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Ace in the Hole (1951) - Directed by Billy Wilder
"I can handle big news and little news. And if there's no news, I'll go out and bite a dog."
Billy Wilder is a name that grabs me for some reason. It's not his status as one of the greatest classic film directors, or the fact that he switches from noir to comedy on occasion, but it's all about his style and presence. You can do pretty much anything with movies no matter what crowd you want to attract and say, "I was influenced by Billy Wilder." That rings true for anyone influenced by one of the more famous newspaper stories in cinema: Ace in the Hole.
This classic piece of "film gris" stars Kirk Douglas as a show-off newspaper writer who's been in a dead end job for a year until he sees a golden opportunity when a man gets trapped in a supposedly cursed mountain. And when he goes in to help the man, he stalls the rescue long enough to make it big in the paper's, totally oblivious to the fact he may be putting that man in more danger.
I do not feel I have to point out how well directed the movie was. This is Billy Wilder we're talking about; there's hardly a better man with a camera's eye view like Billy Wilder. The whole time, the cameraman is taking the absolute best shot he can get, and the music is playing along with the camera's game flawlessly.
The story is so well developed I'd love a sequel if ever possible. One thing after another spells either good luck or bad news for all of the major cast members, especially between Kirk Douglas' character Tatum and Lorraine, the woman who's unsure of her convictions. The twists at the end of the movie made this one of the most memorable sad endings I have ever seen, and I usually hate sad endings.
But there's a problem: while the cast was fantastic, they're a bit one-sided. I mean, what we have here is yet another self-centered newsman slowly growing a heart after living a few days in a not-so-humbling success, his sidekick who does nothing but be a young ward, an independent woman who thinks a simple scam-of-kindness is a love letter, and another corrupt sheriff. No imagination, even though they managed to fit in the story snugly.
I don't think Ace in the Hole could ever be remade, because there are a lot of strengths about it. I would rank it a five-star film if the characters had more imagination. Still, if you wanna make a "Best movies of the 50's" list or whatever, you should check this out because it has an amazing performance by Kirk Douglas.
"I can handle big news and little news. And if there's no news, I'll go out and bite a dog."
Billy Wilder is a name that grabs me for some reason. It's not his status as one of the greatest classic film directors, or the fact that he switches from noir to comedy on occasion, but it's all about his style and presence. You can do pretty much anything with movies no matter what crowd you want to attract and say, "I was influenced by Billy Wilder." That rings true for anyone influenced by one of the more famous newspaper stories in cinema: Ace in the Hole.
This classic piece of "film gris" stars Kirk Douglas as a show-off newspaper writer who's been in a dead end job for a year until he sees a golden opportunity when a man gets trapped in a supposedly cursed mountain. And when he goes in to help the man, he stalls the rescue long enough to make it big in the paper's, totally oblivious to the fact he may be putting that man in more danger.
I do not feel I have to point out how well directed the movie was. This is Billy Wilder we're talking about; there's hardly a better man with a camera's eye view like Billy Wilder. The whole time, the cameraman is taking the absolute best shot he can get, and the music is playing along with the camera's game flawlessly.
The story is so well developed I'd love a sequel if ever possible. One thing after another spells either good luck or bad news for all of the major cast members, especially between Kirk Douglas' character Tatum and Lorraine, the woman who's unsure of her convictions. The twists at the end of the movie made this one of the most memorable sad endings I have ever seen, and I usually hate sad endings.
But there's a problem: while the cast was fantastic, they're a bit one-sided. I mean, what we have here is yet another self-centered newsman slowly growing a heart after living a few days in a not-so-humbling success, his sidekick who does nothing but be a young ward, an independent woman who thinks a simple scam-of-kindness is a love letter, and another corrupt sheriff. No imagination, even though they managed to fit in the story snugly.
I don't think Ace in the Hole could ever be remade, because there are a lot of strengths about it. I would rank it a five-star film if the characters had more imagination. Still, if you wanna make a "Best movies of the 50's" list or whatever, you should check this out because it has an amazing performance by Kirk Douglas.