[.ca] Pickup On South Street

From Amazon.com:
Director Sam Fuller's biggest success of its time (and, superficially at least, his most conventional film) is the l953 noir effort Pickup on South Street. Candy (Jean Peters) has her purse picked on the subway by small-time thief and ex-con Skip (Richard Widmark), neither of them realizing that the purse contains microfilm bound for Communist spies and that they are being watched the whole time by Federal agents. The New York police and the Feds catch up with Skip and try to cajole him into turning over the microfilm, but as he's one of Fuller's "outsider" antihero protagonists, the patriotic angle cuts no ice with him. He plays both sides against the middle when he finds out that the Communists are involved, hoping to make a big score off the deal, but eventually he comes around when he realizes that he's smitten with Candy. Finally Skip plays ball with the authorities, but is it out of his love for both his friend Moe and Candy, or is he swayed by the patriotic urgings of the FBI, or does it just come from some inner core of decency? You decide. When Skip is asked, "Do you know what treason is?" he smirks, "Who cares?"; when the Feds try to appeal to his patriotism, he sneers through several layers of Sinatra cool, "Are you waving the flag at me?" Pickup is set almost entirely in the garbage-strewn alleys, grimy subways, seedy waterfront dives, and gloomy streets of New York City; it's marked by extremely lengthy takes and fluid, mobile camera work. The closing scene when Skip tracks down another character in the subway and administers a brutal beating to him is one of the more violent scenes you'll find in '50s film noir. --Jerry Renshaw

missed opportunity:
Made during the height of the cold war hysteria, this film gets sidetracked by mindless red baiting. It also descends into cheesy melodrama on a couple of occasions marring the pacing of the movie. It's too bad but pickup doesn't live up to its reputation as top notch noir.

great movie but Criterien charges too much!:
Crierien rips you right out of your money...I couldn't be surprised if the owner of the company was right now sitting on a throne and enjoying his/her cash he or she has made out of ripping people off!

excellent drama on the waterfront:
Excellent old time detective thriller. You never have a doubt as to what's going to happen, but getting to go along for the ride, makes it worth all the while. Just the right bit of humour too...well worth adding to any collection.

A top notch film noir:
Skip Mc Coy (Richard Widmark) is a person without colective importance; a rough pickpocket , a scroungy pretty gangster who sneeks a look into a woman's handbag, turns up some microfilm and finds himself dealing with communist agents. This is a well made film, with a lot of issues. Moe (Thelma Ritter)overtakes this role as a street peddler who sells information. A film which reveals as a few, the sordid and sinister underworld linked with the spy world which is blackmailed by a pedestrian thief. Fuller's view is incisive, bitter and ironical. Nevetheless the film has unforgettable funny situations. Thelma Ritter was a very talented actress and bowever, she never won an Academy Award ; but her shinning presence gives to the clever script that touch of class and outrageous fierce character; and of course don't forget adding the charismatical performance of Richard Widmark. One of the most imaginative and powerful film noir made in any age.

A 1950's classic:
For those who appreciate the fine acting of Thelma Ritter, this film is a must-have (along with Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window"). Her portrayal as the informant is a classic role for one of the best supporting actresses Hollywood has ever seen. Richard Widmark also lends one of the greatest performances of his career, right up there with his roles in "Kiss of Death" (1947) and "Judgement at Nuremburg" (1961). The Criterion release provides a magnificent restoration of this underrated film noir gem. I am rather baffled as to the clueless wonder at Amazon.com who tagged this motion picture with an NC-17 rating. Either that person didn't see the film, or the lights are on but nobody's home. "Pickup on South Street" isn't a skin flick. It is one of the greatest dramatic thrillers of the 1950's. Get this DVD on Criterion. It's an essential classic for any serious film collector.