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Eddie Muller Presents 99 RIVER STREET on the Closing Night of the 23rd FICM.

Gustavo R. Gallardo

Journalist and writer Eddie Muller introduced 99 River Street (1954), a noir film directed by Phil Karlson, at the final screening of the 23rd Morelia International Film Festival (FICM).  

Muller, whom festival director Daniela Michel called the world's foremost expert on film noir, said he felt deeply honored to be the FICM's closing presenter and that he was thrilled to see a packed house for a black-and-white film.

In 99 River Street, after losing a heavyweight championship, boxer Ernie Driscoll drives a taxi to make ends meet, earning him the contempt of his wife, Pauline, who blames him for her lack of social status.

“Between the 1930s and 1940s, cinema was a fundamental way to boost the morale of people who were saddened by the Great Depression and World War II. Dark topics were not touched upon, but later on, filmmakers celebrated being able to tell new stories,” Muller explained.

For that reason, many of the heroes in the films are people who have failed and are desperately seeking redemption and a way to turn their lives around. Muller said that the film addresses this theme perfectly. “It’s a film told in a single night,” he said.