moonspinner55

Screenwriter John Gay's adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel about independent Oregon family of lumberjacks who, after choosing to stay out of a union-led strike against logging corporation, are deemed "scabs" by the residents of their small community. Meanwhile, the prodigal son has returned to the fold after failing to make his mark on the world (he's sensitive to his half-brother's neglected wife and is the victim of insults by his father, who hates the kid's long hair). Paul Newman stars and also stepped in as director after Richard A. Colla left after five weeks of filming. Either one of the two men gets the picture off to a bad start with a lot of messy action and shouting, and they're no more adept with the quiet moments of familial turbulence (the Stamper family matriarch has committed suicide, and son Michael Sarrazin admits he tried to follow suit). There are some interesting scenes of stubborn Newman butting heads (or, in one case, a chainsaw) with the disgruntled locals (a case of old-fashioned economic survival versus new-fangled ideals), but the filmmakers are too focused on the back-breaking machismo inherent in this family's blood (when they're not chopping down trees, they're playing "grab-ass" with their motorcycles and touch-football down on the beach). Well-enough made and acted, but filled with unlikable characters and ugly dialogue. Two Oscar nominations: for Richard Jaeckel as Best Supporting Actor (he has a showy drowning scene) and for the song "All His Children" written by Henry Mancini with Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Released in the UK as "Never Give an Inch", reissued in the US as "Never Give a Inch". *1/2 from ****

Historical fiction adapted by James Goldman from Robert K. Massie's book about the last ruling Russian monarch, Tsar Nicholas II, beginning in 1904 with the birth of his son Alexei, who is diagnosed with hemophilia. His German-born wife, the Tsarina Alexandra, puts her faith in Rasputin, a Siberian peasant and false holy man, hoping he can heal her son. Meanwhile, in the midst of the Russo-Japanese War, Nicholas II is warned by his relatives of an uprising among the Russian people for voter and workers' rights, but ignores their needs to maintain the autocracy and is exiled. Producer Sam Spiegel's attempt to out-Zhivago "Zhivago" impressed the Academy but, without David Lean's romantic sweep and grandeur, there's isn't much here to captivate anyone beyond fans of costume drama and connoisseurs of historical biographies (who, of all people, may be most disappointed with the film due to its inaccuracies). Six Oscar nominations with two wins: Best Art Direction and, fittingly, Yvonne Blake and Antonio Castillo for their costume designs. ** from ****