Great Moments From Cinema - 41

Song Sung Blue
Movie: Paths Of Glory (Bryna Productions and Harris-Kubrick Productions; 1957)
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Screenplay: Humphrey Cobb (book) and Stanley Kubrick, Calder Willingham & Jim Thompson
Major Cast: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolph Menjou and George Macready

Film Synopsis: Set during WWI, a French Colonel (Douglas) has to defend his men against charges of cowardice

My Favorite Moment: A young German girl singing in a bar full of French soldiers

Why I Like It: Hollywood has had its share of ‘War’ films which eventually preach anti-war sentiments. Several actions scenes are usually punctuated with emotional bonding between the soldiers and the strife they face everyday. But in just one scene, far removed from the battle front, Kubrick does more for illustrating the human side of war than any other movie. It is one of the most poignant endings to a film since City Lights, and if that movie gave the audience an emotionally satisfying closure, this one leaves them with a heart-breaking image. It is without a question the greatest war film ever made.

A French General played by Menjou, orders his subordinate General (Macready) to carry out an impossible mission of capturing a German stronghold. Driven by his own ambition, Macready passes on this task to Douglas who pleads with him to reconsider. The mission has a limited chance of success and would cost the French huge casualties. Macready disagrees and as Douglas’s men proceed with the attack; as expected it leads to failure and death. The surviving troops retreat, seeing which, a furious Macready even orders the artillery to fire on their own men. In order to teach them a lesson, he commands Douglas to select 3 men to be tried for cowardice and executed. Douglas tries in vain to defend them in a farcical court martial where he is not given a fair chance at defense. As a last straw, he goes to Menjou and gives him proof of Macready’s order to fire on his own people. But Menjou is politically correct and the 3 soldiers are executed as planned. The next day Menjou launches an inquiry against Macready and promotes Douglas to Macready’s post. As he congratulates him, Douglas tells Menjou to stuff the promotion and walks out in disgust. It is then when he hears loud cheering coming from the dining hall.

A German girl has been captured and she is brought out in front of a jeering and rowdy French crowd. She is frightened as there are some disparaging remarks made against her and is forced to sing and entertain the soldiers. She starts singing a song in German and even though they don’t understand the lyrics, slowly the shouting stops and the soldiers start humming the tune. In the end all of them join in and several of them start weeping under all the emotional strain they are forced into every day. Douglas is clearly moved and he lets them share this brief moment of catharsis before ordering them back to the trenches. It goes on to show that it is not the politicians or the top army officials, but common men who lay down their lives and for what? Just so that some other people can chalk out new geographical lines on the map? The soldiers identify with that frightened girl and they see themselves on the stage with no hope of escape. In the end all of them including the girl are human, irrespective of their lineage. If they are allowed to remember that by their superiors, then there would be no need for bloodshed.

Great Moments From Cinema - 40

Fading Pictures
Movie: Sunset Boulevard. (Paramount Pictures; 1950)
Director: Billy Wilder
Screenplay: Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder and D. M. Marshman Jr.
Major Cast: William Holden, Gloria Swanson and Erich von Stroheim

Film Synopsis: Holden is an unemployed screenwriter who finds himself in the mansion of Swanson, a senile and faded star from silent movies. Believing that she can still make a come-back, Swanson hires Holden to write a script. He eventually becomes a kept man who tries in vain to escape from her growing madness.

My Favorite Moment: Swanson as Norma Desmond, “I am still big. It’s the pictures that got small.”

Why I Like It: How do you write a dialogue like that? Swanson says the above in response to Holden’s comment that he remembered her from the old silent films and that she used to be big at one time. No other response has been so dramatic, so appropriate and so overwhelming in its execution. Swanson says these words as if she believes them and it is insolent on Holden’s part to assume otherwise. It’s not just the sound of her voice, but her entire body language which communicates these sentiments. The raised eyebrows and the smug look of superiority are convincing to us as the audience, and we think to ourselves that this is a woman who at one time may have had Hollywood in the palm of her hands.

This is a great movie. A classic look at Hollywood after the spot-light has been turned off. Many stars have faced this bitter experience of being forgotten too soon. Although Swanson plays a delusional woman, at no stage does the audience pity her. She still maintains a dignified exterior and that is what makes her insanity so captivating. Erich von Stroheim plays the role of her butler who at one point used to be her husband and also a great director. Even he cannot force himself to leave her and one suspects that it is more due to Swanson’s forceful presence rather than compassion on his part.

Wilder directed this movie with great style. The movie starts off with Holden being dead in a pool and yet narrating the story. It may sound strange, but it gives the film the feel of a noir and works because of that. The screen play is flawless and some of the dialogues, like the one above, have become legendary. For example towards the end when she has surrendered completely to the madness, Swanson in a farewell speech to the reporters says, “You see, this is my life! It always will be! Nothing else! Just us, the cameras, and those wonderful people out there in the dark!” or the time where she says about the silent films, “We didn't need dialogue. We had faces!” These words resonate with some significance and a sad reflection on how Hollywood may have forgotten the spirit of some of its old legends. Think about it, “It’s the pictures that got small!” Where have all the people gone? Where are the Bogart’s, the Stewart’s, the Grant’s, the Gable’s, the Chaplin’s, the Keaton’s, the Lloyd’s, the Astair’s, the Hepburn’s, the Stanwyck’s, the Garland’s, the Brando’s? The story of Sunset Blvd. means more today than at any time. But dammit, just how do you write a dialogue like that?

Great Moments From Cinema - 39

As The Clock Strikes 12
Movie: High Noon (Stanley Kramer Productions; 1952)
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Screenplay: John Cunningham (story) and Carl Foreman.
Major Cast: Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly

Film Synopsis: In a small town of late 19th century, Cooper plays a marshall who is getting married to Kelly and about to quit his job and leave town. Then he gets news that a man whom he had put in prison and who has sworn to kill him, is arriving by the noon train. Now Cooper has to decide whether to stay for a showdown or leave with his bride.

My Favorite Moment: The swinging of the pendulum as the clock ticks towards noon.

Why I Like It: If “The Western” is an American treasure, then this is its crown jewel. It is a terrific film and an edge of your seat thriller. A mandatory viewing for all cinema students, the suspense of the film is in the anticipation of the approaching hour. Almost in real time, the 90 minutes which Cooper spends waiting for the outlaw ‘Frank Miller’ to arrive is the best time one can spend at movies. It is a character study of a man ‘Will Kane’ (Cooper) who knows that by dong what is morally right, he may lose his lovely bride, or even his life. But character is what the film is all about. ‘Heroes’ in movies fight against tyranny, generally to help or protect someone who is oppressed or wrongfully accused. ‘Will Kane’ is one of the greatest screen heroes, not because of this stereotype. On the contrary, he is fighting for himself, his own conscience.

Cooper had send ‘Miller’ to state prison years ago and had been warned of the repercussions. He is the town Marshall who is getting married to Kelly and leaving to start a new life. When he hears that ‘Miller’ has been released and is arriving by the noon train, everyone advises him to take his bride and leave as soon as possible. He does so, but after some time his conscience doesn’t allow him to turn his back and run. He knows that he cannot spend the rest of his life knowing that ‘Miller’ and his gang are wrecking havoc. Against his wife’s wishes, he comes back to town and has an hour to prepare for the encounter. He goes around town looking for people who can stand by him and fight, but nobody agrees. They see it as suicide and even preach from the commandments which forbid men from killing each other. As the hour approaches, ‘Will’ is all alone and even his beloved wife decides to leave him because she cannot understand why a man has to go to a certain death when he should be with a woman who loves him. All through the film, camera focuses on ‘Will’s’ growing frustration due to his abandonment and as he keeps looking at the clock ticking away toward noon.

The soul of this film is that unforgettable song “Do Not Forsake Me Oh’ My Darling”. This movie would not exist without this song and it is unimaginable to listen to this tune and not think of the movie. It plays in the background throughout the film and is a reminder of ‘Will’s’ predicament as a person who is torn between love and his duty as a lawman. In the end, he kills the outlaw, Kelly returns back to him and as ‘Will’ prepares to leave town, everyone comes to congratulate him. However ‘Will’ just looks at them in disdain and flings the marshall’s badge at their feet. But who can ever forget the shadows growing shorter, the ticking of the clock and that song in the background. As long as there are movies, they will be talking about this one.