Little Murders (1971): Urban satire with a touch of violence
1971 • Alan Arkin • 1.85:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓
In his directorial debut, Alan Arkin directs Little Murders, which is adapted from the stage play by Jules Feiffer, who also wrote the screenplay. The story follows a detached commercial photographer living in New York City who becomes involved with a woman and her increasingly unstable family. As random violence escalates across the city, the protagonist remains emotionally indifferent, even as events become more extreme.
Arkin employs a restrained visual style that reinforces this sense of detachment, mirroring the protagonist’s disengaged perspective. Violence is often presented abruptly, without any dramatic buildup, making it feel arbitrary. Humour frequently emerges from situations of dysfunction or sudden brutality, creating a deliberately dissonant tonal effect.
The film reflects a broader shift in American cinema of the early 1970s towards urban pessimism and dark satire. It engages with contemporary anxieties surrounding crime, social fragmentation, and institutional instability. As the story progresses, Little Murders evolves into a satirical portrait of urban life, where chaos is normalised and personal relationships unfold against a backdrop of unpredictable violence.
Technical Specs:
- The Story: In a chaotic, violence-ridden New York City, a cynical photographer becomes engaged to an optimistic woman who believes she can fix him, only for both to be pulled into the city’s unraveling social order.
- Actors: Elliott Gould, Marcia Rodd, Vincent Gardenia, Elizabeth Wilson, Donald Sutherland, Alan Arkin.
- Director: Alan Arkin
- Year: 1971
- Cinematographer: Gordon Willis
- Origin: American Cinema
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Genre: Comedy & Satire / Black Comedy
