Though credited as being a groundbreaking movie that brought documentary-style film-making to the stylized genre of film noir (thanks to smaller cameras that were developed during the war, as well as the popularity of the Italian neo-realists), "The Naked City" seems very old-fashioned until it rushes toward its denouement on the streets and bridges (well, the Williamsburg Bridge) of New York. The victim's apartment is very much a studio set, as is the police station, and their artificiality clashes with the exhilarating location footage. Also, much of the dialog and the overall acting styles, as well as the stock character of the "Oi-rish" cop played by Barry Fitzgerald, are straight out of thirties Hollywood. It can be very jarring at times. Fortunately, the film becomes more of a real police procedural toward the second half, and spends more time on real locations, culminating with the exciting chase above the East River. "The Naked City" is often called a classic because it changed the direction of American film-making, but on it's own merits it's a flawed classic.
Review of The Naked City
