New York antwortet nicht mehr (1975)

New York antwortet nicht mehr: Directed by Robert Clouse. With Yul Brynner, Max von Sydow, Joanna Miles, William Smith. Virus holocaust is not the only plague that threatens our future. New York City, 2012 A.D. In a plague devastated world, one tired man finds a reason to fight.

“New York in the year of 2012 is a dangerously decayed environment that has been divided into communities who continuously fight, as the earth has been destroyed by a plague and sources of food is very limited. A small peaceful society living in a small compound are led by u0026quot;The Baronu0026quot; and seek that of a warrior to protect them from the street people led the malicious Carrot. The mysterious fighter Carson accepts Baronu0026#39;s offer. Although Carson learns that Baron actually has a plan to get his daughter, his son-law and their unborn child to an island off the coast of North Carolina. He would need Carsonu0026#39;s help to get them there. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhere did this come from? I knew nothing off it when discovering it at video shop getting rid of their VHSu0026#39;. Hard to say why this is one unsung flick, as there is some potent names involved and for most part its cleverly constructed. A thoughtfully desperate Sci-fi / action stint that actually throws up some genuine social commentary without any sort forced impression. Strangely enough, you could possibly claim this to be an influential benchmark in the post-apocalyptic sub-genre. This for goes u0026quot;Mad Maxu0026quot; and the trend that followed it. Thereu0026#39;s no doubt the 70s were a flourishing time for innovative films. The director Robert Clouse would be known for Bruce Leeu0026#39;s film u0026quot;Enter the Dragon (1973)u0026quot; and some others like u0026quot;The Pack (1977)u0026quot; and u0026quot;The Rats (1975)u0026quot;. Clouse manages to give it a hard-edge and the gritty, grubby post-holocaust setting demonstrates something rather eerie and raw. The violence is brutally intense and truly grim. This only makes this hasty plight more authentic with the nature of the situation turning people to think of only themselves and become something they might oppose. It shows thereu0026#39;s common ground despite the walls separating the two sides. For some they might find the story to never really get going until the final half, but there are some interestingly credible ideas (like the horticultural aspect of a immune plant) covered in the chatty opening half and a pinch of wit is a nice welcome. Clouse does a frank and accessible job with what his got to shape here. Fight sequences are swiftly exciting (the final super-charged climax is a hoot), even if thereu0026#39;s not much flair and the workable stunts go hand-to-hand. Thereu0026#39;s some imagery captured with a touch of style, but it mostly done with a lot dirt and grit. Organizing the filmu0026#39;s rhythm is Gil Melleu0026#39;s dry and spicy experimental music score, which works a treat alongside Gerald Hirshfeldu0026#39;s reliably on-the-move and penetrating photography. Making up a fine cast is Yul Brynner, Max Von Sydow, William Smith and Joanne Miles. A picture-perfect Brynner emitu0026#39;s a gloriously humane, but also a deadly vibe with his warrior for hire, Carson. His dry temperament was surely tailor made for the part. Von Sydow adds the class to his character, the Baron and character actor Smith milks out a fun performance as the sadistically husky voiced swine Carrot. Miles is also good in her sympathetic turn as the baronu0026#39;s daughter Melinda. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIt might look like a b-grade action movie and be spotty in parts, but there are some inspired brushes and fine performances to say itu0026#39;s worth the effort.”