711 Ocean drive is a film noir created by Frank Seltzer Productions back in 1950. The film introduces us to Mal Granger, played by Edmond O’Brien, who is a telephone repairman who gets involved in the business of horse betting. Granger knows a bit about electronics and he uses this to his advantage when it comes to helping his buddy Vince Walters, played by Barry Kelly. The goal was for Grangers and Walters to steadily expand the illegal racing wire together but all of that is ruined when Walters is murdered.
This operation now becomes a one-man job as Granger takes over everything. With this triumph, however, come new obstacles and the worst is in store for him. His newfound success is threatened by the greed of Larry Mason, played by Donald Porter, a mobster who wants his slice of the pie, and by Lieutenant Pete Wright, played by Howard St. John, who is convinced that Granger had something to do with Walters murder.
This classic movie, due to the time it was created, makes use of very simple camera work. Even the fact that the plotline focuses on horse betting through a bookie is an antiquated notion nowadays.
Uncut Gems Review
Uncut Gems is a mystery and thriller created in 2019, directed by Ben and Joshua Safdie. With this movie, the Safdies have really staked their claim as masterminds of anxiety-inducing cinema. In this film, we see Adam Sandler visit his serious side as he portrays the character of Howard Ratner, a super charismatic jeweller.
This movie starts off quite tame as we are introduced to the characters and how they are all connected together. The point where all of the chaos stems from in this film is not clear, proving just how brilliant the Safdie brothers are. By not relating the chaos to one specific moment, we are plunged into the chaos that Ratner feels when he is presented with these various situations which he only keeps making worse.
The directing techniques change to suit what is going on inside Ratner’s mind. The shots used are usually fast, short ones which mimic how fast time is passing by in Ratner’s world. The sudden changes from one scene to the next help show how Ratner is slowly losing control of his life because of his own mistakes.
What has changed?
These two films can be used as great varying point of views when it comes to looking at the developments which have happened in both the film and gambling industries. The directing methods used in these two films taken from two distinct era’s help showcase the evolution of the film industry quite accurately.
However, dig this, the gambling industry has developed further from that which is portrayed in Uncut Gems as it has found its place online. A more accurate representation of the gambling industries achievements would be if a film were to centre around the culture that has been created around online casinos. A story which explores the best ways that online bonuses and tournaments can be used would help showcase more accurately the journey that the gambling industry is on.
Both the film and gambling industries have developed greatly and 711 Oceans Drive and Uncut Gems portray this evolution quite well. Basing our guesses of what the future will look like from these two movies, we can expect more mind-boggling narratives told with heart-pricking camera work.
