The Sniper

“Find me and stop me. I’m going to do it again.” Self-hating delivery man Edward Miller (Arthur Franz) writes this warning note to the San Francisco police department in Edward Dmytryk’s The Sniper because he can’t control his desire to shoot brunette women with a semi-automatic carbine. What’s unique about The Sniper among serial killer films, aside from the sniper aspect, is its explicit portrayal — and explanations — of misogyny and mommy issues as drivers of male psychopathic violence (sexual assault statistics are shared even before the opening credits) and its almost clinical narration of the need for psychiatric treatment to forestall male-on-female violence. (The handful of didactic mini monologues can be forgiven since sexual violence was a newly discussed topic in 1952). Adolphe Menjou plays police lieutenant Frank Kafka, under pressure by the mayor, the media, and the public to find the perpetrator and serve justice ASAP. Marie Windsor plays a small role as lounge pianist Jean Darr, whose flirtatious rejection of Edward makes her a target. Literally. Cinematographer Guffey works magic with the dramatic San Francisco landscape to create a sense of physical distance between Edward and his victims that reflects the sniper psychological distance from the entire world, the highlight in this regard being the late scene with the painter on a tower. The dry, almost Dragnet-style acting in many of the procedural scenes simultaneously dampens and emphasizes the horror of Edward’s crimes. A carnival dunking booth is used beautifully as a device for illustrating the precision of Edward’s hatred. Watch for the perfectly anti-climactic ending.