chrisdfilm

It's hard to put my thoughts into words about this film. I write about movies a lot, but this one stumps me in a way because it is such a punch in the gut. There is a beautiful, romantic, tragic sadness about it, a melancholia falling somewhere in tone between the trenchant, pessimistic sexual/political works of Mauro Bolognini and Francesco Maselli, the sharp mix of realism and dark satire of Elio Petri and Dino Risi, and the magical realism of Fellini. Romy Schneider is perfect in the role of a larger-than-life woman - a living legend - a crusading widow of a slain labor leader with nothing left to lose. Ugo Tognazzi is the bullheaded owner of the factory where she works. There is a general strike not just at his factory but at all the affiliated factories in a consortium of bosses/businessmen who care only about the bottom line and nothing about the welfare or safety of their workers. The two characters, activist Schneider and boss (and former worker) Tognazzi begin the story hating each other, gradually form a grudging respect for each other and finally have a meeting of the minds that forms an alliance that will break the labor dispute impasse. But the other factory bosses are unhappy with Tognazzi's reforms, and soon an ominous shadow of doom forms around Tognazzi, isolating him and pointing to possible tragic climax. Ennio Morricone supplies one of his most beautiful scores. The composer was obviously moved by the film and performances, and it shows up in his simpatico, subtle underlining of the romantic, melancholic mood. Elegiac and memorable.

Bunuel doing an adventure movie is fine in my book. Why do people have to be such snobs when it comes to pigeonholing directors? Some of the films Bunuel made during this period, he may have been personally disappointed because he might have rather been making pix with subject matter more of his choosing. Nevertheless the things that Bunuel brings to this movie - the subtle deadpan humor throughout, the irreverent politics, the surreal touches (especially in the last third of the film when our fugitive protagonists are in the jungle) -- make this a gem.

Plus Georges Marchal, Charles Vanel and Michel Piccoli are stupendous. And Signoret is in a class by herself. Not only was she one of the most stunningly gorgeous and sexy actresses in movies anywhere in the world in the 1950s, she was also a great actress and perfect here as the unrepentant, mercenary whore who falls in love. The last jungle sequence has some of the most beautifully surreal images in any film from the decade. The new DVD is highly recommended. A really perfect balance of elements.

This was a great idea for an updated Americanized version, but it really irks me that, at least in the writing credits listed on IMDb and all of the reviews I've read of this film in print and blog media, no one mentions that this is an uncredited updating and remake/rethink of Kazuo Koike's LONE WOLF AND CUB series (manga and movies and TV show from the 60s/70s). I know it was commonly acknowledged that that's what Collins' graphic novel was based on. But here in the movie credits - nothing (unless I'm seriously missing something). It is so obvious to anyone who has seen this film as well as the LONE WOLF pix. Hanks is Itto Ogami, his son is Ogami's son Daigoro and Newman is Lord Yagyu. I hate sh*t like this where there is no credit mentioned. Like Collins and his partner Rayner and screenwriter Self and director Mendes just came up with this idea totally out of thin air. It seems likely Fox must have come to some kind of financial agreement with Toho, Katsu Productions and Koike about the film because, to me anyway, the similarities really are enough to be actionable in a legal arena. It's an even more blatant copy and much more obvious than when Kurosawa adapted (also uncredited) Dashiell Hammett's RED HARVEST to samurai times in YOJIMBO.