Allen Baron showed both promise and maturity
with his low-budget debut film Blast of
Silence. This intense psychological study on the existential crisis of a
lonely hitman also remains as a memorable New York film. Frank Bono (Baron
himself), a contract killer, has arrived in the Big Apple during the Christmas time
in order to bump off a mobster. During his meticulous study of his target before
carrying out his job, he inadvertently ends up meeting an old friend from the
days of his growing up in an orphanage, and Lorrie (Molly McCarthy), the girl
he was always in love with, thus making his detached, cloak-and-dagger
existence suddenly appear burdensome for him. And, to further complicate
matters for him, Big Ralph (splendidly played by Larry Tucker), a slimy and
obese dealer of guns, gets an inkling of his target which was supposed to
remain absolutely hush-hush. Baron’s looks and natural style seemed to be a
combination of Robert De Niro and Jean-Pierre Leaud, and that managed to mask his
limited acting abilities. The movie also faltered a bit during the softer and
more emotional moments. But for most parts it was a tremendously gripping film,
drenched in nihilism and with an incredibly fatalistic tone – it literally
seems, at times, on the verge of bursting out of the seams. The glorious B/W
photography and the brilliant jazz score added, respectively, pathos and
dissonance to the proceedings. The fabulous gravelly voiceover by
Lionel Stander was arguably the most fascinating aspect of the movie – though dripping
with caustic bitterness and hardboiled cynicism, there was something bleakly
poetic about it.
Director: Allen Baron
Genre: Crime Thriller/Psychological Drama/Gangster Film/Post-Noir
Language: English
Country: US
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