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Viva Zapata! (1952)

Viva Zapata! (1952)

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“I don’t want to be the conscience of the world; I don’t want to be the conscience of anybody.”

Synopsis:
When Mexican president Porfirio Diaz (Fay Roope) ignores complaints by peasants brought to him by revolutionary Emiliano Zapata (Marlon Brando), Zapata and his brother Eufernio (Anthony Quinn) join forces with Pancho Villa (Alan Reed) and Francisco Madero (Harold Gordon) to take over leadership — but as corruption and deaths continue, Zapata wonders what it will take to bring justice (and land) back to the peasants.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Anthony Quinn Films
  • Biopics
  • Elia Kazan Films
  • Historical Drama
  • Jean Peters Films
  • Marlon Brando Films
  • Mexico
  • Mildred Dunnock Films
  • Revolutionaries

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “controversial film about Mexican hero Emiliano Zapata’s… rise (or is it moral decline, as the film contends?) from peasant revolutionary leader to President and, following his voluntary abdication, return to the peasant movement” is “a fairly exciting action-adventure film,” but he notes that it’s “historically inaccurate” given that “Zapata never was President, [and] he was not illiterate.”

Peary argues the film is “politically confusing,” noting that “Kazan and [screenwriter John] Steinbeck wanted to make an anti-communist tract, equating the Mexican revolution to what happened in Russia” — but “while they get across their central theme that power corrupts anybody,” they “are also responsible for making viewers realize the necessity of armed insurrection in some countries, which is certainly a revolutionary stance for an American film.” He asserts that the “film is depressing because, while it shows that revolution is sometimes necessary, there can never be success because the leaders of a revolution will invariably sell out their followers.”

As someone unfamiliar with the complexities of the Mexican Revolution, I watched this film less with an eye towards historical accuracy and more as a tale of a determined man-of-the-people rising to power, and the choices he must make once he’s “arrived”. To that end, Brando’s Oscar-nominated performance — which Peary refers to as “surprisingly subdued” (“probably because the corners of his eyes were glued down”) — is an interesting one. Even while courting his soon-to-be-wife (Jean Peters):

… he is deadly serious; however, once he realizes the political shenanigans he’s been caught up in, we can see a palpable shift occurring, as he understands he will need to make some challenging choices.

Peary writes that the “film’s most striking scenes are those that show the peasants working together at revolutionary action”:

… and points out the “impressive outdoor photography by Joseph MacDonald.” This earnest biopic isn’t must-see viewing, but is worth a one-time look.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Marlon Brando as Emiliano Zapata (at least during the second half of the film)
  • Fine location shooting
  • Joseph MacDonald’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look.

Links:

Long Gray Line, The (1955)

Long Gray Line, The (1955)

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“Maher, you’re a rotten soldier — no soldier at all. Slovenly, undisciplined, insubordinate, bad-tempered, and full of cute tricks.”

Synopsis:
In a meeting with President Eisenhower, Irish immigrant Martin ‘Marty’ Maher (Tyrone Power) reflects back on his many years of service at West Point Academy, where he began by waiting tables, then was brought on by the Master of the Sword (Ward Bond) to teach athletics. After marrying an Irish maid (Maureen O’Hara) who he falls in love with at first sight, Marty brings his dad (Donald Crisp) and brother (Sean McClory) over from Ireland, and he and his wife enjoy a long career serving as informal parents and mentors to West Point cadets — including introducing one cadet (William Leslie) to a pretty tutor (Betsy Palmer) who he soon marries.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Betsy Palmer Films
  • Biopics
  • Donald Crisp Films
  • Flashback Films
  • John Ford Films
  • Maureen O’Hara Films
  • Military
  • Tyrone Power Films
  • Ward Bond Films

Review:
In between Mogambo (1953) and Mister Roberts (1955), John Ford directed this adaptation of a memoir by Marty Maher, a devoted employee and retiree of West Point Academy who was apparently beloved by many, and gave hair-growing advice at one point to young Eisenhower (Harey Carey Jr.).

Unfortunately, DVD Savant describes this “pure John Ford” film perfectly as “overlong, episodic, and weighed down by cartoonish characterizations and an excess of sentimentality.” Yep. Diehard Ford fans may be delighted by the overload of “blarney quotient” present, but it’s impossible not to view this movie as simply a vehicle for unrealistic adulation of the military. The worst scenes are near the beginning, as Power and O’Hara engage in an extended meet-cute that defies all credibility:

On the up side, Power does a fine job with his Mr. Chips-like role, and keeps us reasonably invested throughout.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Tyrone Power as Marty
  • Charles Lawton Jr.’s cinematography

Must See?
No; you can skip this one unless you’re a Ford completist.

Links:

Big Country, The (1958)

Big Country, The (1958)

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“I’m not responsible for what people think; only for what I am.”

Synopsis:
When a former sea captain (Gregory Peck) arrives out west to marry his new sweetheart (Carroll Baker), he quickly finds himself embroiled in a years-long rivalry between Baker’s father, Major Terrill (Charles Bickford), and a rival patriarch, Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives), whose sociopathic son Buck (Chuck Connors) has a deluded notion that the town’s schoolteacher (Jean Simmons) is romantically interested in him. Meanwhile, Bickford’s right-hand-man (Charlton Heston) — who has long had a crush on Baker — is determined to get Peck to stand up for himself in a fight, but Peck prefers more peaceful ways.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Burl Ives Films
  • Carroll Baker Films
  • Charles Bickford Films
  • Charlton Heston Films
  • Gregory Peck Films
  • Jean Simmons Films
  • Love Triangle
  • Rivalry
  • Westerns
  • William Wyler Films

Review:
William Wyler and Gregory Peck co-produced this nearly three-hour widescreen Western — with an original script by Jessamyn West of Friendly Persuasion (1956) fame — intended to present parallels to the Cold War nuclear standoff of the day. Within the first fifteen minutes of the film, we see Peck’s character simply accepting the bullying maneuvers of nasty Connors and his brothers:

… which makes Baker (and us) wonder what kind of man, exactly, she fell in love with while on the east coast. The gradual revelation of Peck’s views on the world — and the stances he will and won’t take — form the primary arc of the narrative. Meanwhile, we see ample evidence of how entrenched and futile the ongoing rivalries between the fancy Terrills and “white-trash” Hannasseys are:

… with Connors’ Buck Hannassey particularly loathsome.

Heston’s role as Steve Leech — a year before Wyler hired him on to star in Ben Hur — is a supporting one, but nicely played; and Ives won an Oscar for his role as the bushy-eyebrowed cattleman who has far more integrity than Bickford gives him credit for.

The film’s most magnificent feature, however, is how beautifully Wyler and DP Franz Planer capture the wide vistas of Red Rock Canyon and the Sierra foothills. Wyler strategically frames numerous scenes — including Heston and Peck’s pivotal mano-a-mano — within a vast landscape which utterly engulfs their tiny bodies:

… reminding us (as we hear and see repeatedly) that this is indeed “big country.”

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Fine performances by the entire cast


  • Beautiful Technirama cinematography

  • Jerome Moross’s score

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look, especially if you’re a fan of westerns.

Links:

Lust for Life (1956)

Lust for Life (1956)

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“I want to create things that touch people.”

Synopsis:
After a brief career as a minister in a Belgian mining community, troubled young Vincent Van Gogh (Kirk Douglas) returns home to his parents (Henry Daniell and Madge Kennedy) and obsessively but unsuccessfully tries to court his beautiful widowed cousin (Jeanette Sterke). After receiving art supplies from his supportive cousin Anton Mauve (Noel Purcell), Vincent begins his career as an artist, living for a while with a former prostitute (Pamela Brown), then requesting help from his art-dealing brother Theo (James Brown), who eventually ends up paying painter Paul Gaugin (Anthony Quinn) to live with Vincent; but can Vincent’s mental challenges be kept at bay while he continues to practice and refine his art?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Anthony Quinn Films
  • Artists
  • Biopics
  • Henry Daniell Films
  • Kirk Douglas Films
  • Mental Breakdown
  • Niall MacGinnis Films
  • Obsessive Love
  • Vincente Minnelli Films

Review:
Vincente Minnelli directed this beautifully vibrant homage — based on the 1934 novel by Irving Stone — to the life and art of Vincent Van Gogh. Kirk Douglas (who was told early on that he looked like Van Gogh — he does) is perfectly cast as the tortured but gifted young artist who so clearly wants to do good in the world — and who recognizes that his own intensities are simultaneously what drive him and get in his way. It’s heartbreaking watching Van Gogh first be rejected from mainstream ministry work:

… then by his understandably overwhelmed cousin (Sterke), who recognizes that Vincent’s obsessive love is more than she can manage:

We’re happy for Vincent when he meets a like-minded soul in Brown, who he’s able to live and paint with for at least a while:

… though the eventual dissolution of their partnership is painful to watch, too. Thankfully, Vincent’s caring brother Theo is a consistent source of quiet sustenance:

… and we remain grateful for everything he did to help make Vincent’s life easier while he could. His hiring of Gaugin to “babysit” Vincent leads to yet more heartwrenching scenes, culminating in Vincent’s infamous slicing off of his own ear:

Vincent’s personal recognition and insistence that he will be safest in a sanitorium makes us grateful for the self-preservation he possessed, at least for a while (Marion Ross of “Happy Days” fame plays the nun below):

Most marvelous about this picture, however, are Minnelli’s successful attempts to show us Van Gogh working on dozens of his best known pieces, across a variety of landscapes and scenarios (below, Everett Sloane portrays Dr. Paul Gachet, who ‘treated’ Vincent during his last years of life):


It’s also a joy to hear so much smart dialogue about art and colors, as when Vincent is explaining his process to Gaugin, who utilizes a different approach:

“When I paint the sun, I want the people to feel it revolving — giving off light and heat. When I paint a peasant, I want to feel the sun pouring into him like it does into the corn… Look, Paul: when I painted ‘The Night Cafe’ I tried to show evil, the most violent passions of humanity. I painted it blood red and dark yellow, and a green billiard table in the middle, four lemon-yellow lamps with a glare of orange and green in an atmosphere of pale sulfur, like a furnace. I tried to show a place where a man can ruin himself — go mad — commit a crime.”

The film’s closing image, gradually panning out to see the scope of much of Van Gogh’s work:

… is an especially fitting and touching finale to this fine biopic.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Kirk Douglas as Vincent Van Gogh
  • Strong supporting performances

  • Excellent use of location shooting
  • Freddie Young’s phenomenal cinematography

Must See?
Yes, as a fine biopic.

Categories

  • Noteworthy Performance(s)
  • Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

Baby Doll (1956)

Baby Doll (1956)

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“I”m always glad to know something when there’s something to know.”

Synopsis:
In the Deep South, lecherous cotton gin owner Archie Lee (Karl Malden) lusts after his young wife “Baby Doll” (Carroll Baker), who he’s not “allowed” to sleep with until she turns 20 and he can provide her with a fitting lifestyle. Meanwhile, after his business is burnt down, local Sicilian gin operator Silva Vicarro (Eli Wallach) comes to visit Archie Lee’s home and uses his wiles to seduce Baby Doll into confessing what she knows about the arson.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Black Comedy
  • Carroll Baker Films
  • Deep South
  • Eli Wallach Films
  • Elia Kazan Films
  • Karl Malden Films
  • Marital Problems
  • May-December Romance
  • Mildred Dunnock Films
  • Play Adaptations
  • Rip Torn Films
  • Tennessee Williams Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary points out that this “‘white trash’ comedy by Elia Kazan, who adapted two Tennessee Williams plays,” is “meant to convey how Williams visualized the New South, where chivalry, honor, and hospitality (the ‘Good Neighbor Policy’) have been replaced by depravity and decadence, men coveting what their neighbors have (money, work, or women), and ‘carpetbagging’ outsiders/foreigners taking over work and stealing women — just as during the Reconstruction.”

He writes that “dumb, bigoted, middle-aged cotton-gin owner Archie Lee (Karl Malden has problems,” and describes what happens after “Archie secretly burns down Vicarro’s mill” and Vicarro “comes to Archie’s house when he’s not home and proceeds to seduce Baby Doll, who doesn’t put up much resistance.”

Peary notes that “Vicarro’s expressions and movements will at times remind you of a sneaky fox” who is “too clever for the naive Baby Doll, one of many Williams heroines who are betrayed by men supposedly befriending them.”

He further adds that “the unknown Baker became a sex symbol as a result of this film,” given “she never is seen wearing less than a slip” and “lies in a crib and sucks her thumb.”

To that end, “Cardinal Spellman and the Legion of Decency condemned this film when it was released” — and “surely those who criticized it on moral grounds didn’t think the scene in which Vicarro rubs the merrily squirming Baker’s tummy with his foot was in good taste.” However, Peary points out that “it’s a perfect example of how Kazan uses sex in an intentionally ludicrous manner, making it a key element in what is much like an absurdist play;” he adds that “Williams believed that Kazan could have played up the humor even more.”

Peary notes that the film co-stars Mildred Dunnock as Aunt Rose Comfort:

… but he doesn’t mention a notable cameo with Rip Torn as a smiling dentist who enjoys flirting with Baker:

While this movie isn’t a personal favorite — I’m not a fan of films about young women being used as pawns by men — it remains noteworthy for its erstwhile notoriety and for Baker’s breakthrough performance, and should be seen at least once by film fanatics.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Carroll Baker as Baby Doll
  • Eli Wallach as Silva
  • Boris Kaufman’s cinematography

Must See?
Yes, for its historical notoriety, and Baker’s performance.

Categories

  • Historically Relevant
  • Important Director

Links:

Ben-Hur (1959)

Ben-Hur (1959)

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“May God grant me vengeance!”

Synopsis:
Shortly after the birth of Jesus Christ, a Jewish prince named Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) visits with his former childhood friend Messala (Stephen Boyd) who has become a military commander for Rome. When Judah refuses to share names of Jews who are resisting Roman imperialism, Messala teaches him a lesson by sending him to work as a galley slave, and his mother (Martha Scott) and sister (Cathy O’Donnell) to prison. Years later, Judah rescues the Roman Consul Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins) from drowning during a battle at sea, and is rewarded by being made Arrius’s honorary son. Soon Judah reunites with his sweetheart (Haya Harareet), but remains more determined than ever to seek revenge on Messala.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Ancient Greece and Rome
  • Biblical Times
  • Charlton Heston Films
  • Christianity
  • Historical Drama
  • Hugh Griffith Films
  • Jack Hawkins Films
  • Revenge
  • Sam Jaffe Films
  • Slavery
  • Stephen Boyd Films
  • William Wyler Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary begins his review of this “colossal remake of the 1925 silent classic” by noting that it “won a record-breaking 12 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler), Best Actor (Charlton Heston), Best Supporting Actor (Hugh Griffith), Best Cinematography (Robert Surtees), Best Scoring (Miklos Rozsa), and Best Visual Effects (A. Arnold Gillespie [and] Robert MacDonald).” He writes that this “big-budget epic is quite watchable, but a bit syrupy once Messala is no longer around:”

… and he feels that Heston merely “does a credible job as Ben-Hur” — a “tormented, wrathful” man who “is striving for inner peace, which he can achieve only by accepting Christ and his message of love and forgiveness.”

He notes that “the chariot-race sequence and the sea battle still hold up nicely” (true):


… but argues that “there is nothing else exciting in the picture.” Regardless, he concedes that the “scenes in which Christ is seen from the back only are nevertheless quite effective because just from seeing the watery eyes and smiles of those who behold him, we can imagine his face and the love and calmness it projects.”

I’m essentially in agreement with Peary’s assessment of this enormously expensive, hugely popular film, which is visually stunning but will ultimately appeal primarily to those who enjoy epic historical dramas. While Peary’s assertion that “none of the acting is particularly impressive” is somewhat true (only Heston’s character is really memorable), the actors here do serviceable work and are overshadowed by the spectacle of it all anyway.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur
  • Robert Surtees’ cinematography
  • The exciting action sequences

Must See?
Yes, as an Oscar-winning favorite, and for its historical importance.

Categories

  • Oscar Winner or Nominee

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

Moby Dick (1956)

Moby Dick (1956)

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“I do not fear Moby Dick; I fear the wrath of God.”

Synopsis:
In 1840s New England, a sailor named Ishmael (Richard Basehart) befriends a heavily tattooed Pacific Island harpooner named Queequeg (Friedrich von Ledebur), and the pair join the crew of the whaling ship called the Pequod, helmed by Captain Ahab (Gregory Peck) and his right hand man, Starbuck (Leo Genn) — but will Ahab’s obsessive quest to find the great white whale (Moby Dick) responsible for the loss of one of his legs lead to the dire outcomes predicted by a soothsayer (Royal Dano)?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • At Sea
  • Fishermen
  • Gregory Peck Films
  • Harry Andrews Films
  • John Huston Films
  • Leo Genn Films
  • Orson Welles Films
  • Revenge
  • Richard Basehart Films

Review:
John Huston’s adaptation of Herman Melville’s 1851 novel remains an impressive distillation and expression of a literary work deemed daunting enough to merit its own website called “How to Read Moby Dick”. (Full confession: I haven’t read it – yet.) On its own merits, the film shows us a powerful tale of obsession on the high seas, with a narrative mirroring while diverging significantly from other “crazy sea captain” tales viewers may have seen, such as Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), The Caine Mutiny (1954), and Mister Roberts (1955). In this case, the chief mate Starbuck (Genn) recognizes the danger of allowing Captain Ahab’s obsession with Moby Dick to drive the whaling trip, yet can’t find any sympathy for his perspective; instead, he simply watches in horror as all men on board become caught up in Ahab’s lethal determination.

The film is beautifully shot (in Wales, Portugal, and Spain) with a strong sense of authenticity, both for locale and period detail:


Scenes with The Whale are impressive as well, especially considering how challenging it was to get anything workable at all on screen:

John Huston’s assertion that this was the most challenging film he ever made (which is saying a lot) rings true; one seriously worries for the safety of all while watching brutally realistic scenes at sea:

The performances across the board are excellent, with Peck especially noteworthy as Ahab (he was an inspired second choice), Genn excellent as Starbuck, Basehart appropriately peripheral as Ishmael, and von Ledebur stoically menacing as Queequeg (shout-out to make-up creator Charles E. Parker as well):

Orson Welles has a fine cameo early in the film as a pastor giving a sermon about — naturally — Jonah and the whale:

Also on view are Bernard Miles and Harry Andrews as shipmates:

… and Royal Dano as a man named Elijah who tries to warn the men about their treacherous journey:

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Gregory Peck as Captain Ahab
  • Leo Genn as Starbuck
  • Friedrich von Ledebur as Queequeg
  • Fine production design and attention to period detail

  • Oswald Morris’s cinematography

  • Impressive special effects

Must See?
Yes, as a good show by a master director.

Categories

  • Good Show

Links:

Miss Julie (1951)

Miss Julie (1951)

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“I’m a servant today, but in two years I’ll be my own man.”

Synopsis:
In late 19th century Sweden, a servant (Ulf Palme) engaged to the house cook (Märta Dorff) seduces his mistress (Anita Björk), who has recently broken off her engagement to a count (Kurt-Olof Sundström) and who reflects back on being deeply damaged by her feminist mother (Lissi Alandh) and weak father (Anders Henrikson).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Class Relations
  • Cross-Class Romance
  • Flashback Films
  • Max von Sydow Films
  • Play Adaptation
  • Scandinavian Films

Review:
Swedish director Alf Sjöberg was primarily a stage director, but helmed about 20 cinematic features, including an early collaboration with Ingmar Bergman (1944’s Torment) and this adaptation of one of August Strindberg’s best-known plays. While the original storyline takes place in just one room (the manor kitchen) with only three characters, Sjöberg found numerous creative ways to open up the action and add strongly cinematic touches to the proceedings. Given that events in the play take place on Midsummer’s Eve, Sjöberg shows us the gay festivities of the day (including a maypole dance):

… and makes liberal use of flashbacks, as when Palme tells his tale of having an embarrassing crush on Björk when he was young (played by Jan Hagerman):

… and Björk divulges the abuse she suffered at the hands of her mentally ill mother:

Balancing this pair out is level-headed Dorff:

… who serves as a continuous voice of reason while Palme and Björk engage in an epic battle-of-the-classes-and-sexes. How things evolve may come as a surprise to those not familiar with the play, and viewers should be prepared for some pretty intense sequences. (What else would one expect from Scandinavian cinema?) Watch for Max von Sydow in an early supporting role as a farmhand:

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Anita Björk as Miss Julie
  • Ulf Palme as Jean
  • Märta Dorff as Kristin
  • Creative cinematic techniques

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look, especially for those interested in Scandinavian cinema.

Links:

Tales of Hoffman, The (1951)

Tales of Hoffman, The (1951)

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“I have lost my reflection!”

Synopsis:
A poet (Robert Rounseville) enamored with a ballerina (Moira Shearer) recounts tales to his friend Nicklaus (Pamela Brown) about three previous loves: a mechanical dancer (Moira Shearer) created by a scientist (Leonide Massine) and operated by a devious magician (Robert Helpmann); a seductive courtesan (Ludmilla Tcherina) who steals his reflection for a magician (Robert Helpmann); and a consumptive young Greek woman (Ann Ayars) forced to sing to her death by an evil doctor (Robert Helpmann).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Dancers
  • Episodic Films
  • Fantasy
  • Michael Powell Films
  • Obsessive Love
  • Operas

Review:
Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger produced and directed this Technicolor opera fantasy based on Jacques Offenbach’s 1881 opera of the same name. It tells a series of episodic musical tales centered around Hoffmann (Rounseville) himself, with a recurring roster of evil characters all played by Robert Helpmann.

The sets and costumes (by Hein Heckroth) and cinematography (by Christopher Challis) are consistently a wonder to behold:


… as are the enjoyably clever yet low-tech special effects.

Unfortunately, the film’s major and significant downfall (leaning me towards only recommending it rather than calling it must-see) is that, as noted in Bosley Crowther’s review for the New York Times, “it sates the senses without striking any real dramatic fire.” Lead actor Robert Rounseville is notoriously stiff throughout (though of course his vocals, for those who enjoy opera, are impeccable):

… and the final sequence is overall quite dull. With that said, most film fanatics will likely be curious to check this unusual, visually vibrant film — a favorite of both Martin Scorsese and George Romero — at least once; but don’t feel bad if it’s not quite your cup of tea.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Robert Helpmann as Lindorf, Coppélius, Dapertutto, and Dr Miracle

  • Pamela Brown as Nicklaus
  • Highly creative production design

  • Fine special effects
  • Gorgeous Technicolor cinematography

Must See?
No, though it’s unique enough to be worth a one-time look. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

River, The (1951)

River, The (1951)

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“It’s the same story everywhere I go; I spoil everything.”

Synopsis:
In colonial India, a young woman (Patricia Walters) and her beautiful best friend (Adrienne Corri) are both smitten by a visiting American veteran (Thomas E. Breen) who has lost one of his legs. Meanwhile, a half-Indian woman (Radhi) returns home to visit her widowed father (Arthur Shields), and Walters’ mother (Nora Swinburne), father (Edmond Knight), and their beloved nanny (Suprova Mukerjee) care for Walters’ younger siblings — including their only son, snake-loving Bogey (Richard R. Foster) — while Swinburne prepares to give birth to another child.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Coming of Age
  • Expatriates
  • India
  • Jean Renoir Films
  • Love Triangle
  • Veterans

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that “Jean Renoir’s lyrical film about an English family living in Bengal, on the Ganges” — based on a semi-autobiographical novel by Rumer Godden, who co-wrote the screenplay with Renoir — “deals with the merging of cultures” and “how these four young characters” (Walters, Breen, Corri, and Radha) “overcome their various forms of self-hatred.” He points out “it is beautifully shot by the director’s nephew Claude Renoir” and “there are some powerful passages,” with Walters giving “a lovely performance”:


… but he argues, “I don’t like the characters, and I believe that half the cast should have been replaced and that more emphasis should have been placed on how India affects the family.”

Peary’s complaints are rather broad and difficult to challenge. However, knowing the history of the film — that it was made with a number of non-actors (Walters, Breen, Radha), funded by an L.A. florist, and filmed on location in India for the first time (for a Hollywood movie) — adds to its unique stamp in world cinema; it’s especially noteworthy that Satyajit Ray was Renoir’s Assistant Director.

It seems that Godden’s intent (unnecessarily reinforced through an earnest voiceover) is simply to show a coming-of-age tale with all its emotional complexities and uncertainties, and to that extent it’s reasonably successful.

Meanwhile, there are numerous beautifully filmed sequences showing daily life in India, which must surely have been revelationary for viewers at the time. Indeed, Martin Scorsese’s 12-minute discussion of seeing the film as a child and the enormous impact it had on him is quite touching and worth seeking out, either on the DVD or on YouTube.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Fine location shooting in India

  • Claude Renoir’s beautiful Technicolor cinematography

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended for one-time viewing.

Links: