Close-Up 1948

Phil shoots outside a bank

Phil Sparr, a newsreel photographer, is doing a fashion shoot outside a busy New York bank. The location places him near money and potential danger, foreshadowing the chase for the footage. The scene establishes the bank as the catalyst for the conspiracy that follows.

A large withdrawal is planned

Inside the bank, Fredericks informs that he will close his account tomorrow and withdraw $800,000. The sum signals a lucrative payoff and draws criminals toward the footage. The bank's routine becomes the launchpad for the plot.

Beaumont is filmed leaving the bank

Phil unintentionally films Martin Beaumont as he leaves the bank, recording a man of interest on camera. The footage becomes a target for those who want it. The recording triggers pursuit by Beck and the gang.

Beck approaches Phil to buy the film

Beck, Fredericks' associate, offers to buy the film and tells a story about his wife and girlfriend not needing to see him in it. Phil senses danger and weighs his options between profit and safety. The encounter marks the first direct link between the footage and the criminals.

Phil meets Peggy Lane

Phil meets magazine reporter Peggy Lane, and they decide to deliver the film to Beck. Their collaboration combines journalism with a high-stakes criminal chase. Peggy's presence adds a new dynamic to the pursuit.

Beaumont's true identity revealed to Avery

Phil's boss, Harry Avery, learns that the man behind the alias is Kurt Bauer, a wanted Nazi war criminal. The revelation escalates the danger surrounding the footage. It also shifts who can be trusted among the principals.

Rendezvous planned; kidnapping begins

Phil arranges a rendezvous with Peggy at his apartment to hand off the film, but Gibbons, posing as a detective, kidnaps Phil. The trap demonstrates the criminals' reach and willingness to seize control. Peggy becomes entangled in the danger as well.

Phil escapes on the Hoboken ferry

Phil makes a daring escape from his captors by slipping away on the Hoboken ferry. The waterborne exit pushes the chase into a new territory and reveals Phil's resourcefulness. The escape changes the balance of power in the pursuit.

Back at the office—the hitman is killed

Upon returning to his office, Phil finds that his boss has killed the hitman who was sent to knock him off and steal the film negative. The act confirms the ruthlessness of Avery and the criminals. It also injects a sense of urgency to protect the footage at all costs.

Abduction of Phil and Peggy

Phil tries to give the film can to a cabbie to take to the police, but the criminals knock out the cabbie and kidnap Phil and Peggy. The capture dumps them back into danger and accelerates the plot toward a final confrontation. Peggy's loyalties begin to shift under pressure.

Peggy's change of heart

Peggy is revealed to be tied to the criminals, but she experiences a change of heart and acts to protect Phil from harm. Her decision creates a glimmer of hope amid the mounting peril. This turn deepens the moral complexity of the story.

Beaumont negotiates flight; Gibbons plots double-cross

Beaumont hires Gibbons to fly him out with the $800,000, but Gibbons schemes to take the money for himself. Beaumont remains one step ahead, turning the tables on his would-be betrayer. The power shift tightens the conspiracy around the seaplane plan.

Confrontation at the seaplane base

Beaumont heads to meet the seaplane, using Phil as a shield to ensure his escape. Peggy calls the cops to intervene amid the tense standoff. The plan hurtles toward a violent resolution.

Gunfight and the fall of the mastermind

Gibbons arrives and engages in a gunfight with Beaumont by the water. Beaumont kills Gibbons and his henchman, but Phil pursues the mastermind and the police shoot Beaumont. The climax leaves Phil alive but winds up with a heavy loss.