Detour (BFI Film Classics)

Great addition to the series. Lively, informed writing. Great piece!

good one

The film noir classic "Detour" finally gets its due in Isenberg's comprehensive study. The book traces the development of the film through all its many "detours" - both lucky and unlucky - as it transformed from the pulp novel by Martin Goldsmith into one of the grimiest, most uncompromising crime films of the era. The production history is illuminating not only for highlighting the flip-side of Hollywood movie making (cheap and fly-by-night), but that even with a small budget Ulmer was clearly a skilled and artistic craftsman. The most illuminating aspect of the book that often goes overlooked by historians is the history of the film's reception - how it came to be "the classic" that it is today. Isenberg follows the film from its initial reviews (which were actually quite receptive) into decades of obscurity, shoddy 16mm and video prints, to initial festival revivals, critical reappraisal, and even a 1990s remake. If you've ever wondered why some films become famous and others languish unwatched and unremembered, this book offers a lot of answers - the history of a film is a complicated journey that is sometimes as twisted and fascinating as the story on celluloid, and that is exactly the case with "Detour." An insightful, enjoyable, and fun read - now I want to watch the movie again.