Blast of Silence

United States

1961

77 Min

Black and White

1.33:1

English

Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
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CAST Allen Baron, Molly McCarthy, Larry Tucker, Peter H. Clune, Danny Meehan, Howard Mann, Charles Creasap

Swift, brutal, and black-hearted, Allen Baron’s New York City noir Blast of Silence is a sensational surprise. This low-budget, carefully crafted portrait of a hit man on assignment in Manhattan during Christmastime follows its stripped-down narrative with mechanical precision, yet also with an eye and ear for the oddball idiosyncrasies of urban living and the imposing beauty of the city. At once visually ragged and artfully composed, and featuring rough, poetic narration performed by Lionel Stander, Blast of Silence is a stylish triumph. —The Criterion Collection

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Chris Jones

12Aug11

Where's all the praise for this coming from? I thought it was really hammy and cliched, personally, and while there were some interesting things about Frankie none of them got enough screen time to really amount to much. It all felt very by-the-numbers.

VIVANTE

21Jul11

You want a woman, buy one! But do it in the dark so she won't remember your face.

Andra likes this

Graveyard Poet

18Mar11

One of the greatest independent films--set the stage for the new age of film noir and gangster films and heavily influenced Martin Scorsese (as can be seen in Mean Streets). Perfect movie to watch during the Christmas season when you're in a lonely place.