The ending of Once Upon a Time in the West is one of the worst endings I've ever seen. To believe that Jason Robards is fatally wounded at that point in the film takes a leap of faith. And that the person who shot him was the cripple from the train is an even further illogical plot twist. The film has it's moments, but I was disappointed. It just lacks the magic of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly or the other two films in the Man with No Name Trilogy. The film was directed by Sergio Leone and stars a cast of characters that include Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, and Jason Robards. It was released in 1968 on the heals of the success of the Man With No Name trilogy also directed by Leone.
The film centers around the slaughter of a frontier family. The story twists and turns until it is made clear that Red McBane, the man who's family is brutally murdered, bought land that runs where the railroad will go. He stood to make a lot of money when it was time to build the railroad further. Henry Fonda is the lead villain executing the orders of Morton. Morton is a railroad Baron who wants the land for his railroad empire. It all leads up to a shootout where everyone dies except Bronson and Cardinale.
I found it hard to believe Henry Fonda as the villain. The bloodshot eyes and coarse looks add to his villainy, but I still remember him from his previous work where he was the good guy. His voice and demeanor just don't mix well with his villainous character. Charles Bronson comes off as a tough guy of little words. He has a relatively easy role. He doesn't have to do much except look tough and shoot down the bad guys. It was nice to see a woman in a Leone film get more then a subsidiary role. Even though she was abused and the treatment comes off as misogynistic, her character endured the abuse and was left standing with the railroad at the end. Throughout the film I also had my doubts about Jason Robards. In previous performances I had seen him only in theater productions. So to see him in not just a film, but a Western, was a different view for me. And to see him as an action star was hard to believe.
The film is technically solid. It comes off as just as good as other Leone films. The giant expanse of the West is shown in beautiful cinematography. There are many good edits; hard cuts from gun barrel to train, from a shot of the town to the inside. The mise en scene also worked well. The shot compositions with Robards and Cardinale were a portrait of domestic life that doesn't get shown in many other Westerns. It was also innovative in that in didn't rely too much on deep focus as so many films do.
The best part about the film, really of any Leone film that I've seen, was the combination of the musical score with action. Ennio Moriconne does a good job. Maybe not his best effort, but still a great soundtrack to the action. I didn't know how well Opera music would work in a Western, but it adds an Italian touch to the film. The film is good, but not great. It certainly doesn't have the magic of other Leone films. Perhaps it's lacking Clint Eastwood or Lee van Cleef who are so good in the Man with No Name trilogy. The story and writing are far better in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. I thought the dialogue was too simple. It could have been more complicated. With more memorable lines.
The theme of the film isn't too complex. It seems that it's message is that good will triumph over evil. Eventually someone will get you. The scheming of Fonda and the Railroad Baron eventually leads to their demise. At the end of the film all I could think of was all those dead bodies over a railway station. Couldn't they have found a solution? A compromise? Like in Altman's McCabe and Mrs. Miller, the corporation is presented as evil. A greedy, lethal force that let's nothing stand in it's way. It is up to individuals to stand up to greed and murder and see that good prevails. It does in the Once Upon a Time in the West, but doesn't in McCabe and Mrs. Miller.
McCabe and Mrs. Miller offers a good comparison to Once Upon a Time in the West. McCabe and Mrs. Miller is an unfailingly real portrait of the West. Leone's films are not. They are often too hard to believe and overly stylized. The music and action scenes being stylistic flourishes that border on Surealism. In the Man With no Name trilogy it works well. In Once Upon a Time, it doesn't. The ending is illogical and the standoff between Bronson and Fonda is too theatrical. It is built up too much. I did like the dream, but would there really be time for a dream when you are in a duel? Again it becomes Surreal and too much of a stretch for me to believe.
If you liked the other Leone films, you would probably enjoy this film. As a film in itself, it's probably not worth seeing. I would say it is for fans of Leone and his style of Western. I can't help saying that the film will probably leave you disappointed.
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Review of Ride the High Country (1962)
Randolph Scott's performance in Ride the High Country might be his best performance. In fact it was his last performance. His personality in the film adds humor and interest in an otherwise placid depiction of life in the West. I couldn't help thinking during the film that it was a film from my grandfather's era. I'm sure he would have remembered Randolph Scott as the representative of Westerns in his era. Ride the High Country is an interesting film. It was made prior to the revolution in Cinema that happened with the dawning of the New Hollywood. And it shows. There is little gratuitous violence and no sex. The most scandalous thing that happens in the film is when Mariette Hartley shows her naked back to the camera while changing into a pink dress. Altogether the film shows the evolution of the Western from this film to the Sergio Leone epics onto recent films like Unforgiven and Hostiles. The film is only for those with a keen interest in Westerns. If you don't have a keen interest in Westerns the film will be boring and placid.
The film revolves around two plot lines. It's difficult to say which is more important; the marriage of Elsa or the attempted robbery by Gill and Heck. In any event they come clashing together in an ending that leaves nothing open. The marriage is broken and the gold deposits are taken. What will happen to the gold? Will it get stolen by Heck and Gill? Or will they give it to the bank? That question is left open. Otherwise the story is built around the job of transporting the gold from Coarse Gold back to Hornitos. Along the way the plot twists with Mariette Hartley's quest to find love and leave her boring life on the farm which is controlled by her stern father. The film progresses neatly from situation to situation with the stakes rising to a boiling point in the last twenty minutes.
The film is interesting to watch. The role of stolid cowboy with unbending ethics is well done by Joel McCrea. He symbolizes so many values that conservatives hold dear. The dedication to the good fight, his unbending morals, and his care for women as exemplified in his care for Mariette Hartley's character. Randolph Scott turns in a good performance as well. He is a con man from the start. It is only in the last segment of the film that he is redeemed and returned to respectability. In the early parts of the film he is mostly comic relief. His unforgettable quip to Heck during the fight scene makes a nice sound bite for the trailer. Yet the film is clearly for two older actors. They take up most of the screen time and provide the driving force of the plot. There is a lack of psychology in the actors which causes them to come of as rather light. Ethan from The Searchers is a much more complex character. The only sense of the past we get is from Joel McCrea's character's frayed cufflinks. I would have liked to see more complications in the actors psyches. There is little more to their motivations than economic necessity.
The film is rather straight forward. There are no big effects scenes. The best use of montage comes from the scene where Mariette Hartley makes her way into the bar to get married. It becomes almost surreal the blending of laughing faces as she stands before the judge to get married. The whole scene of her marriage and the ensuing chaos is well shot and well cut. It creates a sense of anxiety in the viewer and raises questions that push the story in a direction that wasn't easy to predict. It also portrays the Hammond boys as scumbags who have no nobility.
The film doesn't take chances. It doesn't delve into extreme close ups like a Leone film. In fact it might use deep focus a little too much. Some of the shots are so far up that the characters become almost obscure. The gun fight scenes seem like an episode of Bonanza. Too much like TV, not enough like film. It's realism is commendable, but it's no where near a film like The Searchers. It just doesn't grab you emotionally enough. It is too light in it's treatment of death and the struggle to survive.
The film's theme seems to be a morality play. If you follow the Bible than your life will be secure. Mariette Hartley's character shows that. She craves for a life outside of the farm and her scripture quoting father. In her choice to run away she brings death and carnage to the good people in the film fighting for her right to choose. Her father is killed by the Hammond boys. And Judd is killed in the fire fight all so she can first run away from the farm, and then second, run away from her marriage to Billy Hammond. The resounding message is to not go against scripture. To stay on the farm and bad things will not happen. The Lord's way, the way of the Bible, is the way you should choose. Choosing otherwise will only bring on evil and ignominious death.
If you are to see this film, I would suggest that you have a deep interest in Westerns. Otherwise the film might be a bore. I watched this film as part of a study of Westerns. I have seen several Westerns and this film is good, but not great. Compared to Seven Men From Now, another film that starred Randolph Scott they are not that much different. Neither film takes many chances. They are both rather straight forward in terms of techniques and story. This film is from a different era. By contemporary standards it would be a TV show, rather than a feature film.
The film revolves around two plot lines. It's difficult to say which is more important; the marriage of Elsa or the attempted robbery by Gill and Heck. In any event they come clashing together in an ending that leaves nothing open. The marriage is broken and the gold deposits are taken. What will happen to the gold? Will it get stolen by Heck and Gill? Or will they give it to the bank? That question is left open. Otherwise the story is built around the job of transporting the gold from Coarse Gold back to Hornitos. Along the way the plot twists with Mariette Hartley's quest to find love and leave her boring life on the farm which is controlled by her stern father. The film progresses neatly from situation to situation with the stakes rising to a boiling point in the last twenty minutes.
The film is interesting to watch. The role of stolid cowboy with unbending ethics is well done by Joel McCrea. He symbolizes so many values that conservatives hold dear. The dedication to the good fight, his unbending morals, and his care for women as exemplified in his care for Mariette Hartley's character. Randolph Scott turns in a good performance as well. He is a con man from the start. It is only in the last segment of the film that he is redeemed and returned to respectability. In the early parts of the film he is mostly comic relief. His unforgettable quip to Heck during the fight scene makes a nice sound bite for the trailer. Yet the film is clearly for two older actors. They take up most of the screen time and provide the driving force of the plot. There is a lack of psychology in the actors which causes them to come of as rather light. Ethan from The Searchers is a much more complex character. The only sense of the past we get is from Joel McCrea's character's frayed cufflinks. I would have liked to see more complications in the actors psyches. There is little more to their motivations than economic necessity.
The film is rather straight forward. There are no big effects scenes. The best use of montage comes from the scene where Mariette Hartley makes her way into the bar to get married. It becomes almost surreal the blending of laughing faces as she stands before the judge to get married. The whole scene of her marriage and the ensuing chaos is well shot and well cut. It creates a sense of anxiety in the viewer and raises questions that push the story in a direction that wasn't easy to predict. It also portrays the Hammond boys as scumbags who have no nobility.
The film doesn't take chances. It doesn't delve into extreme close ups like a Leone film. In fact it might use deep focus a little too much. Some of the shots are so far up that the characters become almost obscure. The gun fight scenes seem like an episode of Bonanza. Too much like TV, not enough like film. It's realism is commendable, but it's no where near a film like The Searchers. It just doesn't grab you emotionally enough. It is too light in it's treatment of death and the struggle to survive.
The film's theme seems to be a morality play. If you follow the Bible than your life will be secure. Mariette Hartley's character shows that. She craves for a life outside of the farm and her scripture quoting father. In her choice to run away she brings death and carnage to the good people in the film fighting for her right to choose. Her father is killed by the Hammond boys. And Judd is killed in the fire fight all so she can first run away from the farm, and then second, run away from her marriage to Billy Hammond. The resounding message is to not go against scripture. To stay on the farm and bad things will not happen. The Lord's way, the way of the Bible, is the way you should choose. Choosing otherwise will only bring on evil and ignominious death.
If you are to see this film, I would suggest that you have a deep interest in Westerns. Otherwise the film might be a bore. I watched this film as part of a study of Westerns. I have seen several Westerns and this film is good, but not great. Compared to Seven Men From Now, another film that starred Randolph Scott they are not that much different. Neither film takes many chances. They are both rather straight forward in terms of techniques and story. This film is from a different era. By contemporary standards it would be a TV show, rather than a feature film.
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Trip to the French Film Festival at Lincoln Center
Today was a long day. I finished work on Sunday morning and didn't sleep a wink until my father and I hit the expressway heading through Pennsylvania. I slept close to two hours, then I was wide awake. I took in the great shots of the skyline coming in from New Jersey where my uncle lives. The sun was bright. No rain or snow. Just a clear blue sunlit sky. We got into the the city without much trouble We took the Henry Hudson Parkway down to 50 something street and circled back to Lincoln center via 10th Ave. We parked the car and were momentarily lost in the underground parking lot. We found our way to the Metropolitan Opera house and were pleasantly surprised when we reached sea level with a perfect view of the fountains. Such a beautiful campus. The lights, the buildings, the posters, the lack of noise, so great. Unlike anything in the city and rivaling anything in the World.
We crossed the Lincoln Center campus to reach our first destination. It was a Starbucks nestled around the corner from the movie theater which was showing all the films. I ordered two Caramel Machiatos and two croissants. My father and I ate them and watched the crowd roll by. We finished our drinks and made our way to the Walter Reade Theater. I visited the ticket window and got our tickets. I looked over the tickets the cashier gave me and noticed that the all day pass for Monday was missing. I went back and sure enough, she forgot to give me the all day pass because I forgot to mention that I ordered the all day pass which includes a free bottle of champagne if I go to all four films. I think I can make it through all four films. I know I can. I've done it before. I'll do it tomorrow. For sure.
The first film we watched was Petit Paysan which translates as Bloody Milk. It's a story about farmers in France who are pretty small time. It focuses around one farmer who has a rather small herd. And before you know it, his cows are sick with a mysterious viral illness. He tries to cover it up, but can't keep the secret hidden. The farmer is eventually found out and his whole flock must be slaughtered. It's a searing drama with plenty of nature shots. I was particularly astounded to watch the farmer bring in a new calf. It was one of the most graphic animal delivery sequences I've ever seen. It showed in incredible detail the birth of a young cow.
It ends very sadly with the rather young farmer having to kill off his herd and presumably sell off his land.
The second film we watched was a thriller that centers around family strife. It is told from a variety of viewpoints. Firs the ten year old boy, the second the stalker, the third the battered woman. The film builds suspense step by step until it finally explodes in it's last thirty minutes. I knew the ex-husband would do something bad, but I didn' t see him having a shotgun blasting through the front door. The tension was built incredibly well. The shots showing the ex-husband as a nasty brute. The pushing of each buzzer sound to let him into the building. Until the final cathartic pounding on the doorway. I kept hoping and hoping that the police would arrive. And that hope was held out to the last possible minute when they finally do rescue the wife and her son.
The third film we watched I fell asleep in. I was so tired from working and not sleeping at all the night before that I nodded off during the first hour of the film. I was so tired that we decided to skip the fourth movie and go back to the hotel.
Then we went out to dinner. We searched around for a good place to eat and finally settled on The Playwright. Was it a tourist trap? Maybe. I had a Ceasar salad and two Bombay Saphire Martinis. I was well into the my second Martini as my father and I talked about old movies many of which are not known today. I mentioned William Holden and his glory days of Sabrina, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Paris When It Sizzles. All great films from a great actor. We also talked about the James Bond franchise. My father says he likes the Sean Connery Bonds better than any of the others. He may be right that they are the best bonds. I brought up the topic of Bond being a misogynist. I don't think my father knows what the word mysogynist means. He was good company though. Even if he is old fashioned. He paid the bill an he ate a slice of Key Lime Pie I couldn't help but overhearing a French couple talk in the background. I wish I were fluent so I could hear what they said. What do you know a French Film Festival and a French couple near us at dinner. There were plenty of French speaking people at the Festival. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. My goal is to get that bottle of champagne. A bien tot!
We crossed the Lincoln Center campus to reach our first destination. It was a Starbucks nestled around the corner from the movie theater which was showing all the films. I ordered two Caramel Machiatos and two croissants. My father and I ate them and watched the crowd roll by. We finished our drinks and made our way to the Walter Reade Theater. I visited the ticket window and got our tickets. I looked over the tickets the cashier gave me and noticed that the all day pass for Monday was missing. I went back and sure enough, she forgot to give me the all day pass because I forgot to mention that I ordered the all day pass which includes a free bottle of champagne if I go to all four films. I think I can make it through all four films. I know I can. I've done it before. I'll do it tomorrow. For sure.
The first film we watched was Petit Paysan which translates as Bloody Milk. It's a story about farmers in France who are pretty small time. It focuses around one farmer who has a rather small herd. And before you know it, his cows are sick with a mysterious viral illness. He tries to cover it up, but can't keep the secret hidden. The farmer is eventually found out and his whole flock must be slaughtered. It's a searing drama with plenty of nature shots. I was particularly astounded to watch the farmer bring in a new calf. It was one of the most graphic animal delivery sequences I've ever seen. It showed in incredible detail the birth of a young cow.
It ends very sadly with the rather young farmer having to kill off his herd and presumably sell off his land.
The second film we watched was a thriller that centers around family strife. It is told from a variety of viewpoints. Firs the ten year old boy, the second the stalker, the third the battered woman. The film builds suspense step by step until it finally explodes in it's last thirty minutes. I knew the ex-husband would do something bad, but I didn' t see him having a shotgun blasting through the front door. The tension was built incredibly well. The shots showing the ex-husband as a nasty brute. The pushing of each buzzer sound to let him into the building. Until the final cathartic pounding on the doorway. I kept hoping and hoping that the police would arrive. And that hope was held out to the last possible minute when they finally do rescue the wife and her son.
The third film we watched I fell asleep in. I was so tired from working and not sleeping at all the night before that I nodded off during the first hour of the film. I was so tired that we decided to skip the fourth movie and go back to the hotel.
Then we went out to dinner. We searched around for a good place to eat and finally settled on The Playwright. Was it a tourist trap? Maybe. I had a Ceasar salad and two Bombay Saphire Martinis. I was well into the my second Martini as my father and I talked about old movies many of which are not known today. I mentioned William Holden and his glory days of Sabrina, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Paris When It Sizzles. All great films from a great actor. We also talked about the James Bond franchise. My father says he likes the Sean Connery Bonds better than any of the others. He may be right that they are the best bonds. I brought up the topic of Bond being a misogynist. I don't think my father knows what the word mysogynist means. He was good company though. Even if he is old fashioned. He paid the bill an he ate a slice of Key Lime Pie I couldn't help but overhearing a French couple talk in the background. I wish I were fluent so I could hear what they said. What do you know a French Film Festival and a French couple near us at dinner. There were plenty of French speaking people at the Festival. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. My goal is to get that bottle of champagne. A bien tot!
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