MarieGabrielle
Joined Aug 2005
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John "Joker" Jackson (Tony Curtis), and Noah Cullen (excellent portrayal by Sidney Poitier), have escaped from prison and are shackled together. The story, well directed by message film director Stanley Kramer (see also the excellent "Ship of Fools", as well as his masterpiece "On The Beach" with Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner).
At any rate, the film has some good scenes, they are in the brush and swamps of Georgia, trying to escape a pack of bloodhounds, and the Sheriff well portrayed by Theodore Bikel The fact that the way Poitier is treated , simply because he is black, is a time warp as when a woman offers the refugees food, but first asks Curtis if she "should give the other guy some as well". Tony Curtis is good in the role of a desperate malcontent, his accent a bit too NY but his acting usually overcomes this. He is angry at society, that he wants to be a "success". The dated phrase "Charlie Potatoes", humorously shows us the society of 1950's America and its values of what success means. Money, at any cost.
The sheriff;s bounty hunter assistant has several bloodhounds and Dobermans "I hope you treat them dogs as go as your grandma" cracks Bikel. The dogs and how they are cared for (better than minorities and the poor) is a point of reference.
Bikel as sheriff has a run in with Lon Chaney Jr., a man who lets the prisoners free from a town lynch mob. The seething anger and hypocrisies of small town America are well manifested here. Racism, ignorance, bigotry.
This film was made in 1958, an important message. 10/0
At any rate, the film has some good scenes, they are in the brush and swamps of Georgia, trying to escape a pack of bloodhounds, and the Sheriff well portrayed by Theodore Bikel The fact that the way Poitier is treated , simply because he is black, is a time warp as when a woman offers the refugees food, but first asks Curtis if she "should give the other guy some as well". Tony Curtis is good in the role of a desperate malcontent, his accent a bit too NY but his acting usually overcomes this. He is angry at society, that he wants to be a "success". The dated phrase "Charlie Potatoes", humorously shows us the society of 1950's America and its values of what success means. Money, at any cost.
The sheriff;s bounty hunter assistant has several bloodhounds and Dobermans "I hope you treat them dogs as go as your grandma" cracks Bikel. The dogs and how they are cared for (better than minorities and the poor) is a point of reference.
Bikel as sheriff has a run in with Lon Chaney Jr., a man who lets the prisoners free from a town lynch mob. The seething anger and hypocrisies of small town America are well manifested here. Racism, ignorance, bigotry.
This film was made in 1958, an important message. 10/0
This film requires more than one view to pick up subtleties in the stories. The parallel story of a British reporter, Thomas Fowler, brilliantly portrayed by Michael Caine, his mistress Phuong (Do Thi Ha Yen), and her predicament, as well the overall quagmire that was Indo-China, American interference, and later Vietnam.
It is filmed with illusory, tropical backdrops to a scene of hundreds of recently murdered citizens, noted "probably killed by just another faction" by a fellow war correspondent of Fowler's.
The sets are realistic without being overwrought (i.e. Platoon). The story has a soft side to Caine's character and his love for Phuong, and the desires of an older man to find final happiness, in a sense. He remarks to Brendan Fraser (Alden Pyle, a US intelligence agent, posing as a physician treating Trychoma), that if he were to lose Phuong it would be the end of his life. The problem is his British wife is Catholic and refuses divorce. This would not be a very valid reason these days.
Caine is excellent, giving a voice over finessed view of war torn Vietnam, the tragedies of staged bombings, and his impressions of what "the story behind the story" here is.
The visuals are trans formative, and we see a new dictator, General The (secretly being funded by US ), who interviews with Fowler about his visions for a "new Vietnam" Neither the French Colonialists nor the Communists can "fix " it. So what then?.
It is nice that this is left as an open ended question leaving the audience to have to THINK. Graham Greene is an excellent author and one must read the book which this film encapsulates. Highly recommended. 10/10.
It is filmed with illusory, tropical backdrops to a scene of hundreds of recently murdered citizens, noted "probably killed by just another faction" by a fellow war correspondent of Fowler's.
The sets are realistic without being overwrought (i.e. Platoon). The story has a soft side to Caine's character and his love for Phuong, and the desires of an older man to find final happiness, in a sense. He remarks to Brendan Fraser (Alden Pyle, a US intelligence agent, posing as a physician treating Trychoma), that if he were to lose Phuong it would be the end of his life. The problem is his British wife is Catholic and refuses divorce. This would not be a very valid reason these days.
Caine is excellent, giving a voice over finessed view of war torn Vietnam, the tragedies of staged bombings, and his impressions of what "the story behind the story" here is.
The visuals are trans formative, and we see a new dictator, General The (secretly being funded by US ), who interviews with Fowler about his visions for a "new Vietnam" Neither the French Colonialists nor the Communists can "fix " it. So what then?.
It is nice that this is left as an open ended question leaving the audience to have to THINK. Graham Greene is an excellent author and one must read the book which this film encapsulates. Highly recommended. 10/10.
regarding Manson era, S. California and the drug issue.
Suffice to say, this film is an interesting squib on the socio-political era of the late 1960's. While it offers no answers it gives the audience a glimpse into the times.
Look for Jay Sebring (1969 victim of the Manson/Tex Watson murders), as well as Stella Stevens as a junkie in rehabilitation, she looks quite well put together. The actor portraying Zanke Albo, who is involved with Stevens is quite good as a heroin addict.
Eartha Kitt looks lovely, is convincing as a drug addict at the end of the line, living at "Synanon", in Santa Monica California headquarters.
The true story of Synanon itself has a very interesting back-story, apparently the founder Dieterich (well portrayed by an aging Edmond O'Brien) at one point had raised millions. Initially if one researches, the group had helped addicts, but later became a cult without good purpose.
This film is often shown on satellite via Universal or MGM and I rate it a 9 because it is very interesting to those of us interested in 1960's American culture.
Also, I will not call it "counter" culture because research into the political era shows how very divided this country was, and indeed, still is. Similar issues and divisiveness exist, even to this day.
VERY interesting 9/10.
Suffice to say, this film is an interesting squib on the socio-political era of the late 1960's. While it offers no answers it gives the audience a glimpse into the times.
Look for Jay Sebring (1969 victim of the Manson/Tex Watson murders), as well as Stella Stevens as a junkie in rehabilitation, she looks quite well put together. The actor portraying Zanke Albo, who is involved with Stevens is quite good as a heroin addict.
Eartha Kitt looks lovely, is convincing as a drug addict at the end of the line, living at "Synanon", in Santa Monica California headquarters.
The true story of Synanon itself has a very interesting back-story, apparently the founder Dieterich (well portrayed by an aging Edmond O'Brien) at one point had raised millions. Initially if one researches, the group had helped addicts, but later became a cult without good purpose.
This film is often shown on satellite via Universal or MGM and I rate it a 9 because it is very interesting to those of us interested in 1960's American culture.
Also, I will not call it "counter" culture because research into the political era shows how very divided this country was, and indeed, still is. Similar issues and divisiveness exist, even to this day.
VERY interesting 9/10.