Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #55 - The Big Clock (1948)/No Way Out (1987) - The Big Clock is an interesting blend of comedy and film noir. The comedy comes mainly from hero Ray Milland, who can never help but be charming, and Elsa Lanchester, who puts in a wonderful comic turn as an eccentric artist. Milland plays George Stroud, a New York editor who works for megalomaniac publisher Earl Janoth (Charles Laughton). Stroud befriends Pauline York (Rita Johnson), Janoth's mistress, who is fed up with his controlling ways. After a madcap night of drinking and complaining about the boss, Stroud leaves York's apartment as Janoth arrives - the jealous Janoth only sees a man's silhouette, but he is still enraged, and in a fit of passion kills York. The rest of the film has Janoth and his right-hand man Hagen (George Macready) tasking Stroud with finding this mystery man so that they can pin the crime on him. As Stroud leads the investigation he has to stay one step ahead at every moment, fearful that he will be recognized as the man in question. Directed by John Farrow, the film is beautifully shot in black and white, with modern furniture and settings, especially the Janoth Publications enormous clock that ticks away, possibly ticking away Stroud's future and freedom. Art by Lanchester's character is used cleverly both as clues to the crime and for comic effect.
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| Art by Boris Grisson |
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| Hagen (George Macready) tries to cover up for his boss |
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| Stroud hides out inside the clock |
The Big Clock was remade in 1987 as No Way Out. The setting was changed to Washington, D.C., and the emphasis was less on murder mystery and more as a political thriller/romance. Kevin Costner stars as Navy Lieutenant Commander Tom Farrell, who is introduced to the Secretary of Defense, David Brice (Gene Hackman) by a college friend (Will Patton) at an inaugural ball. At the same event he meets Susan Atwell (Sean Young). The two begin an intense, passionate affair, but Farrell soon learns that Susan is also the mistress of a powerful man ... guess who? After seeing a shadowy male figure leave Susan's home, a jealous Brice accidentally kills her, and as in The Big Clock, Farrell is put in charge of the investigation to find the "real" killer. The rest of the film takes place in the claustrophobic halls and offices of the Pentagon, as Farrell tries to avoid capture while proving that Brice is the true culprit. No Way Out is not as stylish as The Big Clock, but it is fast-paced and exciting, and Costner and Young are very sexy in their scenes together. The political setting also provides the filmmakers with some additional twists and turns featuring a Russian spy subplot.
Both films are great to watch and favorites when I'm in the mood for a paranoid thriller.
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