HELL UP IN HARLEM
Despite Hell Up In Harlem’s many problems, I have to say that I think I prefer it over its predecessor. While it’s certainly true that Black Caesar is the more earnest and ambitious of the two, I don’t think that the abilities of Cohen and his cast were always up to that level of earnestness and ambition. Williamson, for instance, while undeniable blessed with a glaring surplus of charisma, gives an enthusiastic performance in both movies, but is seemingly incapable of giving a convincing line reading, with the result that Caesar’s level of melodrama is really not his friend. Leading lady Gloria Hendry, on the other hand, is just a little too cozy with melodrama, and comports herself throughout much of her screen time in both films as if she were chained to the wailing wall. Factors like these, along with the rough edges of Cohen’s direction, combine to make Black Caesar a bit of a bumpy ride for fans of consistent narrative tone. By contrast, Hell Up In Harlem, with its frenetic opening deconstruction of Black Caesar’s final act, lets you know from the get-go that it’s going to be a wild ride through crazy town, and never disappoints.
#1 by lyzard on February 25, 2009 - 3:53 pm
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Larry Cohen: certifiable insanity in pursuit of cinema verite; hijacking the St Patrick’s Day parade in New York for God Told Me To has to be the supreme example.
With respect to The Old Days…I remember our collective jaws hitting the floor watching The Parallax View, when Warren Beatty buys his plane ticket on the plane. No wonder they were getting blown up all the time; how easy must it have been?
#2 by Todd on February 27, 2009 - 10:59 am
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You’re right, Liz; Nothing in Hell Up In Harlem, for all its insanity, could top that sequence in God Told Me To in that regard. That has to explain the casting of Andy Kaufman as the shooter: He was clearly the only person crazy enough to go along with the idea.