The Sniper

Why can't he just be like the rest of us that hate everyone and watch movies all day?

Franz really sells his character's internal turmoil and borderline insanity well. Despite the terrible things he does he garners pity and even a little sympathy. The pacing is excellent and matches the lead's emotional ups and downs. At times it's manic and at others it's drawn out, but there's always a lurking sense of purpose and something interesting to watch. The finale could have been a bit longer and the film's message aspect is a bit blunt, but they are minor aspects of a great film.

Part noir, part police procedural, part Stanley Kramer style social issues film (Kramer's production company was involved), this feels well ahead of its time, as the lead is essentially a mentally ill incel sort who goes around shooting women with a sniper due to a grudge he holds against the gender itself. The noir elements are probably best, with the police procedural stuff being fairly ho-hum and the social issue stuff also not really standing out. Solid stuff.

A very interesting picture from Edward Dmytryk. One about sexual frustration and women hating as a man in need of help turns to sniping, shooting random women on the street in the head from the roof tops. You never quite know what to make of Arthur Franz's character. They play his thing kind of cold, at the same time with obvious reactions whenever he gets disappointed and angry. They sort of do it straight without too much emotion distorting the story. Overall a thrilling approach.

"Noir doesn't exist without that visual elaboration." http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2015/04/episode-55-films-noir-of-edward-dmytryk.html

Kramer may stultify the impact of this drama, but Dmytryk gets his main guy Arthur Franz through desperate, haywire emotional transitions crisply, even if it's more through the director's venerated editing approach than any naturalism on the part of Franz. All I know is that I remember quite a few of his wordless scenes more vividly than those where Adolphe Menjou and a room full of suits are moralizing and lecturing one another.

A major disappointment. Melodramatic production featuring hammy script and often overwrought music (especially toward the beginning). The whole thing reeks of the Freudian 50s, as Franz spins his way through an emotional Cuisinart, frequently devastated by symbolic gestures which are lost on those of us who haven't opened up practices in Vienna. The approach here is too lush and big-studio to make for a decent noir; having said that though, Menjou is uncharacteristically gritty in his role.

Franz plays it rather complex, a tortured soul disturbed by his own actions and crying out for help. A lot of great actors in small roles here, including the always enjoyable Marie Windsor. Where the film falters is its rather heavy-handed message. It's not a bad message, but it's delivered ham-fistedly, most egregiously via a very soapbox-y lecture from the psychiatrist. Otherwise, it's a really stunning film with a lot of depth, tension, good score and provocative shots.

Pretty dark for the time period. Good effort.

Excellent noir! Very nice look at the 1950's attitude towards mental illness. Loads and loads of amazing cinematography.