The Best 1000 Films of All-Time

@Lionel

The Criminal (1960)

Notes:

Starts with inside prison
4:45 prisoner recites nursey rhymes running through the common room like an elementary or middle school kid at recess
5:32 Stanley Baker as criminal Johnny Bannion
6:56 cutaway shot to prisoner singing while playing guitar
9:20 overhead shot of 1st floor of prison from 2nd floor
10:22 high angle shot of 1st floor of prison
12:16 nice composition using low angle shot
15 min quick cut to a low angle shot of guard representing power over prisoners
16:25 again quick cut to a low angle shot of guard
16:48 exterior shot of prison building
17 min montage consisting of series of close up or medium close up shots of prisoners acting out after being sent to cells for the night
18:39 high angle shot of prison interior
24:30 several impressive compositions as Johnny enjoys his coming home party complete with old friends, women, and lots of booze
26:11 best shot of film so far as Johnny looks through telescope that distorts image
29:01 deep focus with Johnny in background of frame and woman in foreground
30 min jazz score
31 min Johnny finds a naked woman in his bed
33:21 woman in black robe screams femme fatale, Johnny in white robe
35:48 great composition and symmetry with characters sitting back to back
36:18 great blocking of 5 characters in frame planning a heist
40:14 triangle composition involving two men and an attractive woman
45 min shot filled to brim with spectators at the racetrack
49:15 1st long shot of the film with Johnny burying cash in a field in the middle of nowhere
53 Johnny back in prison after being double crossed
57:20 shallow focus
59:21 zoom in on faces of 2 men after speaking to Johnny
1:08:08 cutaway shot to exterior of prison
1:09:20 slow zoom in to close up on prisoner who makes strange monologue about his mental state
1:16:24 nice tracking shot up the levels of the prison
1:16:53 close up shots on Johnny and prison guard staring down each other
1:18:35 overhead shot followed by a couple of other overhead shots including one of a prison throw off highest level to ground floor during prison riot
1:20:00 canted low angle shot during riot
1:22:58 another shot capturing the madness including a fire
1:24:21 overhead shot with prisoners walking in yard in circular shape
1:29:05 great blocking in this shot capturing 5 characters in escape vehicle
1:30:00 the final 8 minutes with some solid action sequences including a shootout in a field

Thoughts:

Losey with a British gangster/crime/prison film with underworld characters like a Jean Pierre Melville film that inevitably ends in a shootout

Losey captures a prison riot late in the film using canted angles and low angle shots, this is one of the best highlights

I love his overhead shots in several of the prison sequences along with some impressive tracking shots particularly one around the 76 min mark. Losey’s blocking is excellent in several shots especially around the 89 min mark as Johnny and four others in the getaway car

There are several cutaway shots of the prison’s exterior over the course of the film

There is a great montage around the 17 min that consists of a series of close up or medium close up shots of prisoners acting out after being sent to cells for the night. The film’s focus on everyday life in prison is actually the best aspect of the film.

Losey has this strange issue where he chooses some of the most inappropriate music/scores for scenes. It is not that the scores are always terrible but for some reason he has a knack for selecting odd music at times like an upbeat tempo during the prison riot.

Stanley Baker as solid as the lead performance. The acting all around is solid

Verdict: HR