Most of this film, centering on THE SNIPER sniping female targets, is wonderfully executed... Particularly while centered on the gunman himself, roaming from one hit to the next to the next, led by various dames bringing out the outright dame-hating nasty in him...
Along the way Arthur Franz's titular loner leaves behind subtle clues (liken to real life serial killers) for the law, used only sparingly during the first half; after which we mostly just HEAR about the killings from head cop Adolphe Menjou teamed with psychologist Richard Kiley, dissecting each remaining murder through pulpy discourse...
Well enough acted dialogue that does however interrupt the addictive violence that might have been too much for audiences back then, making THE SNIPER a Film Noir bordering on Exploitation...
And so, when the picture works, it works just fine. An intense Arthur Franz is excellent in the lead, as is the taut, disturbing direction by Edward Dmytryk, both working together like the killer and his weapon.
Along the way Arthur Franz's titular loner leaves behind subtle clues (liken to real life serial killers) for the law, used only sparingly during the first half; after which we mostly just HEAR about the killings from head cop Adolphe Menjou teamed with psychologist Richard Kiley, dissecting each remaining murder through pulpy discourse...
Well enough acted dialogue that does however interrupt the addictive violence that might have been too much for audiences back then, making THE SNIPER a Film Noir bordering on Exploitation...
And so, when the picture works, it works just fine. An intense Arthur Franz is excellent in the lead, as is the taut, disturbing direction by Edward Dmytryk, both working together like the killer and his weapon.