Based on an incident that really took place on 26th of July 1938, "Fourteen Hours" is the story of something that can only be described as a mere footnote in the history of New York City. I don't want to sound insensitive, but one single suicide - tragic as it may be - in a metropole like NYC is hardly a newsworthy event. The circumstances and media circus that came with it, however, are definitely newsworthy.
Early one morning, just after having ordered breakfast service, twenty-something Robert Cosick decides to open the widow of his room on the fourteenth floor and stand on the ledge overlooking New York. Random traffic cop Charlie Dunnigan is the first person who tries to talk Cosick out of the idea of jumping, and for the next fourteen hours Dunningan is also the only person Cosick wants to listen to, despite an army of police superiors and specialized doctors rushing to the scene. Meanwhile, below on the streets, a mob gathers to get a good view on the spectacle.
"Fourteen Hours" works most effectively as a biting social satire. Hardly any New Yorker truly cares about what drove poor Robert Cosick to his despair, or even whether he will jump or not. They just seek sensation, and the kick of being able to say "they were there" when that guy jumped. Bizarre social behavior manifest itself among all types of audiences; taxi drivers place bets, journalists only interview the most hysterical people, religious nuts sneak into the hotel, and psychiatrists with enormous egos fanatically insist on sharing their theories. Heck, strangers in the crowd even meet and fall in love! The reactions and behaviors of the bystanders make "Fourteen Hours" a compelling and entertaining 50s film, because - quite honestly - the suspense and drama surrounding Robert Cosick himself isn't working too well. You never truly believe that he will jump, even though the person on who the story is based, actually did.
Early one morning, just after having ordered breakfast service, twenty-something Robert Cosick decides to open the widow of his room on the fourteenth floor and stand on the ledge overlooking New York. Random traffic cop Charlie Dunnigan is the first person who tries to talk Cosick out of the idea of jumping, and for the next fourteen hours Dunningan is also the only person Cosick wants to listen to, despite an army of police superiors and specialized doctors rushing to the scene. Meanwhile, below on the streets, a mob gathers to get a good view on the spectacle.
"Fourteen Hours" works most effectively as a biting social satire. Hardly any New Yorker truly cares about what drove poor Robert Cosick to his despair, or even whether he will jump or not. They just seek sensation, and the kick of being able to say "they were there" when that guy jumped. Bizarre social behavior manifest itself among all types of audiences; taxi drivers place bets, journalists only interview the most hysterical people, religious nuts sneak into the hotel, and psychiatrists with enormous egos fanatically insist on sharing their theories. Heck, strangers in the crowd even meet and fall in love! The reactions and behaviors of the bystanders make "Fourteen Hours" a compelling and entertaining 50s film, because - quite honestly - the suspense and drama surrounding Robert Cosick himself isn't working too well. You never truly believe that he will jump, even though the person on who the story is based, actually did.