SarahSlattery711
"City Streets" (1931), Directed by Rouben Mamoulian was an interesting film, and very advanced for its time. The two main characters Sylvia Sidney and Gary Cooper were very strong actors and portrayed their lines and scenes with great truthfulness. It was great to see how the fact that this film was made pre code era had such an influence on what the filmmakers showed. It has elements and scenes that expand the story much better than some post code films could. The scenes never got stale and the camera panning, angles, and close ups were very well done. There weren't too many dull moments, it kept me interested throughout.
blanoue324
City Streets(1931)is not your typical gangster film. One example is Mamoulian never showed anyone being killed. When Nans father kills his buddy they purposely focus on Nan and you hear the gunshot. throughout the movie they always avoid any killings. The Kid, Nans lover is a shooting gallery showman and he doesn't want anything to do with the mob. however when Nan takes the blame for what her father did and is sent to jail. The Kid decides he needs to join the mob in order to support Nan while she's in jail. We realize that the mob is not all that its cracked up to be. Sure you can make a lot of money but your at risk of death anytime the boss changes his mind. Also the mob is filled with immediate pleasure and then you are tossed off to the side. The acting in the film was excellent. All the actors were well chosen for their roles. However Big fellow had a weird almost Spanish accent it just doesn't make any sense. It is a very different approach to gangster films because it doesn't end in a massive gunfight. City Streets is an excellent film that manages to keep it G rated while still being a gangster film.
v-sanchez
Overall, this film was well put together. Low angled cameras were visual in the beginning. The film was quite dark in the beginning, but the lighting became better after about 2-5 minutes. Love plays a role in this film with Gary and Sylvia. Gary is not the type of man who will settle for less. He and Slyvia who date and are in love want to get married. Gary does not have all the funds he needs. Slyvia who is the "racketeer's" daughter suggests to Gary that he should work with her father so that he can earn the funds needed to get married. Gary does not like that type of work, which includes beer, and states that's not an option. Slyvia selfishly tells Gary he will practically never earn the money to get married and basically in our terms nowadays called him, "broke". Gary, not settling for less, gets up and leaves, and Slyvia shows her true love by running to him apologizing and asking for forgiveness. I liked this film!
Dezcaughtit88
Overall this movie was very thoughtfully filmed and acted and was a perfect example of a crime/gangster movie. The use of lighting in this film plays a key role in movie's overall tone and atmosphere. The dark and mysterious overtones give it a very gritty and raw feel. The characters were very interesting and well acted, Gary Cooper's performance was very impressive and was a perfect fit for the character and the movie. The story was also very interesting with a lot of twist and turns. While it may be a crime film about racketeering, gangs, and blackmail you feel as though you can still relate to the film mainly due to the motivations of the characters and the idea of doing the seemingly bad in order to do right by others. Overall the film was very enthralling and mysterious that look me through a loop that I won't forget anytime soon.
AD
