The Pawnbroker
Screening on Film
Directed by Sidney Lumet.
With Rod Steiger, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Brock Peters.
US, 1954, 35mm, black & white, 116 min.
With Rod Steiger, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Brock Peters.
US, 1954, 35mm, black & white, 116 min.
Mostly shot on the streets of New York, this film combines cinéma-vérité style and a Resnais-like oneiric recollection of the past, as a Jewish pawnbroker (Steiger) copes with the obsession of his concentration camp memories. The pressures of living in Harlem force themselves upon the protagonist, while the interpolated memory flashes throughout the film make the narrative extremely associative and self-referential. Quincy Jones’ jazzy soundtrack serves as a fitting complement to Steiger’s tortured subjectivity.
Part of film series
Screenings from this program
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Treasures from the Harvard Film Archive: ...
The Little Match Girl
Directed by Jean Renoir, 1928
Live piano accompaniment by Peter FreisingerScreening on Film
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Nana
Directed by Jean Renoir, 1926
Live piano accompaniment by Peter FreisingerLive Musical AccompanimentScreening on Film
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Treasures from the Harvard Film Archive: ...
Trailers, Trailers, Trailers
Introduced by Film Conservator Julie BuckScreening on Film
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Treasures from the Harvard Film Archive: ...
Sweet Smell of Success
Directed by Alexander Mackendrick, 1957
Screening on Film
