The Asphalt Jungle

The story of a heist, from the planning to the execution to the fallout.

The Asphalt Jungle would lay the blueprint for scores of films to come after it. Films like Heat and Reservoir Dogs can all trace their roots to John Huston’s groundbreaking effort.

The ensemble cast is solid, if a little underwhelming. Granted, Marilyn Monroe has a memorable part, but it’s an ancillary character, and it’s Sterling Hayden who’s the de-facto lead. Hayden’s about as good as he can be in the role, but lacks the presence to carry the film, especially since his character doesn’t really shine until late in the film.

Still, The Asphalt Jungle is well acted and, for the most part, tightly written. There’s an awkwardly placed sequence towards the end involving the chief of police talking to reporters that amounts to little more than pro-police propaganda and seems out of place in an otherwise edgy script, but it’s a small blemish on what would become the roadmap for countless heist films to follow.