The Grifters is
a brilliant little hidden treasure of neo-noir. It’s a film that doesn’t find
its way onto anyone’s ‘best of…’ lists, but it is worthy. I knew of its
reputation and I’d seen it once before many years ago, but had almost no memory
of it. Now I can’t believe what I was missing. If you’re a lover of film noir, The Grifters is a beautifully rendered
cross between old-style noir and modern renditions of the genre.
That it takes place in Los Angeles is not only par for
the course within the genre, but also integral to the specific thematic
elements of the film. L.A. is a mixed bag of old and new. There’s neo-classical
architecture juxtaposed with garish modernity. It’s a young city within the
context of America, but with a storied history made to seem even older because
of the presence of Hollywood, which is able to recreate any time period it
wants. How many of the great noir pictures have taken place in southern
California? From Double Indemnity to Chinatown and Blade Runner, the genre has plumbed the depths of the city.
