Noir City: Chicago reopens Music Box with stylish stories of misdeeds and murder
CHICAGO (CBS) — Suspicious characters engaged in all kinds of deception, delinquency, and even murder will be joined by hundreds of their fans this weekend as Chicago's Music Box Theatre reopens its main auditorium for Noir City: Chicago, the film festival celebrating stories from the shadier, sinister side of life.
This year's theme is "Darkness Has No Borders," and the series pairs English-language noir classics (for example, "The Postman Always Rings Twice") with overseas cousins (like "Ossessione") to emphasize that film noir isn't restricted to movies from the U.S.
"It's indicative of noir as an international cinematic movement that really started after World War II, and it went to Mexico, France, Italy, and even Egypt," said Alan Rode, author and treasurer of the Film Noir Foundation. "After World War II, I think people expected more of a gritty reality in their entertainment and in seeing that were not so fantastical."
"Stealing a man's wife, that's nothing, but stealing a man's car, that's larceny"
The films are set in the 1940s through the 1960s, and their themes are as relevant today as they were decades ago. They include two movies ("Inferno" and "Man in the Dark") in 3D. Noir stars like William Holden and Edward G. Robinson are featured at the festival, along with their international counterparts Clara Calamai and French film icon Alain Delon, who died last month.
"Once you get past the changes in technology, in fashion, and all that other stuff, I think people are drawn to these films and respond to these movies because they basically take the human condition. Because I don't think people have changed that much," Rode said. "People's yearning for stuff, greed, lust, larceny, all of that are very human desires and human emotions."
The dark, stark stories portrayed in the festival's 18 films were a byproduct of the World Wars and its effect on people returning to civilian life and how their countries of origin were profoundly affected.
"The people who were making these films didn't think, 'Oh, I'm making a film noir.' It was a style that kind of permeated it," Rode said, adding that the works of author Cornell Woolrich inspired many noirs where characters have the odds against them from the beginning.
"For example, "Never Open That Door" ("No Abras Nunca Esa Puerta" from Argentina) and "The Window" are great, suspenseful stories, and the fact that they were written over half a century ago or longer makes no difference. I think people can be people will be entertained by these movies, but they'll also see a connection or a bridge, both culturally and entertainment-wise, from the past that carries over to the present day, and these movies are far from boring."
"Don't trust anyone"
Now in its 14th year, Noir City: Chicago is produced by the Film Noir Foundation, the nonprofit charged with "providing an education resource regarding the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of film noir as an international cinematic movement." Their efforts have found, preserved, rescued, and restored close to 40 movies to date.
Throughout the year, the film festival makes stops in Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Oakland, Philadelphia, Portland, and Washington D.C. The organization was founded by the TCM's host of "Noir Alley," Eddie Muller, on hand for the opening weekend, followed by Rode, who'll host double-billed offerings Monday, September 9 through the 12.
One of those films, "Union Station," has a local connection that Rode said should not be missed.
"We have a digitally restored version of "Union Station," which is kind of based in Chicago. It has William Holden and Nancy Olson trying to foil a kidnapping, and it's filmed inside a lot of Union Station in Los Angeles, and there's even a scene with a stockyard. So it's kind of placed in Chicago but filmed in L.A., if that makes any sense. It's very, very well done," Rode said.
"With my brains and your looks, we could go places"
Speaking of restorations, Noir City fans will be the first moviegoers to experience the refurbished 95-year-old Music Box. Last month, its main auditorium was closed and underwent an extensive rehab, which included new seats with cupholders, improved lighting, refinished floors, new carpet, refurbishment of the original proscenium arch, and new supports for people with disabilities—including a T-Coil Hearing Loop system for those with hearing aids.
"Showing movies in a big single-screen house is a very challenging financial proposition, and what has to happen is the community has to embrace the venue and support the venue. And I think Chicago, obviously, has done that in the case of the Music Box Theatre, which is thriving, and that's a great thing. Because I think movie theaters like the Music Box are a reflection of the community of the city, in this case, the great city of Chicago."
The cost of the Music Box's improvements is about $750,000. There's a fundraising effort underway to help the 95-year-old theater that screens around 300 movies a year.
"I think Chicagoans are lucky and very fortunate to have a great vintage theater like the Music Box because that theater was built way back when to see movies like these movies projected on a big screen. And watching a movie is a communal affair. It brings people together," Rode said. "What Eddie and I always say is that the Film Noir Foundation doesn't just preserve films. We're also preserving the experience with festivals like Noir City."
Noir City: Chicago starts Friday, September 6, and runs through September 12 at the Music Box Theatre. TCM's Eddie Muller hosts opening weekend, and Alan Rode takes over for the week. Single ticket and festival passports are on sale now.