Classic Film Noir 'Blast of Silence' Reflects the Bleak Spirit of Christmas

The holiday season is in full swing, and I feel very weird about it. Being dispirited about this time of year is a tradition in and of itself for plenty of folks, but those doubts of yuletide sneer have taken on a much different configuration this year. There's this regressive cruelty brewing in the air that I can't shake. Christmas is a time of togetherness and love, but the tea leaves show a much different picture of the holidays. The only way I can really talk about it is through the same manner in which I process most of my emotions: writing. In years past, I've discussed the sentimentality of "It's a Wonderful Life," why the "Black Adder Christmas Carol" should be recognized as one of the most memorable adaptations of the Charles Dickens tale and how "Jingle All the Way" is a bizarre, but enjoyable time capsule of late '90s consumerism, but this year, I want to delve into darker waters with the feel good gangster picture of 1961. "Remembering, out of the black silence, you were born in pain." The first words spoken in Allen Baron's "Blast of Silence" emanate from a gruff, disembodied voice describing the birth of a child who screamed upon his emergence into the world and how he channeled that resentment for being alive into a career opportunity. His name is Frankie "Baby Boy" Bono (Allen Baron), and his train is shakily pulling into Penn Station just a few days before Christmas to carry out a job, but not just any job. Where plenty of folks would come to the Big Apple for vacations or business trips, the blinding light at the end of the tunnel means that Frankie has arrived to carry out a contracted hit, kiss him with a bullet, procure his money and disappear. The mark: a local mobster by the name of Troiano (Peter Clune). The irony of this piece's timing is not lost on me. Existing between the tail end of traditional noir and the evolution of neo-noir, Baron's bleak holiday excursion through the bustling milieu of Manhattan came and went with little fanfare upon its initial release. It wouldn't be until a screening at the Munich Film Festival in 1990 where the fatalistic tale would be hailed as a forgotten masterpiece. Though the writer-director-actor would go on to direct hundreds of episodes of television, along with a few largely forgotten directorial efforts, it's a shame Baron never received his flowers sooner because "Blast of Silence" is an excellent debut feature and a memorable noir. On its surface, "Blast of Silence" doesn't exactly sound like the kind of movie your average viewer would think to put on around the holidays, but it unnervingly reflects the bleak aura hanging in the air this holiday season. Baron shot a lot of this with no permits, therefore capturing a vérité-esque portrait of the city around Christmastime that makes for the perfect backdrop. The sounds of children solemnly singing carols, coupled with Meyer Kupferman's jazz-laden score, follow a dark soul "right out of Cleveland" as he wanders around Manhattan muttering about how much he hates this time of year. It holds the distinction of being one of the few films in which the narration is spoken in the second person. But rather than Frankie's consciousness sounding like Baron, the honor went to then-blacklisted actor Lionel Stander, whose raspy voice makes for the perfect self-loathing consciousness, berating our protagonist every step of the way. For as much as "Blast of Silence" is about the build up to an assassination, it does technically carry the hallmarks of a Christmas movie. Orphaned at a young age, Frankie doesn't have fond childhood memories of his time in New York. Anyone who's returned to their hometown for the holidays, especially if you left on complicated terms, can relate to the memories that come flooding back. It only exacerbates Frankie's hatred of Christmas. Hidden within those memories, however, are a few bright spots that manage to shine through. The difference is that in the time Frankie has been away, his heart has only grown blacker and meaner. He's temperamental when pushed on personal details, whether it be from his employers or an old childhood friend. Baron's performance is a character study of an assassin who must try and pretend to be a human being for the week and ultimately gives into his worst impulses. A chance encounter leads to Frankie attending a party, where he briefly seems to be having fun. In Christmas movie fashion, he perks up with the prospect of reuniting with his former friend's sister Lori (Molly McCarthy), whom he always had a crush on. All the air goes out the room (and the potential meet-cute), however, when Frankie momentarily assaults her in her apartment later because his internalized attitude reads her friendliness as an invitation. She sees the tortured monster lurking within, followed by Frankie recognizing the fear in her eyes. He embraces the warmth of a gun because he can't comprehend the warmth of another person. The kid Lori may have known at one point is dead and gone, leaving only the estranged husk of the man standing before her. Frankie feels more at home with his fat, scruffy arms supplier (Larry Tucker) and his collection of pet rats, but even that has its limits. The holidays go on interrupted, despite Frankie's best efforts. He carries the stench of death, but his greatest mark is that of his own happiness. Frankie will always be trapped in a prison of his own making, which in many ways makes this such a bleak, but welcome counter-programming addition to the Christmas movie canon. There are plenty of folks out there with the capability of being good people but whether through situational circumstance or their own stubbornness, can't enact positive change. "Blast of Silence" reflects the nihilistic spirit of the holiday season, where the world goes on around you despite the bleak fatalism happening right in front of your eyes. In Baron's noir tableau, there's no reignited spark with a lost love, no chance at redemption, no good feelings and no hope. I can't help but feel Frankie's ugly spirit looming over this entire holiday. From the ominous opening shot, it's less a matter of if this will lead to a deadly series of events, but when. A score needs to be settled before the dawn of the new year and no matter how it goes, the writing is on the wall and someone's gotta pay. "Blast of Silence" is available for rental/purchase on most streaming platforms, in addition to a Blu-ray restoration from the Criterion Collection. Be kind. Stay safe.