Picking up the Neo-Noir The Silent Partner (1978) a year ago on disc,I looked at the credits on IMDb,and found out that it was actually a remake of a Nordic Noir. A fan of the genre,I looked everywhere online and found a copy,but was sad to find it had no English subtitles.
Recently getting the X-Mas set bank robbing Hammer title Cash on Demand (1962) I checked online for other similar titles,and was thrilled to find English subtitles had recently been created! This led to me finally choosing a number.
Note: Some spoilers in review.
View on the film:
Calculating from learning of a bank heist to take place on how he can steal a Christmas bonus for himself, writer/ director Palle Kjærulff-Schmidt & cinematographer Claus Loof bank on a meticulous Film Noir atmosphere, sliding the camera under the table towards Borck folding notes for himself whilst pretending to give the robber the full amount.
Spreading X-Mas cheer decorations across the walls of the bank,Kjærulff- Schmidt wraps Borck in crisp winter blues and early dark nights,which crackles with paranoia from long tracking shots of the robber wanting to collect Borck's bonus, that Borck finds himself unable to escape in a blistering evil under the sun lingering doubt final.
Realising a robbery is to take place later in the day as the bank opens up, Palle Kjærulff- Schmidt's adaptation of Anders Bodelsen's novel brilliantly dissects Borck using the professional image he's built to take a layer of the soon to be stolen cash, off for himself, tensely checked in clipped dialogue of Borck attempting to keep his fellow staff out of the loop on the exchange.
Merrily leaving the bank with a bonus in his back pocket, Kjærulff-Schmidt's thrillingly unveils to Noir loner Borck that someone's got his number, whose ringing to the home/workplace sets Borck off the dial with a Femme Fatale for a jet-set life, which Kjærulff-Schmidt's tightens the screws to a sharp open ending.
Getting his number down from their first encounter, Bibi Andersson gives a excellent, mysteriously alluring turn as Jane Merrild / Alice Badram, whose motives Andersson holds in a vagueness which hook Borck in with a seductive Femme Fatale sting. Scuttling round being polite to fellow staff whilst his hand is in the till, Henning Moritzen gives a outstanding performance as Borck, thanks to Moritzen's chipping away at his meekness to primal Film Noir fear, leaving Borck with no other choice but to think of a number.
