, manifest in the early work of Kubrick--and decades later Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs

April 29, 2007 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | Comment

This tale of a jewel theft gone wrong is notable for its gritty procedural detail and an emphasis on the inner lives of the small time crooks, expertly played by Sterling Hayden and Sam Jaffe.

November 11, 2006 Full Review Source: BBC | Comment

One of The Asphalt Jungle's strengths is that the crims seem about as thick as you suspect they would be in real life: no Cruise or Clooney-style braniac super-athletes here.

November 4, 2006 Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | Comment
Guardian [UK]

John Huston's greatest noir thriller.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment

A preeminent example of tough-guy cinema.

May 3, 2005 Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | Comment
Lessons of Darkness

Rogue's Gallery noir classic.

April 6, 2005 Comment
eFilmCritic.com

High-end noir in a low-end world.

November 16, 2004 Comment
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

Noirish Huston classic with great story, cast.

October 30, 2004 Comment

One of the first caper films told from the criminal's viewpoint.

July 21, 2004 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | Comment
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Huston concentrates mostly on the film's performances, but like The Maltese Falcon and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, he uses space, shadow and a very clever mise-en-scene to physically illustrate the film's themes.

July 20, 2004 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | Comment
Combustible Celluloid

Among John Huston's most overrated works, only partially redeemed by Jaffe's brilliance and Marilyn's cameo.

August 14, 2003 Comment (1)
Nick's Flick Picks

Often copied but never equaled.

July 30, 2003 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Asphalt Jungle

I was expecting Dix to start talking about our precious bodily fluids at any moment. Like other noirs, it inspired far better movies, and this one gets a bit too preachy regarding the "greater good" of the police and what not. Ok flick, not Huston's best.

July 31, 2011
DragonEyeMorrison
Tsubaki Sanjuro

Super Reviewer

John Huston's highly influential heist/noir The Asphalt Jungle resonates so profoundly because of the way its director invests each crew member with personality and motivation. A low-life hooligan with the heart of a farmboy (Sterling Hayden), a German career-con who's really a romantic with a penchant for senoritas,

March 12, 2011
MovieMaster12
Bob O'Reilly

Super Reviewer

    1. Doc Erwin Riedenschneider: One way or another, we all work for our vice.
    – Submitted by Kate S (13 months ago)

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Foreign Titles

  • Asphalt-Dschungel (DE)
  • Quand la ville dort (FR)
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