BLAST of SILENCE (1961)

You've watched a lot of films so far.  Some of you watch two noirs a day at school - along with the films you need to watch at home.  Good job.  You're getting those film watching calluses on your eyes.  Film watching isn't always easy - much to the surprise of the world, it can be hard work.  Especially when it's not from a genre or time period you are used to.  It takes a lot of energy, focus, and thought.  And, it can take some getting used to.  Getting a film degree in college was more time consuming and demanding than my roommates' majors in engineering and plant biology.  They were shocked with how much more energy and time I had to put in compared to them.  The filmmaker's path isn't an easy one, but it is freaking cool.  Just like an author has to be well-read, a filmmaker has to be well-watched. Like I mentioned in class, for every one western Tarantino makes, he probably watches 500 westerns (which, so far he's only made one - but almost all his films have heavy western influences - the more westerns you watch the more westerns you realize he's watched - it's pretty cool).  That dude is well-watched.  Get him in an interview where he discusses movies, and you can tell.  So, bear with us as we study important films from the genre.  I bet you Mr. Chris Nolan, king of Neo-Noir, has seen all the films we've watch, and hundreds more.  Keep going into each film with eager minds ready to think, learn, grow.  Minds ripe with creativity.

Ok, enough with the spiel, onto Blast of Silence.  

Narration.  That's something we hear a lot of in this film.  Narration that isn't really the protagonist's thoughts, rather narration that talks to the protagonist - but the protagonist doesn't hear it... or does he.

Narration is one of the key traits of film noir, but in this movie it's different.  It's almost as if the narrator is another character completely.  It is another voice actor.  Did that bending of that element of the genre work for you?  Why do you think the filmmakers chose to do it in that way?

Wow, there is so much to this film.  Better than I've seen a lot of slick modern action films about assassins, this one shows the reality of the deep loneliness in the life of someone with that line of work.  Being alone.  Alone.  Alone.  That was a reoccurring theme.   And, it showed the emotional complexity one in the killin' business's life is.  Could you imagine how awkward it would be to run into old playmates from your childhood, them asking what you do for a living, wanting to catch up with you?  How would you answer, how could you?  They can never really get to know you.  They can only know the lies, the cover up stories.  Not the real you. Loneliness.  Never having that special someone in your life you can fully connect with, bear your soul to.  Always having to keep your guard up, never sharing too much.  But that's the way he liked it, being alone.  Or was it?  His narrator kept saying so, but what do you think?

It's fun to see how these classics influence contemporary cinema.  The complexity of being a hitman who unexpectedly runs into old friends is very reminiscent of one of my favorite dark comedies of the 90s: Grosse Point Blank.  Here's the trailer, give it a look-see, you'll love it: GROSSE POINT BLANK TRAILER.  I've seen Grosse Point on some neo-noir lists, it didn't dawn on me before that it could fit into that genre, but now I see why.   If I were a gambling man, I'd be willing to bet anything the writers of this movie had seen Blast of Silence.

Tell me your thoughts on Blast of Silence.  Did you like it?  Why or why not?  How noiry is it, in your opinion?

What benefit do you see could come from fully, intensely understanding the genre, even if you're film in the end bends some of the rules?