Panic in the Streets: Elia Kazan

In his seminal essay Notes on Film Noir, Paul Schrader classified Elia Kazan's Panic in the Streets as a Phase Three film noir; a film which focuses on self-destructive characters pushed to the limits by society. But after watching the film, I have to disagree. Panic in the Streets is obviously a Phase Two film noir; a film that strives for utmost realism and usually focuses on police procedurals and other forms of investigations. Not only is Panic in the Streets a Phase Two film noir, it's one of the best. During what should have been a routine autopsy of a murdered illegal immigrant, traces of pneumonic plague, a form of bubonic plague (more commonly known as the Black Death), are found in his blood. Realizing that he could be an index case for a full-blown plague, U.S. Public Health Service officer Clinton Reed and police captain Tom Warren must dive into the criminal underworld of New Orleans to discover where he came from and if he had infected anybody else. Panic in the Streets is an early triumph by Kazan. His trademark realism brings the alleys, dives, and seedy docks of New Orleans to life. But my favorite part of the film is Kazan's use of long takes that frame his characters against the harsh, uninviting world of the New Orleans criminal underground. The scene where the "index patient" is murdered is one of the most brilliant tracking shots I have ever seen, following the sick victim over busy train tracks, abandoned buildings, and desolate roads. This shot belongs in the tracking shot Hall of Fame right next to the Copacabana nightclub scene in Goodfellas (1990) and the opening of Touch of Evil (1958). A dark, thrilling wonder of a film, Panic in the Streets is an under-appreciated treasure.

8/10