I really enjoyed the first half of The Glass Key that we watched in class today. It was pretty much exactly what I expected out of the film, but nonetheless, I love the genre. I was a little disappointed with a few of the changes (No Bernie Despain, no mention of (N)ed’s compulsive gambling, etc.) And obviously in the book the characters are more richly drawn and quite a lot more complex. It is very interesting to see the characters on screen, however. I noticed that my vision of the book didn’t really match up with the director of the film. The sets almost look as though they are from a stage production, but I suppose that is to be expected from a 1942 film. I think a remake directed by the right person could be fantastic. I would make the sets a little more seedy and menacing and the violence a little more graphic. I suppose I was picturing the book from a 2000s frame of mind, not 1930s.
In other thoughts, while I enjoyed the film for its pure entertainment, it seemed as thought it was paced almost TOO quickly. I can see why The Glass Key is a sort of “forgotten” noir film; in my humble opinion, it doesn’t have the plot and character richness that other classics from the same era do. The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, and Sunset Boulevard come to mind. The events were coming so rapid fire there was no time to really invest in the characters.