I find it hard to believe that this was seriously considered at Cannes in 1961, and praised at the Munich Festival in 1987. Let me list a few of its flaws, and giving a wide allowance for the fact that it was an independent film. First, the quality of the video is poor; for an indie, that's probably expectable. Second, the music is heavy and awful - probably cliché even for 1961. Further, the music often adds nothing to a scene, and frequently feels totally out of pace with it. For example, why would it have the kind of music it uses to accompany the stalking of the victim? Third, The walking scenes are far too long, especially those where no stalking is occurring. We see Bono just walking and walking and... We see this at night and in the daytime, and frankly, posing the 'city as a character' doesn't justify it. The director/writer takes no pains to actually explore the city AS a character; he merely displays it, and that is something quite different. Fourth, this is heavily narrated. Narration is normally considered a weakness, a crutch used when the action and dialog do not do their job of fully conveying the what and why of the story - a perfect description in this case. Fifth, the actor displays almost no emotion. Of course, one could say this is congruent with the character - a hit man. However, the narration establishes the 'fact' that Bono gets himself worked up into a hate for his victim. If that's his M.O., it should show on the screen. It absolutely does not, but his bad acting does. Sixth, he fights Big Ralph in an apartment, and in the process pretty much tears the place up. Surprisingly, no neighbors come out to see what's happening. It may be a minor point, but there are several such that destroy the film's credibility. Seventh, so does the silencer. He fires the gun and it makes a fairly loud sound, despite the silencer. Eighth, (going back to Ralph), it's unlikely he would threaten to rat on - of all people - a hit man! 'If I hear he dies, I'll know you killed him, and I'll tell on you, unless you pay me.' Uh, huh. Ninth, the contractor gives Bono half the money and promises the rest later. You don't have to be a mafioso to know it's never done that way. I don't know that it was EVER done that way, but certainly not in 1961. Just a plot device? Maybe, but a pretty weak one. Tenth, the movie is a short hour-and-a-quarter. Perhaps I should consider this a plus! I could go on, but I'm tired of writing, and these cover the main problems. Even allowing for the low budget, this is a poor film. Hearing that he was considered back then a new-generation Orson Welles is ridiculous. Welles might have considered Baron as a gaffer, but little more. As a TV director or producer, he may have been adequate, but not as a movie director or screenwriter.
Review of Blast of Silence
