Blast Of Silence Criterion Blu-ray Review
‘Tis the season for some neo-noir.
Directed by Allen Baron (who also co-wrote the script and is the lead star), 1961’s “Blast Of Silence” is a neo-noir tale set around Christmastime. The story concerns a hit man named Frankie Bono who returns back to his hometown of New York City to take out a target (a mobster named Troiano). On the outside, Frankie is a mostly calm and quiet man. On the inside we learn via narration that he’s an angry, bitter, loner harboring a lot of pain. Upon arrival, he tails his target, wanders the city, tries to buy a gun, encounters faces from the past (including a girl he had a crush on named Lorrie) and finds himself in hot water after he kills someone who attempted to blackmail him. Will Frankie be able to carry out his mission? Is he doomed? All is revealed in the end.
Instead of watching the usual Christmas classics this year, why not scope out something a little different with the underseen Christmas crime film “Blast of Silence”? The ahead of its time low-budget film has a very grounded, guerrilla style feel to it which makes sense since many scenes were shot in the city without a permit. The film feels like a proto David Fincher “The Killer” mixed with a NYC travelog as the city is just as much a character as anyone else in the film. It’s very much a snapshot of the era while also feeling like a fresh crime story thanks to the simple yet effective script by Allen Baron, Waldo Salt and Will Sparks script and the gorgeous cinematography by Merrill Brody.
Narration is certainly nothing new to the noir world, but it works to great effect here thanks to Lionel Stander’s audio work. Normally the adage is to show not tell, but here the narration presents the viewer with a look inside the troubled mind of Frankie. Allen Baron really shows us two sides of the character with the exterior and the interior which turn out to be radically different as the Frankie character is clearly hiding a lot of emotions.
Going back to the story’s simplicity, it really works in the film’s favor. Had the film been bogged down by twists, an overabundance of characters, or a deeper story, it wouldn’t have struck the same chord. Allen Baron essentially takes the audience on this trip with Frankie and we really get to see the world (and his journey) through his eyes no matter how unpleasant it may be.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.85:1 and 1.33:1 1080p. How does it look? The 4K digital restoration does wonders to this B&W film. The beautiful print offers up sharper image clarity.
Audio Track: Uncompressed Mono. How does it sound? The lossless audio is a little scratchy in spots, but is pleasant overall.
Extras:
* “Blast Of Silence” trailer
* “Locations Revisited”- An 11 ½ minute filming location photo gallery from 2008 that features comparisons to scenes from the films along with factoids.
* A physical 4 page graphic novel adaptation by Sean Phillips.
* A booklet featuring credits and an essay by Terrence Rafferty.
* A nearly 5 minute gallery of on-set Polaroids
* “Requiem For A Killer: The Making Of Blast Of Silence”- A 60 minute extra that shows Allen Baron revisiting locations as part of a 1990 documentary. A 2006 interview with Baron is also included.
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