Looking back on Ace in the Hole (AKA The Big Carnival), it is surprising it was not nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award. This is the kind of film that lives on its moralizing, heavily emphasizing how journalism, without a moral compass, can have deadly repercussions. Lady Di could attest to this very thing. This story, co-written by Billy Wilder, Lesser Samuels, and Walter Newman thrusts its message on you in the opening scene in the form of a cross-stitch reading Tell The Truth and ends underneath that exact same piece of artwork, hanging over the head of our lead character like a tombstone.
Charles “Chuck” Tatum (Kirk Douglas) is a reporter down on his luck who takes a job in Albuquerque but longs for the big show again. He gets his chance when he is amongst the first on the scene of a cave-in where Leo Minosa (Richard Benedict) has been trapped. The local rescuers have a plan that can have him rescued in about 16 hours but Charles sees this as an opportunity of a lifetime. He uses his quick tongue to convince the rescue party to take a far slower method of rescue, one that will take more than a week, and convinces the local law to prevent any other reporters from getting in on the story. Soon his reports are going national and people are coming from all over the country to witness this rescue attempt. In the meantime, though, Leo’s health is failing him from being trapped on his back for so long and he may not live long enough to be rescued after all.
Into that mix is Leo’s wife, Lorraine (Jan Sterling), who was already planning on leaving him at the time of the accident. The arrival of tourists, there solely to be in on the nationwide excitement, brings with it their tourist money and she is raking in the dough. It matters not to her that her husband may be dying, dreaming of seeing her again soon while she is dreaming of taking all this extra money and getting out of there. Charles even has to remind her that she should be putting on a sad face for the public, slapping her when she cannot get that smile off her face.
While some have disputed this film being a legitimate Film Noir, it is dark and pessimistic enough to qualify. Charles is able to look in the face of a man suffering both physically and mentally and exploit him just the same. All he cares about is advancing his career, until things turn south and he realizes that his actions may just cost this man his life. It’s a dark and disturbing look at the media and exploitation, juxtaposed with the more optimistic and right-minded editor, publisher, and owner of the Albuquerque Sun-Bulletin, Jacob Q. Boot, who believes in the truth and honesty of reporting. He is disgusted with what Charles has done and so are we. Billy Wilder has spun a story that borders on parody but the reality is this very thing can, and has, happened and people are attracted to these kinds of stories. It keeps the news in business. 1951 - 111 minutes
Comments
Post a Comment