“It seems to me that my coming into this world was a very hard fall.”
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Response to Peary’s Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“I’m afraid as a rule I prefer the company of men… Particularly if they’re bartenders.”
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The title itself is based on a refrain March throws out several times before taking a drink, one which Sidney herself eventually adopts out of desperation — indeed, Sidney’s decision to try to meet March halfway in his cavalier attitude towards life and marriage constitutes the most interesting aspect of the story, as we see one of the earliest examples of a “swinging couple” on-screen (with Cary Grant showing up for a bit role as Sidney’s new lover). Unfortunately, the storyline eventually devolves into predictable melodrama, with traditional morality reasonably — albeit unrealistically — restored. Note: The best line in the film is probably made when March sheepishly admits to Sidney early on that he “prefers the company of men”; this comment is never explored in more detail, but knowing that Arzner was a lesbian gives one occasion to pause. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“If you were just a dame, Susan, it’d be different. But you’re special.”
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The plot takes several satisfying twists, with Keyes’ “predicament” particularly unexpected and shocking — the fact that this “sin” is named out loud in an early-’50s film tells us that someone will be paying for their transgression against society — though it’s not clear who, or how. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“Those gates only open three times: when you come in, when you’ve served your time, or when you’re dead.”
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and Hume Cronyn in an atypically sadistic performance:
it doesn’t offer anything new to an overly familiar narrative trope. In order to successfully convince audiences to root for Lancaster and his cellmates, the prisoners are all presented as sympathetic and/or wrongly accused, while Cronyn himself is simply a power-tripping Hitler-stand-in (clearly meant to appeal to post-war audiences). The film’s primary redeeming feature is William Daniels’ atmospheric cinematography, which successfully positions this as a prime example of prison-drama-as-noir. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“We are witnessing an operation that may bring to life a man who — for all normal intents and purposes — has been dead for thirty years.”
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Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“I took this form because if I showed myself to you as I am, you wouldn’t be able to comprehend me.”
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Review: Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“I must know everything. I must penetrate the heart of his secret. I must become Caligari!”
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Response to Peary’s Review: Apart from its truly unique sets, what’s most distinctive about Caligari is its twisted narrative structure, in which our comprehension of what we’re seeing is continually shaken; a quick glance at the genres listed above indicates that this short film goes in many different directions throughout its scant hour-plus running time. There’s essentially a story within a story within a story here; to that end, Caligari is a film which nearly demands multiple viewings in order to “get” what exactly is happening. Indeed, Peary notes that Caligari was likely “the first ‘cult’ movie”, given that it played “in one French theater for seven consecutive years” — for this reason alone, no film fanatic can afford to miss it. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) Links: |
[Note: The following review is of a non-Peary title; click here to read more.]
“I was just wondering what I’d done to deserve you.”
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Review: The infamous sequence during which Myra (Crawford) accidentally overhears Palance and Grahame’s plans to murder her is particularly wrenching; Myra’s not only afraid for her life, but heartbroken and stunned to learn that her beloved husband is nothing close to what he appears. It’s a hell of a thing to learn in one fell swoop that your husband is not just deceitful but a homicidal psychopath as well. Once this “plot twist” occurs, the remainder of the film plays out with remarkable tension and suspense: while we know that Myra’s concocted a plan, and that it will likely be a good one (Myra is, after all, a renowned playwright), we have no idea exactly how the machinations of her elaborate scheme will work. To her credit, even once she learns of her husband’s untold treachery, Crawford’s Myra is rarely bitter or cynical; she dreams of revenge, but only as a means of personal survival — and we can’t help rooting for her until the film’s exciting climax. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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“The man who gets the killer lands the job.”
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Ida Lupino, George Sanders:
… Dana Andrews (constantly drinking, as in real life):
… Thomas Mitchell:
… and others working together in one flick. Also of interest is John Barrymore, Jr. (Drew’s troubled dad) in what was perhaps his best-known minor role, playing a whacked-out Mama’s-boy killer in black leather gloves — he’s no great actor, but very convincing in the part.
Note: Peary adds that this “film has [the] distinction of having [the] most alcohol consumed by characters since The Lost Weekend” — and while I doubt a formal tally has been done, I’ll admit to noticing glasses in hand time and again while perusing the film for stills. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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[Note: The following review is of a non-Peary title; click here to read more.]
“I have to see it! Malcolm, I must go into that cave before the police!”
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Review: Note: Joan’s performance in Trog is so beloved that San Francisco’s LGBT Theatre Rhino produced a theatrical parody of the film back in 2006. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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