George W. Bush: Faith in the White House
directed by David W. Balsinger
written by Sharon Dymmel and Joseph Meier
This 2004 documentary clearly intends to sell a specific message to everyone who is already predisposed to consider W. a man of God and the right leader for this country. It is a puff peace over filled with praise for Bush and light on dissent. The only contrary voices we hear are sarcastic, squealy voice overs who the film makes it clear are not to be trusted.
The film attempts to portray W. as a troubled young man who found God and quit his rough and rowdy cowboy ways. It isn’t clear as to which event did the most damage to his hard drinking cocaine sniffing lifestyle but meeting and talking with the Reverend Billy Graham seems to be a starting off point for W that helped him reconnect with the measures of his faith. He also met a traveling preacher who carries a cross with him wherever he goes and the documentary focuses on him as another catalyst for Bush.
George W. Bush is portrayed as a flawed man who rededicated his life to Christ and emerged as a changed man. The film also focuses on his strict regimen and sights it as a tool he employed to help him stay on the straight and narrow. If you are a believer and you pretty much trust W. as your rightful leader, then this film will only solidify your presuppositions. On the other hand, if you consider W. to be a thieving, lying sack of cattle dung you are going to find quite a bit in this film to mock. Either way this film is highly biased and it does grate on the nerves when each person slobbers their praise at the feet of the master. Sycophants of this sort ought to be deep fried and fed to the fat, blind kid in the corner.
There does seem to be quite a bit of evidence that emphatically state that George W. Bush is a man of faith. He prays and reads the bible every day and apparently holds many prayer meetings at the White House. This doesn’t mean that he is a man of integrity which is a connection the film is all too easy to make. It also doesn’t mean he’s going to live a particularly moral life or be a strong leader. The film openly suggests that Bush’s faith makes him a forceful and ethical leader but one does not necessarily follow the other. There are many believers throughout history who have engineered atrocities in God’s name so the film’s essential assertion is at best a fallacy.
For the enemies of the Bush administration there is very little representation in this film. None but fervent admirers are featured in the program; there are only quotes from outsiders featuring those dreadful voices. There is no real opportunity for the opposition to voice their doubts and have their case heard. We are left with pure hyperbole from start to finish and it’s clear this is precisely what the film makers had in mind when the chose this project. Their sole intent is to propagandize for the Religious Right and sell their message straight along the line.
It’s not difficult to extrapolate an idea from this film that may seem either dangerous or righteous depending on your bent. If Bush is a man who has been chosen by God for a sacred mission that only he can complete then it would follow that all of his decisions are also from God. Subsequently, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are just wars and were ordained by God. This film would clearly argue that W.’s invasion of each country was approved by God if not outright encouraged by him.
There are several overlong sequences dealing with instances that point to the fact that Bush is a morally sound, sensitive, and ethical man. At one point there was a page who wanted him to mount her behind the copying machine but W. stood firm and turned the li’l sex pot down. On another occasion, he was working on a deal with a man who told him there were special things for him in the proposal, meaning a bribe of sorts. Again, Bush hurried the man out of his office and turned down the incentives. There is the famous picture of Bush holding a crying young woman who has just lost her father in 9/11 to his chest. There is the phone call he allegedly made to a national leader whose son had just died in a car crash. All these incidences are designed to portray Bush in a singular way, almost saintlike. He is Bush the Conquering Hero, the Great Christian leader who fights iniquity and whose mission has been sent straight from God.
The film is focused entirely on creating a particular image of W., one that is deeply entrenched in a myth that all great leaders must fight through. The film promises us a man of unassailable moral character who is incapable of an unethical deed. This is Bush blown up way out of proportion and it’s beyond the capabilities of even the most fastidious leaders to maintain this level of moral fortitude. Yet there is little room for a human Bush in this film. There are only those moments that accentuate the overarching sentiments that fuels the documentary which compare W. favorably with the Lord himself.
W.’s rough past is glossed over in this film as there is only a brief message of his drinking and little of the rest that went along with it. There is just enough to provide a counterpoint to the man he has become after starting off with bad directions and little spiritual sense. Whoever got to him, and despite how you feel about the man personally, it’s difficult to truthfully suggest that faith is not important to W. It’s easy for many to lay the blame for all the bad policies that have been enacted in the past 7 plus years firmly at his feet. It therefore becomes easy to mock his pretenses to faith as an inhibiting rather than as a constructive element in his presidency.
The film goes out of its way to “prove” that this country was founded by those who didn’t believe in the separation of church and state. It laments the Supreme Court decision that banned it in the early 1960's. There are numerous interviews with religious leaders such as TV evangelist James Robison who tell us how strong W.’s faith is and how this makes him a significant leader capable of making major decisions. 9/11 is cited numerous times as an example of how faith helped Bush lead during a crisis. Indeed, 9/11 is presented as an early benchmark in his presidency that allowed him to take action immediately upon receiving word of the disaster.
Overall, this film celebrates the President and his devotion to a specific cause. According to Bush it is not possible to separate a man’s faith from who he is. This film would have us believe that President George W. Bush is decisively a man of God who takes succor from the Lord Jesus Christ and makes his decisions regarding his rule based upon his faith. The film also presents the idea that these decisions are necessarily sound simply because they come from a man who believes in such a way. Christianity is cited several times as basically the only true religion for Americans and that everything else merely distracts us from what is our “natural” religious outlook. These sentiments aren’t explicitly stated but they come through between the lines. America is a Christian nation whose leader is the right man at the right time. That is how this film would have it and only time will judge how successful this presidency has been and will be viewed by those who have had their villages blasted apart by one of Bush’s wars.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Film Review--A Man Named Pearl
A Man Named Pearl
directed by Scott Galloway, Brent Pierson
A Man Named Pearl is the story of Pearl Fryar. A self-taught topiary artist from Bishopville, South Carolina. Fryar presents himself as an easy going, calm, ambassador for the town and has brought fame to the tiny Southern town.
Fryar originally tried to move into a neighborhood but was rebuked by his potential neighborhoods who felt he would not be able to keep up his lawn (Fryar is black). Undeterred Fryar found a house sitting on three acres and gradually went to work. He began to bring home plants that were discarded by a local business. He would plant them about his yard and began to see them as something more than simple plants. After a fifteen minute demonstration at a local hardware store, he began to shape the plants in accordance to his own designs. Eventually he won the hard-fought “Yard of the Month” competition being the first African American to ever claim the prize. From that point on his yard began to get attention. He made the local papers and soon national publications were seeking him out. His celebrity did not effect him in any discernible way and he continued to apply much of his time to caring for his garden.
The film focuses much of its time on Fryar’s tireless work ethic as he is shown performing a variety of necessary tasks. He worked at a local bottling factory up to twelve hours per day and would come home and often work well into the morning. There are several scenes with Fryar brandishing his chain saw trimming bushes into their freakish forms.
Fryar is something of a local treasure who is hired by the town to line a street downtown with his creations. The local economy is weak as many businesses have moved on leaving the community trying to create interest for the five thousand commuters who pass through their town on their way to other destinations. There is a definite sadness about this town as the boarded up buildings pay tribute to a place that is broken, abused, and nearly lacking a pulse. Fryar is the only thing the town has to offer and it comes across as rather pathetic how they use him as a selling point to tourists who are looking for the only real thing to do there. All through it Fryar retains his charming demeanor and even shows up late for church to meet and greet a bus filled with people who have heard or read something about his garden.
Fryar is a simple man. He has worked hard all his life and is not overtly troubled by circumstances beyond his control. The film relates the impact his garden has on those who witness it first hand. It is described as almost a sacred place of solace where people can escape to if only for a few minutes. Indeed, there is much religion in this film be it the local all-black Baptist church or the presentation of the garden as the work of God. Although racism is not directly addressed there is a sense that this is mostly a segregated town and this is born out by the racial make up of the black church.
The film interviews the mayor, the pastor, and Fryar’s wife among others. Throughout they sing Fryar’s praises and it does become a bit redundant toward the end. It’s clear that Fryar is beloved by all and it seems as if he has no faults whatsoever based on the comments given by all those who know him. He’s described in the most lofty terms as a man of God, as a beacon of goodness, and as a role model to children to whom he devotes a specialized attention. He spends considerable time in the film sharing his life experience with high school art students. They sit in rapture eagerly devouring every word. Again, this man is presented like a saint and there is no doubt that when he passes there will be a statue of him in front of the library.
The idea has been suggested to me that topiary is an abominable practice that distorts the natural beauty of plants. There is something to this as I noticed immediately upon leaving the film that I was buying into the propaganda that Fryar’s garden was more beautiful than a typical garden simply because it was so unorthodox and strange. I then looked around and realized that the trees, left in their natural state, were far more aesthetically appealing to what I had witnessed on screen. I said initially that it was the most beautiful garden I had ever seen but in actuality it was merely the most different. In this light, Fryar’s garden is something of a grotesquerie that impresses simply because of its novelty. Upon reflection his works actually seem ugly when compared to what might be had he left them to their natural state. Still, he is heralded as a local icon who has taken discarded plants and morphed them into something original from his own imagination. He has changed the language of his community and has actually inspired his neighbors to make their own efforts toward copying his handiwork.
This film isn’t about topiary at all. Instead it is a portrait of a man who has given of himself to his community in such a way that he has literally touched the lives of most everyone who has come in contact with him. Pearl Fryar is presented as a man who lives in accordance with simple principles that guide him and allow him to react to his audience with genuine appreciation. He is clearly gifted and returns his gifts to whomever he meets. Nevertheless, his life’s work is to pervert the cause of nature into creations that do not edify in the end. They are simply weird for weird sake and they would most certainly not be able to survive in the wild. They have been declawed, broken down, and forced into shapes that go against their tendencies.
Overall, this is a man who clearly knows how to play to his audience. He gives the people what they want and simply cannot slow down for a second because such a thing is utterly foreign to him. His work is everything to him and it has brought him considerable fame that seemingly has not gone to his head. It isn’t clear if his local fame has led to any actual improvements in the town which seems desperate to find itself once again. But, he is a topic of interest who does manage to attract tourists from all over the world. It’s no doubt one of the most interesting exhibits on display for miles around. It’s bizarre and people seem to enjoy anomalies that challenge their sense of propriety and common sense. Fryar’s garden is an inspiration not because of its alleged beauty but mainly because of the work of this singular man whose genius has left an indelible impression on everyone who has encountered it.
directed by Scott Galloway, Brent Pierson
A Man Named Pearl is the story of Pearl Fryar. A self-taught topiary artist from Bishopville, South Carolina. Fryar presents himself as an easy going, calm, ambassador for the town and has brought fame to the tiny Southern town.
Fryar originally tried to move into a neighborhood but was rebuked by his potential neighborhoods who felt he would not be able to keep up his lawn (Fryar is black). Undeterred Fryar found a house sitting on three acres and gradually went to work. He began to bring home plants that were discarded by a local business. He would plant them about his yard and began to see them as something more than simple plants. After a fifteen minute demonstration at a local hardware store, he began to shape the plants in accordance to his own designs. Eventually he won the hard-fought “Yard of the Month” competition being the first African American to ever claim the prize. From that point on his yard began to get attention. He made the local papers and soon national publications were seeking him out. His celebrity did not effect him in any discernible way and he continued to apply much of his time to caring for his garden.
The film focuses much of its time on Fryar’s tireless work ethic as he is shown performing a variety of necessary tasks. He worked at a local bottling factory up to twelve hours per day and would come home and often work well into the morning. There are several scenes with Fryar brandishing his chain saw trimming bushes into their freakish forms.
Fryar is something of a local treasure who is hired by the town to line a street downtown with his creations. The local economy is weak as many businesses have moved on leaving the community trying to create interest for the five thousand commuters who pass through their town on their way to other destinations. There is a definite sadness about this town as the boarded up buildings pay tribute to a place that is broken, abused, and nearly lacking a pulse. Fryar is the only thing the town has to offer and it comes across as rather pathetic how they use him as a selling point to tourists who are looking for the only real thing to do there. All through it Fryar retains his charming demeanor and even shows up late for church to meet and greet a bus filled with people who have heard or read something about his garden.
Fryar is a simple man. He has worked hard all his life and is not overtly troubled by circumstances beyond his control. The film relates the impact his garden has on those who witness it first hand. It is described as almost a sacred place of solace where people can escape to if only for a few minutes. Indeed, there is much religion in this film be it the local all-black Baptist church or the presentation of the garden as the work of God. Although racism is not directly addressed there is a sense that this is mostly a segregated town and this is born out by the racial make up of the black church.
The film interviews the mayor, the pastor, and Fryar’s wife among others. Throughout they sing Fryar’s praises and it does become a bit redundant toward the end. It’s clear that Fryar is beloved by all and it seems as if he has no faults whatsoever based on the comments given by all those who know him. He’s described in the most lofty terms as a man of God, as a beacon of goodness, and as a role model to children to whom he devotes a specialized attention. He spends considerable time in the film sharing his life experience with high school art students. They sit in rapture eagerly devouring every word. Again, this man is presented like a saint and there is no doubt that when he passes there will be a statue of him in front of the library.
The idea has been suggested to me that topiary is an abominable practice that distorts the natural beauty of plants. There is something to this as I noticed immediately upon leaving the film that I was buying into the propaganda that Fryar’s garden was more beautiful than a typical garden simply because it was so unorthodox and strange. I then looked around and realized that the trees, left in their natural state, were far more aesthetically appealing to what I had witnessed on screen. I said initially that it was the most beautiful garden I had ever seen but in actuality it was merely the most different. In this light, Fryar’s garden is something of a grotesquerie that impresses simply because of its novelty. Upon reflection his works actually seem ugly when compared to what might be had he left them to their natural state. Still, he is heralded as a local icon who has taken discarded plants and morphed them into something original from his own imagination. He has changed the language of his community and has actually inspired his neighbors to make their own efforts toward copying his handiwork.
This film isn’t about topiary at all. Instead it is a portrait of a man who has given of himself to his community in such a way that he has literally touched the lives of most everyone who has come in contact with him. Pearl Fryar is presented as a man who lives in accordance with simple principles that guide him and allow him to react to his audience with genuine appreciation. He is clearly gifted and returns his gifts to whomever he meets. Nevertheless, his life’s work is to pervert the cause of nature into creations that do not edify in the end. They are simply weird for weird sake and they would most certainly not be able to survive in the wild. They have been declawed, broken down, and forced into shapes that go against their tendencies.
Overall, this is a man who clearly knows how to play to his audience. He gives the people what they want and simply cannot slow down for a second because such a thing is utterly foreign to him. His work is everything to him and it has brought him considerable fame that seemingly has not gone to his head. It isn’t clear if his local fame has led to any actual improvements in the town which seems desperate to find itself once again. But, he is a topic of interest who does manage to attract tourists from all over the world. It’s no doubt one of the most interesting exhibits on display for miles around. It’s bizarre and people seem to enjoy anomalies that challenge their sense of propriety and common sense. Fryar’s garden is an inspiration not because of its alleged beauty but mainly because of the work of this singular man whose genius has left an indelible impression on everyone who has encountered it.
Film Review--I Married a Monster from Outer Space
I Married a Monster from Outer Space
directed by Gene Fowler Jr.
written by Louis Vittes
starring Tom Tryon, Gloria Talbott, Peter Baldwin, John Eldridge, Alan Dexter, Ty Hardin, Chuck Wassil, Jean Carson
Sometimes it seems as if your lover is a wee bit off. Most of them seems OK but there’s something missing or added that doesn’t quite make sense. Fortunately for most of you this effect wears off shortly. For Marge Bradley Farrell (Talbott), it doesn’t go away. She doesn’t know why only that her husband Bill (Tryon) acts strangely. He doesn’t like alcohol anymore and that in and of itself is a definite cause for alarm. He seems distant in a most queer way and even his embraces are not quite right.
Well, there is a clear explanation for Bill’s behavior. On his wedding night he was apprehended by what looked like a tiny dead body in the roadway. When he got out to check, the body was gone. Then there is some cinematic voodoo and a alien being appears just before Bill disappears. He appears shortly thereafter and we quickly learn that the alien thing lurks inside the flesh of what looks like Bill. We also learn that there are many more of them including the Police chief, a couple of officers, and others. Their purpose is to mate with Human women and spawn a race of kings. There is some excellent sexual tension here and much of it comes from the button up austerity of Gloria Talbott. She’s got a hint of cruelty beneath that nervous smile. In this film her character perpetually seems frustrated about some thing or other; it’s nice to think that her physical needs are being abandoned and she’s just crying out hungrily to be fed. But it’s probably the new dishwasher or something mundane like that. She probably can’t get a stain out and it’s making her feel subhuman.
Perhaps this film is an allegory about Communists because of their ability to hide their affiliation beneath the exterior of a Patriot. It might be suggested that communistic ideas sneak in and transform a person into something they once were not. There is also a distinct Racial possibility inherent in this story where another race attempts to replace the master race and fornicate with their women in order to reproduce their own kind. Still, this would only create a mongrel race of beings who would belong to neither race. Or it could create a hybrid that employs the finer distinctions and capabilities of each race, leading to a more fundamentally sound adaptability.
This definitely looks like a film made in the 1950's. It’s got an innocence about it that comes through in every scene. Everyone looks so placid and empty and their smiles linger just a bit too long. Life appears safe and secure except some of the cops are aliens. There’s a scene late in the film just after Martha has seen something horrifying. She stumbles into town and there’s nobody outside who might do something ghastly to her. It’s dead quiet. It’s a peaceful night and the police don’t have anything to do but take the occasional drunk to the county jail to sleep it off for the evening. It’s a Mayberry world with a terrifying secret creeping up under every doorway.
The threat that hangs in the balance in every scene is played up for maximum terror. Poor Martha sees things she ought not to and becomes the disgruntled housewife whom hardly nobody believes. She is nearly broken by the experience and her prolonged grief is the central agony of the film. She wants Bill’s seed inside her but cannot bear the thought of being mounted from behind by this alien creature who has taken over the man she has agreed to honor and obey through sickness and health.
Bill’s friend Sam Benson (Dexter) is a happy-go-lucky soon to be lush who is also subjected to the same treatment but his wife Helen (Carson) isn’t as apt to discover that there is anything peculiar about her husband. There is a certain aloofness that is expected from husbands in this era and Sam’s chilly behavior doesn’t seem to raise the alarm. It’s particularly scary when the cops have been taken over by alien forces–if you can’t trust the police, where is there for a sorry li’l hell cat to go? The answer is nowhere except into the far-aching recesses of your wee tired mind. This is dangerous territory for good citizens who have been reared to take solace in external symbols of freedom, liberty and safety.
Martha represents every pure, soft, delicate cliche one can imagine of the fifties. She’s the perfect housewife with her self-cleaning oven, perfectly folded linen, and all Bill’s doo-dads nicely polished so he doesn’t get angry and put his fist in her perfectly straight teeth. Bill doesn’t seem the type and especially sense he doesn’t drink anymore there is probably no chance he’ll snap and get himself some hard, sweet action at his lady’s expense. But there’s always room to dream however this being the late fifties there’s no way the alien boy will give old Martha a drag around the block by her hair. By the end Martha sure feels as if Bill has been pounding her hard every night and forcing her to perform obscene acts while whistling the tune of some new tuna fish commercial.
So, the town is crawling with aliens seeking to find the wombs of healthy, able white women to propagate their kind. They find perfect vehicles for this scheme by inhabiting the flesh of the goodly husbands of women already spoken for. The sheer idea of the thing is enough to make the skin crawl: happy enough men being replaced by cold, distant shells of their former selves whose sole purpose for being is to hump and spawn. I would imagine such a thing was terrifying back in this age where sex was hardly mentioned and none too well understood as a mechanism of pleasure. Sex with an alien thing would be the utmost horror for someone bred in such a way that viewed other Races as unclean, vile or vulgar. The worst of all was to have one of their inside you with very few options other than to carry it to full term. It’s the biggest fear of any Race and Martha suddenly feels the pangs of fear that are a necessary component of such a potentially devastating state of events. As she is desperate for a baby one wonders if she and Bill had been making every effort to ensure a happy outcome.
There is a tenderness about the aliens in this film. They aren’t portrayed as evil or even particularly disarming. Instead, one can identify with their sad plight as they take the only course that seems possible to continue their Race. They merely want what every Race should want which is to continue to propagate on the earth as a distinct group of people sharing a unique, homogenous Culture. They do not want to be blasted into oblivion just because all their women succumbed to some terrible torrent, leaving them with but one choice. Their ingenuity is also admirable as they use their technology for a specific end which brings instant results.
The performances in this film are all adequate for the genre. Gloria Talbott has a smothering sexuality which permeates every frame. She’s attractive because of a formality of dress and movement. Every step, every gesture is impeccably orchestrated which creates a solid structure that contains unadulterated eroticism within. The slightest movement becomes subtly sexualized in a way that plays on the unconscious imagination so that it creates an overall effect that is brutally alluring. Her body is hidden away yet becomes a sacred object to be adored and worshiped as all forbidden things are. Tom Tryon is a bit mechanical even when he’s not playing an alien. He has the proper good looks and cool demeanor that is necessary in these types of films. One must believe in the actor in order to go along with him and sympathize with his plight. In this film Tryon does a decent job in creating a character that is worth following and getting to know. He plays a commendably dutiful husband whose soul is temporarily stripped away.
Overall, this film taps into clearly defined anxieties about alien races and the possibility of being over run by them. It uses the science fiction format to make a very solid claim about these fears and how prevalent they were when this film was made. The core terror at the heart of this film is a suicide mission for every Race. This film makes a good argument against such an invasion that would necessarily bring a dramatic change to the way of life of white race. Questions arise East Asian countries and Africa. Would the aliens seek out these other races or do their plans merely involve Caucasians who the aliens might view as masters of the Earth? How would the alien virus spread? What would this mean for the political system, infrastructure and the carrying out of wars? Are the aliens pacifists? Do they believe in the separation of Church and State? Such are the possibilities that might arise if an alien Race bred routinely with our women. A whole new race would emerge with inalienable rights handed over willy-nilly to all new citizens of America.
directed by Gene Fowler Jr.
written by Louis Vittes
starring Tom Tryon, Gloria Talbott, Peter Baldwin, John Eldridge, Alan Dexter, Ty Hardin, Chuck Wassil, Jean Carson
Sometimes it seems as if your lover is a wee bit off. Most of them seems OK but there’s something missing or added that doesn’t quite make sense. Fortunately for most of you this effect wears off shortly. For Marge Bradley Farrell (Talbott), it doesn’t go away. She doesn’t know why only that her husband Bill (Tryon) acts strangely. He doesn’t like alcohol anymore and that in and of itself is a definite cause for alarm. He seems distant in a most queer way and even his embraces are not quite right.
Well, there is a clear explanation for Bill’s behavior. On his wedding night he was apprehended by what looked like a tiny dead body in the roadway. When he got out to check, the body was gone. Then there is some cinematic voodoo and a alien being appears just before Bill disappears. He appears shortly thereafter and we quickly learn that the alien thing lurks inside the flesh of what looks like Bill. We also learn that there are many more of them including the Police chief, a couple of officers, and others. Their purpose is to mate with Human women and spawn a race of kings. There is some excellent sexual tension here and much of it comes from the button up austerity of Gloria Talbott. She’s got a hint of cruelty beneath that nervous smile. In this film her character perpetually seems frustrated about some thing or other; it’s nice to think that her physical needs are being abandoned and she’s just crying out hungrily to be fed. But it’s probably the new dishwasher or something mundane like that. She probably can’t get a stain out and it’s making her feel subhuman.
Perhaps this film is an allegory about Communists because of their ability to hide their affiliation beneath the exterior of a Patriot. It might be suggested that communistic ideas sneak in and transform a person into something they once were not. There is also a distinct Racial possibility inherent in this story where another race attempts to replace the master race and fornicate with their women in order to reproduce their own kind. Still, this would only create a mongrel race of beings who would belong to neither race. Or it could create a hybrid that employs the finer distinctions and capabilities of each race, leading to a more fundamentally sound adaptability.
This definitely looks like a film made in the 1950's. It’s got an innocence about it that comes through in every scene. Everyone looks so placid and empty and their smiles linger just a bit too long. Life appears safe and secure except some of the cops are aliens. There’s a scene late in the film just after Martha has seen something horrifying. She stumbles into town and there’s nobody outside who might do something ghastly to her. It’s dead quiet. It’s a peaceful night and the police don’t have anything to do but take the occasional drunk to the county jail to sleep it off for the evening. It’s a Mayberry world with a terrifying secret creeping up under every doorway.
The threat that hangs in the balance in every scene is played up for maximum terror. Poor Martha sees things she ought not to and becomes the disgruntled housewife whom hardly nobody believes. She is nearly broken by the experience and her prolonged grief is the central agony of the film. She wants Bill’s seed inside her but cannot bear the thought of being mounted from behind by this alien creature who has taken over the man she has agreed to honor and obey through sickness and health.
Bill’s friend Sam Benson (Dexter) is a happy-go-lucky soon to be lush who is also subjected to the same treatment but his wife Helen (Carson) isn’t as apt to discover that there is anything peculiar about her husband. There is a certain aloofness that is expected from husbands in this era and Sam’s chilly behavior doesn’t seem to raise the alarm. It’s particularly scary when the cops have been taken over by alien forces–if you can’t trust the police, where is there for a sorry li’l hell cat to go? The answer is nowhere except into the far-aching recesses of your wee tired mind. This is dangerous territory for good citizens who have been reared to take solace in external symbols of freedom, liberty and safety.
Martha represents every pure, soft, delicate cliche one can imagine of the fifties. She’s the perfect housewife with her self-cleaning oven, perfectly folded linen, and all Bill’s doo-dads nicely polished so he doesn’t get angry and put his fist in her perfectly straight teeth. Bill doesn’t seem the type and especially sense he doesn’t drink anymore there is probably no chance he’ll snap and get himself some hard, sweet action at his lady’s expense. But there’s always room to dream however this being the late fifties there’s no way the alien boy will give old Martha a drag around the block by her hair. By the end Martha sure feels as if Bill has been pounding her hard every night and forcing her to perform obscene acts while whistling the tune of some new tuna fish commercial.
So, the town is crawling with aliens seeking to find the wombs of healthy, able white women to propagate their kind. They find perfect vehicles for this scheme by inhabiting the flesh of the goodly husbands of women already spoken for. The sheer idea of the thing is enough to make the skin crawl: happy enough men being replaced by cold, distant shells of their former selves whose sole purpose for being is to hump and spawn. I would imagine such a thing was terrifying back in this age where sex was hardly mentioned and none too well understood as a mechanism of pleasure. Sex with an alien thing would be the utmost horror for someone bred in such a way that viewed other Races as unclean, vile or vulgar. The worst of all was to have one of their inside you with very few options other than to carry it to full term. It’s the biggest fear of any Race and Martha suddenly feels the pangs of fear that are a necessary component of such a potentially devastating state of events. As she is desperate for a baby one wonders if she and Bill had been making every effort to ensure a happy outcome.
There is a tenderness about the aliens in this film. They aren’t portrayed as evil or even particularly disarming. Instead, one can identify with their sad plight as they take the only course that seems possible to continue their Race. They merely want what every Race should want which is to continue to propagate on the earth as a distinct group of people sharing a unique, homogenous Culture. They do not want to be blasted into oblivion just because all their women succumbed to some terrible torrent, leaving them with but one choice. Their ingenuity is also admirable as they use their technology for a specific end which brings instant results.
The performances in this film are all adequate for the genre. Gloria Talbott has a smothering sexuality which permeates every frame. She’s attractive because of a formality of dress and movement. Every step, every gesture is impeccably orchestrated which creates a solid structure that contains unadulterated eroticism within. The slightest movement becomes subtly sexualized in a way that plays on the unconscious imagination so that it creates an overall effect that is brutally alluring. Her body is hidden away yet becomes a sacred object to be adored and worshiped as all forbidden things are. Tom Tryon is a bit mechanical even when he’s not playing an alien. He has the proper good looks and cool demeanor that is necessary in these types of films. One must believe in the actor in order to go along with him and sympathize with his plight. In this film Tryon does a decent job in creating a character that is worth following and getting to know. He plays a commendably dutiful husband whose soul is temporarily stripped away.
Overall, this film taps into clearly defined anxieties about alien races and the possibility of being over run by them. It uses the science fiction format to make a very solid claim about these fears and how prevalent they were when this film was made. The core terror at the heart of this film is a suicide mission for every Race. This film makes a good argument against such an invasion that would necessarily bring a dramatic change to the way of life of white race. Questions arise East Asian countries and Africa. Would the aliens seek out these other races or do their plans merely involve Caucasians who the aliens might view as masters of the Earth? How would the alien virus spread? What would this mean for the political system, infrastructure and the carrying out of wars? Are the aliens pacifists? Do they believe in the separation of Church and State? Such are the possibilities that might arise if an alien Race bred routinely with our women. A whole new race would emerge with inalienable rights handed over willy-nilly to all new citizens of America.
Film Review--The Exiles
The Exiles
written and directed by Kent MacKenzie
starring Mary Donahue, Homer Nish, Clydean Parker, Tom Reynolds, Rico Rodriguez, Clifford Ray Sam, Eddie Sunrise, Yvonne Williams
Oh, cruel isolation and boredom can be a sordid mess of failed expectations and general distress. Here we have a small gang of youth who are looking, just looking, to get into it, to feel it tightening about their throat. They want to be ripped to shreds, to be cast into the stars, to fly heavenward, leaving a trail of matter to crash broken into exploded buildings. Yet, the daily grind keeps wearing at them; they cannot bear to be left behind so they dance, they fight, they live life with a rare and discreet passion.
The soul of the Indian, not some sacred buffalo or wolf, nothing like you’ve seen in movies before; it is the same soul shared diligently by all mankind. This is the Indian who has been brought or been brought to the city to carry on with business of living. They are hardly distinguishable from any other youth out to find trouble on a Friday night. All the illusions, the safe stereotypes, do not do justice to these individuals who merely want the same thing the rest of them want: a bottle of something cold and perhaps a comforting look from a stranger. They want to dance and be drunk, spinning around as lights distort and flash by. To find a reason to fight someone who might have given you a sour glance as you walked in. There is hatred of circumstance projected onto anyone who dares stand in the way. Broken promises healed by split knuckles glancing off of smug faces, falling backward as tables overturn.
Mostly they drink because they need to dull whatever it is that is afflicting them. These are Urban Indians, non-actors, who are living out fantasies and movements that sing brutal songs of poverty and disease when they bother to think about conditions back on the reservation. One instance of flashback gives us an elevated vision of the res with happiness and order taking the essential place in the narrative. But, in many areas such unabashed ebullience does not reign without contradiction. In the city there is acute loneliness and fear of everything that can strip a life of its bearings.
Within the lines there is a sense of meaning that can be exploited to engineer a reasonable life divorced of undue excitement, regulated and controlled. This is not the life these characters want to lead. Improvisation and a loosely constructed script lead to moments of clarity that send a pleasantly confounding message of regret and steely-eyed determination. The night leads to confrontation, battles of wills, strange moments when the battle axe of fate hangs delicately overhead, bearing down on lives about to ring true perhaps for the first time.
The threat of violence is always present; the anger is pronounced and takes form in small gestures or sideways glances that say more about the situation than any high minded application of script to action ever could. The story is simple. It is a matter of drinking, gambling, lamenting and trying to forget what cannot be forgotten. Energies are stripped bare and clean; each emblem commits to a startled moment where bodies pause in mid air and cannot come together. The sex in this film is all contained in the frustrated males who would break any woman down to her usable parts. The women get slapped around and put in their place; they are treated as necessary evils who wear out their welcome soon enough and are thereafter considered a nuisance. Still, there are moments of need when the women are treated with something resembling respect. But there is no dignity to their movements; they shuffle about with their noses to the ground like dogs searching for a freshly killed body.
Overall, this film captures the feeling of longing that takes over reason and catapults the body into a realm where the studied realm of normative life ceases to be a burden. It is speed, power, and even a bit of pain to remind one that it all actually happened. We have a sacred/profane drumming session high on a hill. Chanting echoes off the valley below as the creatures lay snug in their expensive sheets, dreaming of haunting figures, slouched over a drum, patchouli souls bringing a new created thing into this multiverse. The sun rises and the players and pretenders move out to find their place back in the cruel, victorious world. Yet the possibility exists that later in the evening they can start the whole charade over again. This time there will be no excuses not to go all out. No safety nets, nothing can hold back the effervescent agonies that will most certainly afflict them as they prolong the torment into a soft, diabolic dementia. These are the Indian youth, removed from the influence of tradition yet reclaiming it after a fashion as it comes headlong into contact with the white man’s music. The furies fly about and sow the seeds of discord that is transformed into moments of sweet torment.
written and directed by Kent MacKenzie
starring Mary Donahue, Homer Nish, Clydean Parker, Tom Reynolds, Rico Rodriguez, Clifford Ray Sam, Eddie Sunrise, Yvonne Williams
Oh, cruel isolation and boredom can be a sordid mess of failed expectations and general distress. Here we have a small gang of youth who are looking, just looking, to get into it, to feel it tightening about their throat. They want to be ripped to shreds, to be cast into the stars, to fly heavenward, leaving a trail of matter to crash broken into exploded buildings. Yet, the daily grind keeps wearing at them; they cannot bear to be left behind so they dance, they fight, they live life with a rare and discreet passion.
The soul of the Indian, not some sacred buffalo or wolf, nothing like you’ve seen in movies before; it is the same soul shared diligently by all mankind. This is the Indian who has been brought or been brought to the city to carry on with business of living. They are hardly distinguishable from any other youth out to find trouble on a Friday night. All the illusions, the safe stereotypes, do not do justice to these individuals who merely want the same thing the rest of them want: a bottle of something cold and perhaps a comforting look from a stranger. They want to dance and be drunk, spinning around as lights distort and flash by. To find a reason to fight someone who might have given you a sour glance as you walked in. There is hatred of circumstance projected onto anyone who dares stand in the way. Broken promises healed by split knuckles glancing off of smug faces, falling backward as tables overturn.
Mostly they drink because they need to dull whatever it is that is afflicting them. These are Urban Indians, non-actors, who are living out fantasies and movements that sing brutal songs of poverty and disease when they bother to think about conditions back on the reservation. One instance of flashback gives us an elevated vision of the res with happiness and order taking the essential place in the narrative. But, in many areas such unabashed ebullience does not reign without contradiction. In the city there is acute loneliness and fear of everything that can strip a life of its bearings.
Within the lines there is a sense of meaning that can be exploited to engineer a reasonable life divorced of undue excitement, regulated and controlled. This is not the life these characters want to lead. Improvisation and a loosely constructed script lead to moments of clarity that send a pleasantly confounding message of regret and steely-eyed determination. The night leads to confrontation, battles of wills, strange moments when the battle axe of fate hangs delicately overhead, bearing down on lives about to ring true perhaps for the first time.
The threat of violence is always present; the anger is pronounced and takes form in small gestures or sideways glances that say more about the situation than any high minded application of script to action ever could. The story is simple. It is a matter of drinking, gambling, lamenting and trying to forget what cannot be forgotten. Energies are stripped bare and clean; each emblem commits to a startled moment where bodies pause in mid air and cannot come together. The sex in this film is all contained in the frustrated males who would break any woman down to her usable parts. The women get slapped around and put in their place; they are treated as necessary evils who wear out their welcome soon enough and are thereafter considered a nuisance. Still, there are moments of need when the women are treated with something resembling respect. But there is no dignity to their movements; they shuffle about with their noses to the ground like dogs searching for a freshly killed body.
Overall, this film captures the feeling of longing that takes over reason and catapults the body into a realm where the studied realm of normative life ceases to be a burden. It is speed, power, and even a bit of pain to remind one that it all actually happened. We have a sacred/profane drumming session high on a hill. Chanting echoes off the valley below as the creatures lay snug in their expensive sheets, dreaming of haunting figures, slouched over a drum, patchouli souls bringing a new created thing into this multiverse. The sun rises and the players and pretenders move out to find their place back in the cruel, victorious world. Yet the possibility exists that later in the evening they can start the whole charade over again. This time there will be no excuses not to go all out. No safety nets, nothing can hold back the effervescent agonies that will most certainly afflict them as they prolong the torment into a soft, diabolic dementia. These are the Indian youth, removed from the influence of tradition yet reclaiming it after a fashion as it comes headlong into contact with the white man’s music. The furies fly about and sow the seeds of discord that is transformed into moments of sweet torment.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Film Review--The Express
The Express
directed by Gary Fleder
written by Charles Leavitt
based on the book by Robert Gallagher
starring Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Charles S. Dutton, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Omar Benson Miller, Nelsan Ellis, Nicole Beharie, Aunjanue Ellis,
Based on the true story of Ernie Davis, this film tells his story against a backdrop of institutionalized racism throughout post war America.
Ernie is first seen escaping the taunts and threats of a gang of racist white youth where he discovers he’s a gifted runner. Later he moves from his grandfather Willie’s (Dutton) house in Uniontown, PA with his mother to Elmira, New York. There he discovers a pee-wee football program and signs up. He’s confronted with basic racism of a rudimentary kind but proves to excel on the field. The film fast-forwards several years where Ernie is in high school. Coach Schwartzwalder of Syracuse University sees tape of him performing and heads out to New York with Syracuse standout and legend Jim Brown (the most able back the previous season who was nevertheless denied the Heisman trophy. Jim Brown convinces Ernie to sign up with Syracuse.
The rest of the film follows Syracuse as they march toward a national championship. Ernie is the key player and there are various bumps along the road that lead to confrontations. Racism is clearly apparent in many instances where various people voice their antipathy to the emergence of an African-American player. It is a strong sentiment throughout the film although it never threatens to consume it. Ernie just plays football without speaking out to the chagrin of his uncle Will (Nelsan Ellis) who takes him to an NAACP meeting and wants him to set an example for black liberation and determination. He speaks on the field by presenting himself as an example to all the youth who naturally idolize him for his prowess on the field.
There is only a hint of political activism in this film as it mostly wants to focus its attention on the exploits of its central character and use the tumultuous times to make occasional comments on the difficulties that a black collegiate athlete of Ernie’s stature would face. It’s mainly a film about a singularly gifted player that also deals with the pettiness of an underlying racism that still informed many white people and influenced how they dealt with blacks. The jabs are subtle but Ernie Davis feels them all with a sharpness that nevertheless does not affect his ability to shine on the field. There is a real sense of community amongst the African-American population who treat Ernie with adoration. One gets the firm impression that his success is taken as an emblem for all African-Americans and an example of what they might accomplish in their own lives. This is a film of empowerment and relates a type of consciousness that transcended the football field and reached into all arenas of public life. Ernie is a symbol of high expectations in which he is forced to carry the weight of an entire people on his shoulders.
Dr. Martin Luther King is presented in a speech that stands in for the confounded black position during the time. Ernie Davis seems unaffected by Dr. King and rather spends his time either playing or courting his girlfriend Sarah (Beharie). This is not a film about political awakening or black power. It’s merely a simple story about a great athlete who carried on a tradition started by the impossibly talented Jim Brown.
Ernie does occasionally fight back but its not necessarily clear if his racial pride is hurt or if he is merely reacting to hostilities in a direct, physical manner. He is aware of how others see him and doesn’t pretend that he isn’t aware of the racism all around him. He knows that there are many people who would love to see him fail in order to prove their own theories about the inferiority of the black race. Even referees are not immune to the contagion and there are moments where Ernie is cheated specifically because of his race. At one game the fans throw bottles and other debris at the field in a collective demonstration of their animus toward Ernie and the entire team.
The film is hackneyed at times and the story is predictable and certainly not novel but it does manage to consistently entertain and Rob Brown makes a good stand in for the football hero. There is a bit of a letdown late in the film where the film shifts gears from an exegesis on American brand racism into a strictly personal account of the life of Ernie Davis. Everything build up to a specific end and once that is accomplished it just sort of fizzles out. Still, it’s engrossing straight through to the end and there are many moments when one firmly believes in the vitality and talent of this singular individual. Racism or no this is a film that explores the notion of greatness and what it means to those who participate in it and those who live through it vicariously.
There is decent sports photography in this film but nothing that hasn’t been seen in countless other sports films. There are also several moments that are seen in all these film including the hard headed coach, the hazing of the phenom, and the significant sports moments that are slowed down so that they begin to resemble Gatorade commercials. Still, the film is presented in a straightforward way and the characters are likable while the tensions surrounding them are clearly demonstrated.
The performances in this film are all quite enjoyable. Rob Brown captures all the physicality and fine posture of capable football star. Ernie is smooth, gallant, and freakishly good at what he does. Brown gives us the heroic figure who does great things that resonate with the community and beyond. Charles S. Dutton has a brief role as the elder statesman of the Davis Family. Just in the way he moves about there is indication that this is a character of substance that is revealed in his strong faith. Dennis Quaid gives a riveting performance as the coach who is battling his own racist tendencies. Quaid is intense throughout and one truly gets the impression that his character is a man driven by the desire to win. Quaid personalizes this desire with a straightforward performance that owes a lot to the gritty, no-nonsense coaches that have made the gridiron their home. Nelsan Ellis has a coolness about him that is present in every scene he’s in. Ellis is adroit at playing off other actors with a deft touch and skill.
Overall, this is a bit more than the typical sports hero story. It wins primarily due to its performances and its concentration on the consummate personality of its star. It doesn’t work as well as a historical piece mainly because it doesn’t have the scope to tackle the issues at play. Still, it doesn’t try too terribly hard to be something that it is not and mostly comes across as a commendable entry into this tightly packed field. It is the story of a gifted man who discovers an outlet for his singular talent and that’s all it really needs to be. Racism certainly plays a part in the tale but it doesn’t overwhelm the core narrative of goodness, dedication, and honor.
directed by Gary Fleder
written by Charles Leavitt
based on the book by Robert Gallagher
starring Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Charles S. Dutton, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Omar Benson Miller, Nelsan Ellis, Nicole Beharie, Aunjanue Ellis,
Based on the true story of Ernie Davis, this film tells his story against a backdrop of institutionalized racism throughout post war America.
Ernie is first seen escaping the taunts and threats of a gang of racist white youth where he discovers he’s a gifted runner. Later he moves from his grandfather Willie’s (Dutton) house in Uniontown, PA with his mother to Elmira, New York. There he discovers a pee-wee football program and signs up. He’s confronted with basic racism of a rudimentary kind but proves to excel on the field. The film fast-forwards several years where Ernie is in high school. Coach Schwartzwalder of Syracuse University sees tape of him performing and heads out to New York with Syracuse standout and legend Jim Brown (the most able back the previous season who was nevertheless denied the Heisman trophy. Jim Brown convinces Ernie to sign up with Syracuse.
The rest of the film follows Syracuse as they march toward a national championship. Ernie is the key player and there are various bumps along the road that lead to confrontations. Racism is clearly apparent in many instances where various people voice their antipathy to the emergence of an African-American player. It is a strong sentiment throughout the film although it never threatens to consume it. Ernie just plays football without speaking out to the chagrin of his uncle Will (Nelsan Ellis) who takes him to an NAACP meeting and wants him to set an example for black liberation and determination. He speaks on the field by presenting himself as an example to all the youth who naturally idolize him for his prowess on the field.
There is only a hint of political activism in this film as it mostly wants to focus its attention on the exploits of its central character and use the tumultuous times to make occasional comments on the difficulties that a black collegiate athlete of Ernie’s stature would face. It’s mainly a film about a singularly gifted player that also deals with the pettiness of an underlying racism that still informed many white people and influenced how they dealt with blacks. The jabs are subtle but Ernie Davis feels them all with a sharpness that nevertheless does not affect his ability to shine on the field. There is a real sense of community amongst the African-American population who treat Ernie with adoration. One gets the firm impression that his success is taken as an emblem for all African-Americans and an example of what they might accomplish in their own lives. This is a film of empowerment and relates a type of consciousness that transcended the football field and reached into all arenas of public life. Ernie is a symbol of high expectations in which he is forced to carry the weight of an entire people on his shoulders.
Dr. Martin Luther King is presented in a speech that stands in for the confounded black position during the time. Ernie Davis seems unaffected by Dr. King and rather spends his time either playing or courting his girlfriend Sarah (Beharie). This is not a film about political awakening or black power. It’s merely a simple story about a great athlete who carried on a tradition started by the impossibly talented Jim Brown.
Ernie does occasionally fight back but its not necessarily clear if his racial pride is hurt or if he is merely reacting to hostilities in a direct, physical manner. He is aware of how others see him and doesn’t pretend that he isn’t aware of the racism all around him. He knows that there are many people who would love to see him fail in order to prove their own theories about the inferiority of the black race. Even referees are not immune to the contagion and there are moments where Ernie is cheated specifically because of his race. At one game the fans throw bottles and other debris at the field in a collective demonstration of their animus toward Ernie and the entire team.
The film is hackneyed at times and the story is predictable and certainly not novel but it does manage to consistently entertain and Rob Brown makes a good stand in for the football hero. There is a bit of a letdown late in the film where the film shifts gears from an exegesis on American brand racism into a strictly personal account of the life of Ernie Davis. Everything build up to a specific end and once that is accomplished it just sort of fizzles out. Still, it’s engrossing straight through to the end and there are many moments when one firmly believes in the vitality and talent of this singular individual. Racism or no this is a film that explores the notion of greatness and what it means to those who participate in it and those who live through it vicariously.
There is decent sports photography in this film but nothing that hasn’t been seen in countless other sports films. There are also several moments that are seen in all these film including the hard headed coach, the hazing of the phenom, and the significant sports moments that are slowed down so that they begin to resemble Gatorade commercials. Still, the film is presented in a straightforward way and the characters are likable while the tensions surrounding them are clearly demonstrated.
The performances in this film are all quite enjoyable. Rob Brown captures all the physicality and fine posture of capable football star. Ernie is smooth, gallant, and freakishly good at what he does. Brown gives us the heroic figure who does great things that resonate with the community and beyond. Charles S. Dutton has a brief role as the elder statesman of the Davis Family. Just in the way he moves about there is indication that this is a character of substance that is revealed in his strong faith. Dennis Quaid gives a riveting performance as the coach who is battling his own racist tendencies. Quaid is intense throughout and one truly gets the impression that his character is a man driven by the desire to win. Quaid personalizes this desire with a straightforward performance that owes a lot to the gritty, no-nonsense coaches that have made the gridiron their home. Nelsan Ellis has a coolness about him that is present in every scene he’s in. Ellis is adroit at playing off other actors with a deft touch and skill.
Overall, this is a bit more than the typical sports hero story. It wins primarily due to its performances and its concentration on the consummate personality of its star. It doesn’t work as well as a historical piece mainly because it doesn’t have the scope to tackle the issues at play. Still, it doesn’t try too terribly hard to be something that it is not and mostly comes across as a commendable entry into this tightly packed field. It is the story of a gifted man who discovers an outlet for his singular talent and that’s all it really needs to be. Racism certainly plays a part in the tale but it doesn’t overwhelm the core narrative of goodness, dedication, and honor.
Film Review--9/11: Time of Crisis
DC 9/11: Time of Crisis
directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith
written by Lionel Chetwynd
starring Timothy Bottoms, John Cunningham, David Wolos-Fonteno, Gregory Itzin, Penny Johnson, Stephen Macht, Mary Gordon Murray, Lawrence Pressman, Scott Alan Smith
A slick flag-waving, bugle-playing piece of solid agit-prop, this film nevertheless captures the tumultuous mood extant during the crisis of 9/11. This film is designed to sell the idea that President Bush (Bottoms) stood up and bravely led the country through the nightmarish days following the attack. This is a firmly pro-Bush film and it manages to sell the idea that his diligence and forthrightness were responsible for much of what followed. It uses extensive research and mixes stock footage with drama to tell the story of the nine days following the assault on the towers.
The film follows events from the attack straight through to Bush’s emotional trip to ground Zero and his address to the nation. It tracks the efforts of the various cabinets to come up with a plan to implement in order to punish those responsible for the attack. Various proposals are brought forth and the players attempt to determine precisely which direction to head in to have the most impact. There are numerous meanings where the staffs explore different strategies for taking al Qaeda out. The message of this film is clear and precise: America will retaliate and eliminate all threats to our freedom and way of life. The message is quite strong and resonates throughout the film. There is a real sense of urgency in this film as the staffs scramble to put together the most decisive measures to eliminate the threat.
President Bush is portrayed sympathetically as a man prone to succumbing to his emotion but who nevertheless is strong and vital under pressure and fully capable of leading the charge during the crisis. Some critics have insisted that Cheney was actually behind the effort but this film’s purpose is to sell one specific version of events and does not intend to undermine the President they so clearly admire. Bush is a human being in this film susceptible to the same torrents of fear and pain as everyone else. He is shown to be an admirable character who himself is struggling with trying to understand the gravity of the situation facing him. There are scenes between him and Laura (Murray) that reveal his doubt and confusion during the events. It is easy to view this as a possible falsification of events but such an interpretation must nevertheless admire the consistency with which the film presents its central figure. Whether he was or wasn’t instrumental in helping orchestrate the proper course of action immediately following the attack one can not deny that this film serves its purpose in how it presents its hero.
The film has a tremendous amount of energy and maintains it nearly throughout. It’s somber and there are moments when the impact of the terrible events is felt emotionally although its not during the clearly manipulative scenes designed to create a specific reaction. In many ways this is a love poem to all those mythical ideas that America is supposed to represent. It makes it a point to focus its rhetoric on the primary virtues that the film wants to instill in its audience as belonging solely to those nations that espouse freedom. Great Britain is hailed as the best friend America ever had. Then Prime Minister Tony Blair (Andrew Gillies) is shown bending over backwards to ensure that his government help the cause in any way possible.
Yes, this film is a big fist pump for America and all its supposed to stand for in the world. There is no room for anything that challenges this pretense toward global supremacy in this film. Of course its propaganda that wants to force the simple idea that America was firmly correct in its immediate and direct response. It also attempts to sell a belief in solidarity around the government’s decisions during the aftermath of the attack. Each participant in this film is shown to be a thoughtful, complying component to the issuance of the edicts that determined the course of events that led from the gathering of intelligence to the invasion of Afghanistan. It is presented as a difficult and gut-wrenching decision that is carefully determined and painstakingly worked out.
Timothy Bottoms, who previously played a lovable if not a bit cartoonish version of Bush in the Comedy Central “sit-com” That’s My Bush! reprises his role here as a more serious, resolute President. He conveys the character’s personal struggle in the film and there are many moments when acute pain is demonstrable on his face. He offers the audience a President who is humble yet forceful in his handling of events. This is not the bumbling ninny that much of the press has insisted on perpetuating regarding the President. Bottoms plays him straight and convicted regarding the decision to put American lives on the line. Penny Johnson is convincing as Condoleezza Rice and generates an image of respectability and an adherence to perfect order.
Overall, this film sells the global chess match with certitude and precision. It presents an idealized President who is portrayed as a man who happens to be in a position to make decisions that prove costly when they are ill-determined or improperly measured out. The characters are all believable although it’s difficult to determine how much the synergy they achieve relates to the actual facts. There is an earnestness to this film that resonates throughout. There is an unyielding sense of rightness that is presented as an absolute that cannot be challenged by mere protests that would reject any decisive action in favour of a more moderate response. This is a film about a strategic mission that is presented clearly as the only alternative to the tragedy.
directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith
written by Lionel Chetwynd
starring Timothy Bottoms, John Cunningham, David Wolos-Fonteno, Gregory Itzin, Penny Johnson, Stephen Macht, Mary Gordon Murray, Lawrence Pressman, Scott Alan Smith
A slick flag-waving, bugle-playing piece of solid agit-prop, this film nevertheless captures the tumultuous mood extant during the crisis of 9/11. This film is designed to sell the idea that President Bush (Bottoms) stood up and bravely led the country through the nightmarish days following the attack. This is a firmly pro-Bush film and it manages to sell the idea that his diligence and forthrightness were responsible for much of what followed. It uses extensive research and mixes stock footage with drama to tell the story of the nine days following the assault on the towers.
The film follows events from the attack straight through to Bush’s emotional trip to ground Zero and his address to the nation. It tracks the efforts of the various cabinets to come up with a plan to implement in order to punish those responsible for the attack. Various proposals are brought forth and the players attempt to determine precisely which direction to head in to have the most impact. There are numerous meanings where the staffs explore different strategies for taking al Qaeda out. The message of this film is clear and precise: America will retaliate and eliminate all threats to our freedom and way of life. The message is quite strong and resonates throughout the film. There is a real sense of urgency in this film as the staffs scramble to put together the most decisive measures to eliminate the threat.
President Bush is portrayed sympathetically as a man prone to succumbing to his emotion but who nevertheless is strong and vital under pressure and fully capable of leading the charge during the crisis. Some critics have insisted that Cheney was actually behind the effort but this film’s purpose is to sell one specific version of events and does not intend to undermine the President they so clearly admire. Bush is a human being in this film susceptible to the same torrents of fear and pain as everyone else. He is shown to be an admirable character who himself is struggling with trying to understand the gravity of the situation facing him. There are scenes between him and Laura (Murray) that reveal his doubt and confusion during the events. It is easy to view this as a possible falsification of events but such an interpretation must nevertheless admire the consistency with which the film presents its central figure. Whether he was or wasn’t instrumental in helping orchestrate the proper course of action immediately following the attack one can not deny that this film serves its purpose in how it presents its hero.
The film has a tremendous amount of energy and maintains it nearly throughout. It’s somber and there are moments when the impact of the terrible events is felt emotionally although its not during the clearly manipulative scenes designed to create a specific reaction. In many ways this is a love poem to all those mythical ideas that America is supposed to represent. It makes it a point to focus its rhetoric on the primary virtues that the film wants to instill in its audience as belonging solely to those nations that espouse freedom. Great Britain is hailed as the best friend America ever had. Then Prime Minister Tony Blair (Andrew Gillies) is shown bending over backwards to ensure that his government help the cause in any way possible.
Yes, this film is a big fist pump for America and all its supposed to stand for in the world. There is no room for anything that challenges this pretense toward global supremacy in this film. Of course its propaganda that wants to force the simple idea that America was firmly correct in its immediate and direct response. It also attempts to sell a belief in solidarity around the government’s decisions during the aftermath of the attack. Each participant in this film is shown to be a thoughtful, complying component to the issuance of the edicts that determined the course of events that led from the gathering of intelligence to the invasion of Afghanistan. It is presented as a difficult and gut-wrenching decision that is carefully determined and painstakingly worked out.
Timothy Bottoms, who previously played a lovable if not a bit cartoonish version of Bush in the Comedy Central “sit-com” That’s My Bush! reprises his role here as a more serious, resolute President. He conveys the character’s personal struggle in the film and there are many moments when acute pain is demonstrable on his face. He offers the audience a President who is humble yet forceful in his handling of events. This is not the bumbling ninny that much of the press has insisted on perpetuating regarding the President. Bottoms plays him straight and convicted regarding the decision to put American lives on the line. Penny Johnson is convincing as Condoleezza Rice and generates an image of respectability and an adherence to perfect order.
Overall, this film sells the global chess match with certitude and precision. It presents an idealized President who is portrayed as a man who happens to be in a position to make decisions that prove costly when they are ill-determined or improperly measured out. The characters are all believable although it’s difficult to determine how much the synergy they achieve relates to the actual facts. There is an earnestness to this film that resonates throughout. There is an unyielding sense of rightness that is presented as an absolute that cannot be challenged by mere protests that would reject any decisive action in favour of a more moderate response. This is a film about a strategic mission that is presented clearly as the only alternative to the tragedy.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Film Review--From Russia With Love
From Russia With Love
directed by Terence Young
written by Johanna Harwood (adaptation) and Richard Maibaum (screenplay)
starring Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Pedro Armendariz, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, Eunice Gayson
The travails and subterfuges of the world’s most dashing agent take center stage in the second installment in the colossal franchise.
M16 British Secret Service Agent James Bond (007) (Connery) checks in here to capture the elusive Lektor cryptographic device that both the OSS and CIA are hungry for because it deciphers Russian secret documents. He is lured to Istanbul to meet with a Russian Beauty named Tatiana Romanova who is under the impression that she is being given the opportunity to defect to the other side. Unfortunately, she is merely being used by the nefarious SPECTRE to attract Bond in an epic struggle to pit the Russians and British against one another. The film is essentially a romance between Bond and Tatiana who quickly fall into when she shows up in his bed. Such is the allure of Bond who always manages to bring them in with little or no effort.
In this film, Bond is hounded by SPECTRE goons including the strong and vital Red Grant (Shaw) who has been programmed by the sinister Rosa Klebb (Lenya) to retrieve the Lektor in order to sell it back to the Russians for a tremendous profit. Ostensibly the British are involved only so they can have their pants pulled down because of the Doctor No. incident. This film features one of the best belly dancing sequences of recent memory. It is hypnotic and impossible to ignore. The woman’s name is Lisa Guiraut and wherever she is today I just want to say thank you for your performance. It was truly a work of art. There is also a decent cat fight between two gypsy women who are fighting over a sultan. Bond ends up sorting the dispute by bedding both women and ostensibly deciding which one pleased him the most. I wonder just what Sylvia (Gayson), Bond’s unofficial “girlfriend” thinks of all this whoring around or does she just expect it considering who he is and what he is able to do.
There is tremendous energy in this film as it carries through from Istanbul to Venice. There’s a real sense that danger is around every corner and that Bond must be exceedingly careful to get out of the trap alive. It’s the essential Bond formula and this one does a thrilling job in actualizing it without stumbling over its fresh script. The characters are vivid, alive and one feels destined for great things that involve stealth, ingenuity, and physical strength. There is a terrific sense of the Cold War vibrating through this work as the Russians are presented as grand enemies whose secrets are necessary to the state of both the British and American nations. The whole point of the Lektor is to sneak a peak at necessary secrets that the Russians would rather have kept secret.
We need secret agents to do the work that others can simply not do. In Bond’s case, he makes the work seem exquisitely well crafted and original. He is forever the quintessential man for the job and every entry into a new territory is merely another place where Bond will do precisely what he is instructed to do. This perfection of form, this impossibility of style leaves the viewer ecstatic and feeling whole somehow. For just the moments when Bond figures out another piece of the puzzle, the audience can swoon and realize a bit about what it means to be so ably equipped. In this film Bond doesn’t take a false step. He is the perfect image of charisma and everything he does leads him toward a specific goal. Bond is the man who solves all our problems for the few moments he is on screen. The style, grace, and poetry with which he carries his body and employs his mind are precisely how we would react to dangerous situations if we only could develop the same icy sensibility that charms Bond through every circumstance.
Bond must navigate in this one through some difficult and harrowing circumstances that allow him to come through as he always does in the end. We know he succeeds and all we want to see is precisely how he goes about getting the job done. The tricky attache case that contains fabulous new weapons that he uses to get himself out of the muck are symbols of the progressive aspect of the British Secret Service. They are the future of weaponry and allow Bond to be one step ahead at all times. Much of what he does in this film is anticipate and stay on guard although there are moments when he is forced to act immediately and with great care. Naturally, he pulls off every confrontation and manages to kill a few of them in the process. There isn’t much blood here but a few bodies do pile up as the film progresses.
Sexual tension works for Bond as he attracts both men and women to his incredibly vibrant personality. Men want to be him and women want him to bend them over softly and show them the latest secret weapon in his arsenal. It’s the price of being Bond and he suffers so exquisitely to please nearly every woman who stumbles into his web. Bond is the perfect sexual animal and he radiates an intense heat that all women are instantly attracted to. Yet his cool demeanor keeps them off base as he does remain selective in who he allows to experience him full front. Most of the woman can hardly stand to be in his presence and there is much swooning to be had when he walks into any room.
The performances in this film all keep the plot rolling along. Sean Connery is again spot on as 007 and every gesture he makes seems calculated for supreme effect. Connery is at ease in this film and maintains his charisma throughout. Daniela Bianchi plays it reserved sexy in this film as she carries a bit of coldness with her throughout the film. Her character is open and warm but there is something about the office clerk about her and occasionally the reserved, timid aspect of her character is revealed which simply makes her even more sexy and seemingly respondent. Robert Shaw is strong and vital in this film and until the end he hardly says a word. Nevertheless, he presents a strong presence that is realized toward the film’s close.
Overall, this film radiates with a specific energy and is ingenious enough when it has to be. The characters are all fully formed and there is the requisite mixture of sex and power at play throughout. Bond continues his reign as the sexiest, most vital secret agent of that period. He personifies every personal characteristic that is sold as ideal to the general public. Bond is a rock star who pushes all the right buttons in his audience who just want to feel a bit more able when they watch this film. Fantasies erupt about the potentialities inherent in such blazing charisma if only it could be tapped into and exploited. Bond is a promise of sorts and an emblem of what can be accomplished with the right application of style, form, capability, opportunity and grace
directed by Terence Young
written by Johanna Harwood (adaptation) and Richard Maibaum (screenplay)
starring Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Pedro Armendariz, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, Eunice Gayson
The travails and subterfuges of the world’s most dashing agent take center stage in the second installment in the colossal franchise.
M16 British Secret Service Agent James Bond (007) (Connery) checks in here to capture the elusive Lektor cryptographic device that both the OSS and CIA are hungry for because it deciphers Russian secret documents. He is lured to Istanbul to meet with a Russian Beauty named Tatiana Romanova who is under the impression that she is being given the opportunity to defect to the other side. Unfortunately, she is merely being used by the nefarious SPECTRE to attract Bond in an epic struggle to pit the Russians and British against one another. The film is essentially a romance between Bond and Tatiana who quickly fall into when she shows up in his bed. Such is the allure of Bond who always manages to bring them in with little or no effort.
In this film, Bond is hounded by SPECTRE goons including the strong and vital Red Grant (Shaw) who has been programmed by the sinister Rosa Klebb (Lenya) to retrieve the Lektor in order to sell it back to the Russians for a tremendous profit. Ostensibly the British are involved only so they can have their pants pulled down because of the Doctor No. incident. This film features one of the best belly dancing sequences of recent memory. It is hypnotic and impossible to ignore. The woman’s name is Lisa Guiraut and wherever she is today I just want to say thank you for your performance. It was truly a work of art. There is also a decent cat fight between two gypsy women who are fighting over a sultan. Bond ends up sorting the dispute by bedding both women and ostensibly deciding which one pleased him the most. I wonder just what Sylvia (Gayson), Bond’s unofficial “girlfriend” thinks of all this whoring around or does she just expect it considering who he is and what he is able to do.
There is tremendous energy in this film as it carries through from Istanbul to Venice. There’s a real sense that danger is around every corner and that Bond must be exceedingly careful to get out of the trap alive. It’s the essential Bond formula and this one does a thrilling job in actualizing it without stumbling over its fresh script. The characters are vivid, alive and one feels destined for great things that involve stealth, ingenuity, and physical strength. There is a terrific sense of the Cold War vibrating through this work as the Russians are presented as grand enemies whose secrets are necessary to the state of both the British and American nations. The whole point of the Lektor is to sneak a peak at necessary secrets that the Russians would rather have kept secret.
We need secret agents to do the work that others can simply not do. In Bond’s case, he makes the work seem exquisitely well crafted and original. He is forever the quintessential man for the job and every entry into a new territory is merely another place where Bond will do precisely what he is instructed to do. This perfection of form, this impossibility of style leaves the viewer ecstatic and feeling whole somehow. For just the moments when Bond figures out another piece of the puzzle, the audience can swoon and realize a bit about what it means to be so ably equipped. In this film Bond doesn’t take a false step. He is the perfect image of charisma and everything he does leads him toward a specific goal. Bond is the man who solves all our problems for the few moments he is on screen. The style, grace, and poetry with which he carries his body and employs his mind are precisely how we would react to dangerous situations if we only could develop the same icy sensibility that charms Bond through every circumstance.
Bond must navigate in this one through some difficult and harrowing circumstances that allow him to come through as he always does in the end. We know he succeeds and all we want to see is precisely how he goes about getting the job done. The tricky attache case that contains fabulous new weapons that he uses to get himself out of the muck are symbols of the progressive aspect of the British Secret Service. They are the future of weaponry and allow Bond to be one step ahead at all times. Much of what he does in this film is anticipate and stay on guard although there are moments when he is forced to act immediately and with great care. Naturally, he pulls off every confrontation and manages to kill a few of them in the process. There isn’t much blood here but a few bodies do pile up as the film progresses.
Sexual tension works for Bond as he attracts both men and women to his incredibly vibrant personality. Men want to be him and women want him to bend them over softly and show them the latest secret weapon in his arsenal. It’s the price of being Bond and he suffers so exquisitely to please nearly every woman who stumbles into his web. Bond is the perfect sexual animal and he radiates an intense heat that all women are instantly attracted to. Yet his cool demeanor keeps them off base as he does remain selective in who he allows to experience him full front. Most of the woman can hardly stand to be in his presence and there is much swooning to be had when he walks into any room.
The performances in this film all keep the plot rolling along. Sean Connery is again spot on as 007 and every gesture he makes seems calculated for supreme effect. Connery is at ease in this film and maintains his charisma throughout. Daniela Bianchi plays it reserved sexy in this film as she carries a bit of coldness with her throughout the film. Her character is open and warm but there is something about the office clerk about her and occasionally the reserved, timid aspect of her character is revealed which simply makes her even more sexy and seemingly respondent. Robert Shaw is strong and vital in this film and until the end he hardly says a word. Nevertheless, he presents a strong presence that is realized toward the film’s close.
Overall, this film radiates with a specific energy and is ingenious enough when it has to be. The characters are all fully formed and there is the requisite mixture of sex and power at play throughout. Bond continues his reign as the sexiest, most vital secret agent of that period. He personifies every personal characteristic that is sold as ideal to the general public. Bond is a rock star who pushes all the right buttons in his audience who just want to feel a bit more able when they watch this film. Fantasies erupt about the potentialities inherent in such blazing charisma if only it could be tapped into and exploited. Bond is a promise of sorts and an emblem of what can be accomplished with the right application of style, form, capability, opportunity and grace
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