Soiled Cash

Studio: Canadian Worldwide Footage

Aug 04, 2023
Internet Unique

By Austin Trunick

In early ‘70s Montreal, Roland and Berthie Soucy handle to scrape by on their meager earnings from their scrapyard. To make ends meet each at work and at house, Roland’s taken on a boarder in Ernest, a supposedly feeble employed hand whose lodging is docked from his weekly wage. They’re visited by his estranged Uncle Arthur, a widowed miser whose well-intentioned present of $500—a pittance of his fortune—is taken as an insult by Berthie. As Roland drives his uncle house, Berthie hatches a plan with two native thugs to pay Uncle Arthur a go to in his house and pressure him at hand over extra money. Their foul plot turns south, nevertheless, when Ernest follows them to the crime scene…

The primary narrative function from Denys Arcand (Gina), the director’s documentary-filmmaking roots might be noticed all through 1972’s Soiled Cash. Prolonged scenes play out with all the related characters within the body, the digicam not often shifting and lengthy stretches of dialogue going uninterrupted by edits. This stark cinematography typically makes it really feel as if the movie is capturing a second, fairly than a efficiency. Motion is shot from a distance, as if the cameraman is cautious of intervening. At one level, the characters take a drive by darkish neighborhoods lit solely by their headlamps; every shot is an extended, drawn-out take, and the viewer can’t assist however really feel that they’re simply alongside for the journey (fairly actually).

This uncommon detachment extends to the story that unfolds on display screen, due to a script that doesn’t essentially observe anybody character a lot because it follows the soiled cash that passes between palms. Ernest, who’s the closest factor we now have to a primary character for the majority of the movie’s runtime, can also be the movie’s most tight-lipped; he retains his playing cards near his chest, by no means indulging others (or the viewers) in his intentions till his actions converse for themselves. Soiled Cash appears like an outdated poverty row crime movie, minus all the fast-talking. These characters aren’t the intelligent crooks we see in these motion pictures, however unskilled criminals who discover themselves simply cornered. It’s an offbeat, thrilling watch.

CIP’s restored Blu-ray has a really sturdy picture, presenting the low-budget function with good readability and good colours. Bonus options embody a brand new, on-camera interview with Arcand by which he reminisces on the film’s manufacturing and delightfully explains intimately how and the place somebody would must be shot (and with what) to make their physique fly throughout a room. That is accompanied by interviews with Quebec movie historian Robert Daudelin (video) and forged members Marcel Sabourin and Gabriel Arcand (audio). We additionally get a commentary by Canuxploitation consultants Paul Carupe and Jason Pichonsky, trailers for Arcand’s different narrative options, and a booklet interview with co-writer Jacques Benoit.

(www.canadian-international.com/home-cip-016)