There is one thing that all men want; one thing that grips the desires of the soul and never lets go. This one thing can sink a man to his lowest depths to achieve it: success. The Sweet Smell of Success shows just how low a man will go and how good a movie about it can be.
The Sweet Smell of Success is the story of New York press agent Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis). Sidney is as crafty as he is charming. He woos potential clients and women alike and at first it seems that he might genuinely care for them. But it soon becomes apparent that Sidney only uses people as stepping stones on his way to the top. If they lose their purpose, they lose their time with Sidney. Sidney isn’t that high on the ladder though, but he knows who is. J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster) is New York’s most popular columnist and the more he mentions Sidney’s clients, the better off Sidney is. J.J. understands that Sidney needs him and he knows Sidney will do anything to be on his good side. J.J. orders Sidney to break off his sister Susan’s (Susan Harrison) relationship with her musician boyfriend Steve Dallas (Martin Millner). Sidney, blinded by his own ambition and his trust in J.J., is forced to do everything he can to end their engagement.
I have always pictured older films as being very light-hearted affairs. They didn’t deal with hard topics because it was too taboo to show difficult topics on the big screen. The Sweet Smell of Success shattered that naïve assumption. The first time the audience learns that Sidney Falco is nothing but a scumbag is when he uses a trusting girlfriend as a prostitute. The whole film is imbued with the seedier side of show business, one involving blackmail, police brutality and a vaguely incestuous relationship between J.J. and his sister.
The Sweet Smell of Success succeeds because of two important things. Firstly, the two main characters bring their A-game to the table. Tony Curtis is wonderful as Falco. This is considered his first dramatic role and Curtis brings it to life. Falco is cruel and handsome, full of guile while still leading the audience into thinking he is a good guy. Burt Lancaster is the perfect foil for Tony Curtis. Lancaster shows us the creepy dominance of J.J. Hunsecker: a man who seems to be perpetually in the dark. His tall presence controls every scene and he somehow always has a response to every quick comment out of Tony Curtis’ mouth. Burt Lancaster is a fantastic villain, one the audience loves to hate. The Sweet Smell of Success is a testament to his substantial acting ability and he has been recognized as 19th in the Greatest Male Stars of all Time list.
The second thing that helps this movie succeed is its setting. New York feels alive under James Wong Howe’s cinematic direction. The city is a character itself, lending its atmosphere to the mood of the movie. No scene would be as powerful without the city as a backdrop. The score as well is phenomenal. Jazzy riffs play in almost every scene, sounding like the natural noise of the city. Any score that creates atmosphere without drowning the audience is a thing to be praised.
I only have one complaint. Some of the dialogue is a little taut and scripted. Natural flow between actors gets interrupted by lines that only Shakespeare could make up on the spot. For a movie as convincingly wonderful as Success, the very smart dialogue should make it even better, not worse.
In 1957, America was introduced to Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Production’s latest movie The Sweet Smell of Success. Unfortunately, America didn’t appreciate it at first, but saner heads prevailed and Success has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity over the years. It became so popular that it was inducted by the National Film Registry into the Library of Congress. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie and any student of film should put it on their must-watch list. The Sweet Smell of Success is an amazing combination of acting and atmosphere that hasn’t lost a thing over the years.
3 and a 1/2 out of 4 stars
-Christopher O'Connell
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