RETRO-ACTIVE: THE BEST FROM CINEMA RETRO'S ARCHIVES (This article originally ran in October 2010)
By
Raymond Benson
Often
called one of the best, if not the best,
anti-war movie ever made, Stanley Kubrick’s Paths
of Glory solidified the director’s standing in Hollywood as a talent to be reckoned
with. The second film in Kubrick’s collaboration with producer James B. Harris
(the first was the excellent The Killing),
and released in 1957, the picture demonstrated Kubrick’s flair for camerawork,
composition, and controversial subject matter. Certainly Paths of Glory stands out among his early works as a monumental
achievement.
Based
on true events during World War I, the story concerns how three innocent French
privates are court-martialed for “cowardice†simply to set an example after a
devastating defeat on the battlefield. Their commander (Kirk Douglas, in one of
his best performances) must defend them. Thus, the film is part war movie and
part courtroom drama.
Upon
release, the French government pressured United Artists not to exhibit the
film, so it wasn’t seen in France for nearly twenty years. It was critically
received in America and Britain, although it curiously failed to garner any
Academy Award nominations. (BAFTA nominated it for Best Picture, and Time Magazine cited it in their annual
“Ten Best†list.)
Paths of Glory’s battle scenes
are remarkably realistic and choreographed. The trademark Kubrick forward and
backward tracking shots, as Douglas marches through the trenches, are
particularly striking. The court-martial sequence, staged on a chessboard-like
floor, displays the director’s penchant for orderly, symmetrical composition.
The
film also contains some of the best acting in any Kubrick film—besides Douglas,
who carries the picture, there are strong performances from George Macready as
the general who insists on the court-martial, Adolphe Menjou as his superior,
and the three unfortunate privates—Ralph Meeker, Timothy Carey, and Joseph
Turkel (who was interviewed in Cinema
Retro #16). The only female in the film, Christiane Harlan (billed as
Susanne Christian), plays a German barmaid persuaded to sing to the troops. After
the film’s production, she became Mrs. Stanley Kubrick.
As
usual, Criterion does a splendid job in its presentation of the film on both
Blu-Ray and DVD. The restored, high-definition digital transfer results in a
crisp, clear picture unseen since the film’s release. Extras include an audio
commentary by film critic Gary Giddins; an excerpt from a 1966 audio interview
with Kubrick; a 1979 television interview with Kirk Douglas; and, more
importantly, brand new video interviews with producer Harris, Christiane
Kubrick, and Kubrick’s longtime executive producer, Jan Harlan. Also of great
interest in a vintage French television piece about the real-life World War I
execution that partly inspired the film.
This
is a must-purchase for any serious Kubrick fan, as well as for all aficionados
of cinema history.
The pressure to fill American cable TV channels with product- any product- to cover a 24/7 time span has resulted in the creation of some bizarre concepts for series. As reality-based shows are far less expensive to produce than scripted TV series, the cable networks are awash with a mixed bag of product. Some are ludicrous while others make for surprisingly good entertainment. Falling firmly into the latter category is Storage Wars, which is based on the seemingly lame concept of a group of self-employed entrepreneurs competing to outbid each other to take possession of storage lockers that have been left in a default status due to their owner's inability or unwillingness to pay the rental fees. This apparently is big business and all storage facilities hold regular auction events that attract big crowds of speculators. There are the seasoned pros and the novices and weekend warriors. The two elements don't mix easily, as the pros accuse the newbies of stupidly driving up prices for everyone for lockers that may not be worth the final sale price. The rules of every auction don't vary: the auctioneer allows the bidders five minutes to gaze into each locker but no one can enter the unit or touch anything. The challenge is to make this "what you see is what you get" scenario turn a profit. In some cases, valuable items are clearly seen but in most instances, there is a bunch of cluttered boxes and household items. The bidder must speculate as to whether there are any treasures to be found. There is an art to this "science", and too many wrong choices can drive you out of business. Not only do you have to pay for the locker in cash right then and there, but you also are responsible for emptying the contents. Thus, most bidders have to employ helpers and use at least one truck to haul away the "goodies".
The series Storage Wars has follows the exploits of a diverse group of competing bidders as they try to outwit each other for possession of certain lockers. The show, which airs on A&E network, has become such a phenomenon that is has not only spawned many low-rent imitators but also a line of collectibles. The key players are:
Darrell Sheets, a 32 year veteran of the auction business, who runs his own shop and sells collectibles and household items gleaned from his purchases at storage unit. Sheets is a gruff, but likable, blue collar guy with a beer belly and penchant for ball-busting insults, many of which are directed at his son Brandon, who is being groomed as the heir apparent. The byplay between the two provides some very amusing scenarios, with both father and son finding the other exasperating.
Barry Weiss, the oldest of the players at 60 years of age, is also the wittiest and most sophisticated. Barry works alone, has no store and seems to be an independently wealthy man who is in the junk business simply for amusement. Barry's apparent wealth allows him to show up at auction sites in outlandish vehicles and he is often accompanied by amusing sidekicks who are there to bring him luck or help in some bizarre way. (In one episode, he hired a little person and had him walk on stilts to be able to see further back inside lockers!)
Jarrod Schulz and Brandi Passanti are a thirty-something married couple who are new to the business. They own their own store and face constant financial difficulties. Thus, they are under constant pressure to secure enough goods to resell. However, Jarrod's weakness for overpaying often results in some conflicts with the more business-minded Brandi, who, by the way, is a real looker.
Dave Hester- every show needs a villain and Hester is the guy everyone loves to hate on Storage Wars. The stocky, middle-aged man has made a lot of money in second hand goods and is constantly bragging obnoxiously about his triumphs. He runs a very large store and has a staff of full time employees. He arrives at auction sites in large trucks and pisses off the other cast members by over outbidding them just to be mean. Even if he doesn't want a locker, he runs up the price just to hurt the competition. Hester's trademark "Yuuup!" is shouted to indicate he wants to bid. It's become a somewhat minor sensation in contemporary culture so Hester has "Yuuup!" painted in bold letters on his trucks, t shirts and baseball caps.
Dan and Laura Dotson are the married couple who act as auctioneers in every episode. All shows are confined to southern California where the Dotsons have established a well-regarded auction business. They remain unbiased in their performance, but enjoy trading quips with the regulars. Part of the fun of Storage Wars is listening to Dan and Laura shout out the status of bids in the traditional motormouth style of auctioneers.
All reality shows are contrived to some degree since no one can be expected not to play to the cameras. However, Storage Wars minimizes the contrivances. There aren't any phony fist fights and the insults the participants toss at each other are usual done with humor, though one senses there is some true bad blood between Dave Hester and Darrell Sheets. The one hokey aspect of the show (that is replicated in similarly-themed TV series) inevitably occurs when one of the gang goes to an expert to get a particular item evaluated. To heighten the suspense, there is always a pretentious long pause before the expert gives the final estimate of value. The show is a great deal of fun because the viewer, like the bidder, is curious to see what exactly is contained inside each of the lockers. Sometimes it turns out to be pure junk and other times there are historic treasures. The series makes voyeurs out of all of us because we are, in fact, looking into the personal lives of whoever once owned these lockers. I'm probably the least likely person to evaluate a contemporary TV series since I haven't been hooked on the medium since The Beverly Hillbillies was the hot new show. However, I do find this low-key series consistently enjoyable and also informative, as you actually learn about the historical origins of some of the finds unearthed by these modern treasure hunters.
Storage Wars: Season 3 has just been released as a 2-DVD collection and contains complete, un-edited episodes along with bonus behind the scenes footage. It's worth getting just to spare yourself having to sit through all those nauseating commercials. Give it a try- but don't blame me if you end up addicted. My verdict? "Yuuup!"
Has any legendary movie star had a more fitting and moving big screen swan song than John Wayne did in the classic 1976 Western The Shootist? The Duke gave a superb performance as an aging, dying gunfighter who finds one last bit of glory in his final days. He was surrounded by his old friends and co-stars including such greats as Lauren Bacall, James Stewart, John Carradine, Richard Boone and Hugh O'Brian- not to mention fine performances by Ron Howard, Scatman Crothers, Harry Morgan and others. All this, plus Don Siegel directing and Elmer Bernstein composing the score. They really don't make 'em like this any more!
The Warner Archive has released the 1961 MGM production Bridge to the Sun as a burn-to-order DVD. The film is based on a bestselling memoir by Gwen Terasaki, a young American southern belle who fell in love and married Hidenari ("Terry") Terasaki, a diplomat assigned to the Japanese embassy in Washington D.C. in the mid-1930s. The film is an unusually mature and sensitive look at a young couple trying to find happiness in a marriage beset by prejudice and intolerance from both Americans and Japanese. Mixed marriages during this era were still largely taboo and film reflects how Americans during the era treated the Japanese as amusing, childlike people. When the couple moves to Tokyo due to Terry's transfer, the social situation isn't much better. Terry's family politely accepts his Western bride but it's clear she will never really adapt to the huge gap in cultural practices. Gwen dresses in traditional garb but bristles at the notion that she must follow Japanese custom and be a submissive, quiet wife. Her determination to break down social barriers earns her plenty of enemies and the anger of her husband, but the two remain steadfastly in love. Eventually Gwen gives birth to a little girl but their happiness is short-lived. Japan's new militaristic government invades China, sowing the seeds for WWII. With the attack on Pearl Harbor, the couple find themselves trapped between two worlds. Both view the Japanese government as wrong, but Terry can't bring himself to leave his job in the government, hoping in vain that he and other peace activists can bring about an end to the war. Gwen remains in Japan, but predictably suffers prejudice, as does Terry for keeping his "white" wife. When the tide of war turns against Japan, the couple suffer even more, with food shortages and constant bombings. Gwen resents the bombing of Japanese villages with the resulting deaths of innocent people, but can't bring herself to cheer when the attacking planes are shot down- after all, they are American.
Bridge to the Sun was fairly unique in its day because it shows a mixed marriage without any patronizing aspects or insulting stereotypes. Both Gwen and Terry have their flaws, but they are mature, intelligent and kind people. James Shigeta was one of the first Asian leading men to make it big in English-language cinema. He delivers an outstanding performance, as does Carroll Baker as Gwen. Both get to have plenty of big, emotional moments on screen, all of which ring true. The film builds in dramatic intensity under the excellent direction of Etienne Perier, who maximizes use of the exotic Japanese locations. The crisp B&W cinematography by an American/Japanese/French team adds immeasurably to the film's quality. The film was well-regarded in its time and was the American entry at the Venice Film Festival. Over the years, however, its status has seemed to fade. The release of the movie on DVD will give it a much-deserved return to the spotlight. It's an outstanding movie in every regard and is highly recommended.
The DVD features the original theatrical trailer.
Click here to order from Warner Archive and to see a clip.