Cheyenne Autumn

Based on the novel The Last Frontier by Howard Fast, Cheyenne Autumn is the story of a cavalry captain who reluctantly takes part on a mission to track down a tribe of migrating Cheyenne. Directed by John Ford and screenplay by James R. Webb with contributions from Mari Sandoz, the film is Ford’s final western as it play into a man being forced to take down a Native American tribe as it play as an elegy for the West and for Native Americans who had been mistreated by the American government. Starring Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, Ricardo Montalban, Gilbert Roland, Sal Mineo, Dolores del Rio, Edward G. Robinson, Karl Malden, Arthur Kennedy, and James Stewart as Wyatt Earp. Cheyenne Autumn is a majestic and sprawling film from John Ford.

Set in the late 19th Century, the film is based on the real-life Northern Cheyenne Exodus of 1878-1879 where a group of Cheyenne decide to leave their reservation in the Oklahoma Territory to return to their homeland in Wyoming due to a promise that wasn’t fulfilled by the U.S. government. It plays into this cavalry officer who is order to pursue a tribe of migrating Cheyenne and take them back to the reservation as he doesn’t want to harm them but knows the mission is futile. Adding to this in this pursuit is then Secretary of the Interior in Carl Schurz (Edward G. Robinson) who trying to prevent violence happening while some in the press are spreading lies into what the Cheyenne has done when the reality is that the death toll of soldiers were actually small. James R. Webb’s screenplay is largely told from the perspective of Captain Thomas Archer (Richard Widmark) who talks about his pursuit as well as wanting to keep the peace knowing that he’s tried to help the Cheyenne anyway he can and was angry that a meeting between a major government official and the Cheyenne didn’t take place because the former didn’t keep his promise.

Captain Archer tries to ensure two of its chiefs in Little Wolf (Ricardo Montalban) and Dull Knife (Gilbert Roland) to stay in the reservation despite its poor condition so he can reach out and give the Cheyenne what they want. With their head chief in poor health, Little Wolf and Dull Knife make the decision to return to Wyoming as they’re aided by the schoolteacher Deborah Wright (Carroll Baker) who is concerned for the children as the Cheyenne allow her to travel with them. Wright is Captain Archer’s lover as he would learn that she had fled with the Cheyenne making his reluctant pursuit personal as well as wanting to ensure that no harm comes to her. The film also showcase others encountering the Cheyenne including Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday (Arthur Kennedy) in a comedic moment in the film as it play into this exaggeration of the press. Much of the film’s second half is about this divergence between Little Wolf and Dull Knife over their journey with the latter seeking shelter where things don’t go according to plan which angers Captain Archer and Wright forcing the former to turn to Schurz for help.

John Ford’s direction is definitely grand for the way he captures the world of the American West as it is shot largely on Monument Valley at the Arizona-Utah Border to play into not just some of the desolation of the location but also into a world that is ever-changing. Ford’s usage of the locations has him use a lot of wide shots with some precise compositions such as the scene of the Cheyenne waiting for the government official as they remain still with Captain Archer and his superior waiting as they would learn that the man won’t show up prompting the Cheyenne to leave. Ford’s usage of the wide shots doesn’t just play into the beauty of these locations but also in how vast the number of the Cheyenne as well as Captain Archer’s troops who are trying to pursue the Cheyenne but don’t want to create any conflict that could get both parties killed. The attention to detail in the compositions says a lot of what Ford wanted to say about the West and its mistreatment towards Natives including the Cheyenne.

While there are some intimate moments in the close-ups and medium shots that include a brief detour in a scene at a small town where Earp and Holliday are first seen playing cards and then get involved in a scuffle with the Cheyenne that is a comical moment in the film. It’s a scene that does seem out of place but it does play into this air of exaggeration the press will make in order to stir trouble and sell newspapers though there is a scene of one newspaper that wants to tell the truth. It all play into Ford’s need to have the Natives tell their side of the story as well as their mistrust towards whites with the latter wanting to make amends for their past sins. Though the eventual meeting between Schurz and the Cheyenne chiefs is presented in an awkward backdrop, it is a key moment that would create a step forward into a peaceful settlement between the Cheyenne and the American government. Overall, Ford crafts an evocative and mesmerizing film about the real life Northern Cheyenne Exodus.

Cinematographer William H. Clothier does brilliant work with the film’s Technicolor cinematography as it captures the beauty of the locations as well as the great attention to detail for many of the colors including some of the interior lighting for scenes set at night. Editor Otho Lovering, with additional work by David Hawkins, does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward to play into the action and suspense. Art director Richard Day and set decorator Darrell Silvera do amazing work with the look of the town where Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday were playing poker as well as the look of some of the cavalry forts. Costume designers Frank Beetson Jr. and Ann Peck do fantastic work with the costumes for the look of the cavalry uniforms and the lavish clothes for the people at the small town as well as clothes of the Cheyenne. The sound work of Francis E. Stahl is terrific for its natural approach to sound as well as the way it captures gunfire and war drums from afar. The film’s music by Alex North is wonderful for its sweeping orchestral score that play into the sense of adventure and suspense along with the usage of percussions for some of the bombast as well as low-key moments for the drama.

The film’s superb ensemble cast include some notable small roles and appearances from Judson Pratt as a mayor, George O’Brien as Captain Archer’s superior Major Braden, Sean McClory as the fort doctor O’Carberry who tends to a young Cheyenne girl, Mike Mazurki as 1st Sergeant Stanislus Wichowsky who helps out Captain Archer later in the film, John Carradine as Major Jeff Blair who plays poker with Earp and Holliday, Elizabeth Allen as a woman trying to flirt with Earp, and Patrick Wayne as 2nd Lieutenant Scott as a young cavalry officer eager to kill some Cheyenne yet has to endure some humility.

James Stewart and Arthur Kennedy are terrific in their brief appearances in their respective roles as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday with the two legends who provide some humor in their roles but also prove to be capable badasses that no one should mess with. Dolores del Rio is terrific in a small role as Spanish Woman as a Cheyenne who is a liaison for the Cheyenne and Wright as she sees good intentions in Wright but also know there is trouble going on. Sal Mineo is wonderful as Red Shirt as the son of a chief who has immense disdain towards the white people as he would often get the Cheyenne into danger while he pines for a chief’s wife. Karl Malden is fantastic as Captain Oscar Wessels as a cavalry fort captain who takes in a portion of the Cheyenne for shelter until he is given the order to take them back to their reservation as tries to instill his idea of order.

Ricardo Montalban and Gilbert Roland are excellent in their respective roles as Little Wolf and Dull Knife as two Cheyenne chiefs who both share the same views about White people only to diverge over ideas of survival as they would both struggle to maintain their friendship. Edward G. Robinson is brilliant as Carl Schurz as the then-Secretary of the Interior who is trying to maintain some order as well as securing a peaceful resolution with the Cheyenne as well as discredit any kind of news that puts them in a bad light. Carroll Baker is amazing as Deborah Wright as a Quaker schoolteacher who joins the exodus to watch over the children and help them as she deals with the troubles of the journey. Finally, there’s Richard Widmark in an incredible performance as Captain Thomas Archer as a cavalry officer who is trying to ensure a peaceful resolution with the Cheyenne as he reluctantly pursues them where he becomes aware of Wright with them as he tries to ensure that he and his troops don’t kill anyone.

Cheyenne Autumn is a remarkable film from John Ford. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, an exhilarating film score, amazing action, and a compelling story. The film is definitely one of Ford’s finest westerns as well as a touching elegy to Native Americans who were often depicted in an unkind light in the genre. In the end, Cheyenne Autumn is a marvelous film from John Ford.

© thevoid99 2018

2015 Cannes Marathon: Sweet Charity

(Played Out of Competition at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival)

Based on Federico Fellini’s 1957 Nights of Cabiria and the stage play by Neil Simon with songs by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields, Sweet Charity is the story of a taxi dancer looking for love in New York City as she endures many ups and downs. Directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse and screenplay by Peter Stone, the film is a musical take on a woman’s life as she endures moments of happiness and humiliation in her journey. Starring Shirley MacLaine, John McMartin, Chita Rivera, Ricardo Montalban, Paula Kelly, Barbara Bouchet, Stubby Kaye, and Sammy Davis Jr. Sweet Charity is an exuberant and engaging film from Bob Fosse.

The film follows the life of a woman who dances at late night dance hall with other men as she desperately tries to find love in the hope that she can escape her dreary life. It’s a film with a simple story as it plays more into this woman named Charity (Shirley MacLaine) who would endure a series of moments where her desire to find love and happiness forces her to take some serious challenges. Much of it is sort of told in an episodic manner such as an encounter with a famous Italian film star and a kind man who suffers from claustrophobia. Along the way, she tries to find ways to escape her dreary life but Charity’s lack of skills outside of dancing would make things more challenging. Peter Stone’s screenplay does create a unique structure that plays into Charity’s own plight as it begins with heartbreak and denial as her encounters with other forces would wonder if she finds love. Love is a recurring theme in the film as it plays into everything that Charity is looking for in the journey she would take as it would blur elements of reality and fantasy.

Bob Fosse’s direction not only uses New York City as a character and as a stage setting but he also does much more than just create a musical. Instead, he brings in a lot of elements to play into Charity’s own tumultuous journey as Fosse aims for something that isn’t just a lavish music but also a drama that plays into a woman being beaten into a series of humiliating moments as she struggles to retain some hope. With the aid of Gwen Verdon in the choreography, Fosse knows what to do with the presentation of the dance as he also knows where to place the camera to capture every moment. Especially as Fosse’s use of the widescreen format with a lot of wide and medium shots not only help play to the dance but also in where the dance is going and such. Most notably the Rich Man’s Frug sequence at this very posh club as Fosse definitely injects the visual style of Federico Fellini into the film.

It’s among these lavish dance sequence that plays into the drama as well as the elements of fantasy vs. reality as it relates to what Charity wants in her life. Fosse’s usage of medium shots and close-ups help add to the emotional and dramatic aspects of the film such as Charity’s first meeting with Oscar (John McMartin) inside an elevator. Fosse’s approach with the framing is quite playful as well as some of the drama where Charity copes with wanting to be honest with Oscar as well as being true to herself. Even as Fosse maintains something that is lively but also play into the period of the times as it relates to an encounter Charity and Oscar would have with a mysterious religious group. It’s a moment where Fosse acknowledges that sense of change that is happening at a time where musicals were becoming out of fashion while providing something where it can still have life in the world that Charity and Oscar are at. The latter is from a world where things are simple and with rules while the former is someone that is eager for something that doesn’t really exist. Overall, Fosse creates a very stylish yet exhilarating film about a woman trying to find love in New York City.

Cinematographer Robert Surtees does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful and vibrant cinematography to play into the mood of the dances with some unique lighting for some of its interiors and scenes set at night as well as some of the lights for the dance numbers such as If They Could See Me Now. Editor Stuart Gilmore does amazing work with the editing with its stylish approach to jump-cuts, dissolves, and freeze-frames while capturing the rhythm of the music and dance without the need to cut very fast in order to capture the full power of the dance. Art directors Alexander Golitzen and George C. Webb, with set decorator Jack D. Moore, do fantastic work with the set pieces from the dancehall that Charity and her friends work at to the lavish penthouse of the Italian actor that she meets.

Costume designer Edith Head does incredible work with the costumes from the lavish dresses the dancehall women wear as well as the clothes at the Pompeii Club where Charity goes to and the clothes that she would wear. The sound work of Len Peterson, Ronald Pierce, William Russell, James V. Schwartz, and Waldon O. Watson is superb for some of the sound effects that come into play as well as the sense of atmosphere that occurs in the Pompeii Club and other moments in New York City. The film’s music by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields is phenomenal for its sense of vibrancy and energy where it mixes orchestral flourishes with brass instruments to play into the excitement as the songs in the film not only help drive the story but also play into what the characters are dealing with.

The film’s excellent cast includes notable appearances from Bud Cort as a flower child, Toni Basil as one of the dancers at the club, Ben Vereen as a vocalist/dancer for the Rich Man’s Frug sequence, Suzanne Charny as the lead dancer in the Rich Man’s Frug sequence, Stubby Kane as the dancehall club owner Herman, Barbara Bouchet as the spoiled girlfriend of the Italian actor, and Sammy Davis Jr. in a fantastic performance as the religious leader Big Daddy Brubeck. Paula Kelly and Chita Rivera are brilliant in their respective roles as Charity’s friends/fellow dancers Helene and Nickie who both share the same desire to have a better life but were more willing to accept reality rather than what Charity wants.

Ricardo Montalban is amazing as the Italian film star Vittorio Vatale as a man of great charm who is intrigued by Charity as he allows her to spend some time with him where Montalban also provides the character with a complexity that is unique. John McMartin is superb as Oscar as a claustrophobic man who meets Charity in an elevator as he falls for her while wondering what she really does as he proves to be the one chance of hope for Charity. Finally, there’s Shirley MacLaine in a spectacular performance as Charity Hope Valentine as MacLaine brings a lot of energy and liveliness to her performance as well as elements of despair as MacLaine brings so much to the film as she sings well while doing a lot of her dancing as it’s really a performance for the ages.

Sweet Charity is a phenomenal film from Bob Fosse that features a truly amazing performance from Shirley MacLaine. The film isn’t just a musical that manages to be all fun and excitement but also with a very engaging story about a woman’s desperation to find love. Even as it manages to retain some of the harsher elements of Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria while being it’s own film. In the end, Sweet Charity is a sensational film from Bob Fosse.

Bob Fosse Films: Cabaret - Liza with a Z - Lenny - All That Jazz - Star 80 - The Auteurs #56: Bob Fosse

Related: Nights of Cabiria

© thevoid99 2015

Sayonara

Based on the novel by James Michener, Sayonara is the story of a Korean war pilot who falls in love with a Japanese entertainer in post-war Japan. There, he deals with the prejudices about his relationship as one of his friends also fall for a Japanese woman. Directed by Joshua Logan and screenplay by Paul Osborn, the film is a romantic drama told during a period when tension still loomed towards Japan in the aftermath of World War II. Starring Marlon Brando, Patricia Owens, James Garner, Martha Scott, Miiko Taka, Miyoshi Umeki, Ricardo Montalban, and Red Buttons. Sayonara is a lush yet mesmerizing drama from Joshua Logan.

It’s 1951 during the Korean War as fighter pilot Major Lloyd “Ace” Gruver (Marlon Brando) has been transferred to be stationed at the Itami Air Force Base near Kobe, Japan. Joining him is Airman Joe Kelly (Red Buttons) who reveals to Gruver that he’s marrying a Japanese woman named Katsumi (Miyoshi Umeki) whom he’s fallen in love with. Though there’s laws about officers marrying Japanese women, Gruver decides to support Kelly for the marriage. Gruver meanwhile, is set to be engaged to Eileen Webster (Patricia Owens) whose father is Gruver’s superior Lt. General Mark Webster (Kent Smith). The two attend a Kabuki play that features the revered actor Nakamura (Ricardo Montalban) whom Eileen knows as she and Gruver have concerns over their engagement.

Still intrigued by the world of Japan, Gruver wanders into the bridge near a women’s only theater where he meets Army captain Mike Bailey (James Garner) as Gruver catches the eye of the troupe’s lead actress Hana-ogi (Miiko Taka). After watching her perform, Gruver falls for her as he tries to win her over with Kelly and Katsumi’s help as he is introduced to their home life. When Hana-ogi accepts Kelly’s invitation for dinner, she and Gruver officially meet where she reveals her disdain towards Americans over World War II but is intrigued by Gruver. The two form a relationship that blossoms only to become secretive when Eileen warns Gruver about a law that is being made by the prejudiced Colonel Crawford (Douglass Watson. Though Gruver maintains the secrecy of his relationship with Hana-ogi, Crawford’s laws starts to intensify when Bailey finds a notice for men to stay away from Japanese women.

The law would have an affect on Kelly who is asked to return to America and leave Katsumi. While Gruver tries to appeal to Lt. General Webster, he is unable to as he would later reveal his own intentions to marry Hana-ogi to the horror of Webster’s family. The shock only intensifies where Gruver encounters tragedy as well as the prejudice he faces from both Americans and Japanese.

The film is a romantic tale of an American air force officer who falls for a Japanese actress during the Korean War as it would get the attention of military officials. Meanwhile, the officer tries to support a fellow officer who marries a Japanese woman and wants to live the life of a Japanese man who is American. The exploration of prejudice is wonderfully told without being heavy-handed as screenwriter Paul Osborn also reveals about the world of duty. Notably for Hana-ogi who is a woman that loves her work but there’s much deeper reasons into why she has to do what she does. For Ace Gruver, it’s also complicated as he’s the son of a four-star general that is destined for great things but is unsure about what to do as he’s set to marry a woman that would help his rising status though the two prefer to be friends. The screenplay succeeds in building up Gruver’s relationship with Hana-ogi and falling for Japanese culture as well as the subplots about Kelly’s life and a smaller one involving Eileen’s attractions towards Nakamura.

Joshua Logan’s direction is truly exquisite to watch through the gorgeous compositions he creates for the film. Since there aren’t many close-ups in the film, a lot of the shots are either very far or simple medium shots to capture the actors in the frame as well as their surroundings. Featuring some amazing scenes involving theatrical plays and performances, it adds to the lavish and unique world that Gruver is entranced by while there’s a much smaller scene where Gruver, Kelly, Katsumi, and Hana-ogi watch a play that would foreshadow the tragedy that’s to come in the third act. Logan’s direction is also understated in playing up the melodrama to focus on the performances while keeping things simple for some of the less dramatic moments including the small moments of humor. Overall, Logan creates a very majestic film that is touching and powerful in its themes.

Cinematographer Ellsworth Fredericks does brilliant work with the film‘s vibrant and colorful Technicolor cinematography that captures the beauty of postwar Kobe from the rural canal streets to the various landmarks along some amazing lights for Hana-ogi‘s first performance that Gruver sees. Editors Arthur P. Schmidt and Philip W. Anderson do excellent work with the editing by utilizing wonderful rhythmic cuts to capture the intensity of the drama along with transitional dissolves to help move the film in a relaxed pace. Art director Ted Haworth and set decorator Robert Priestley do amazing work with the set pieces created such as Kelly’s home that Gruver starts to inhabit to the lavish stage productions that is filled with amazing lights and backdrops.

Costume designer Norma Koch does wonderful work with the American military uniforms as well as dresses that Eileen wears though the highlights of the costume are the Japanese robes that the men and women wear including Gruver later in the film. Sound editor Carl Mahakian does terrific work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the rehearsal palace that Hana-ogi lives in to the broad atmosphere of the crowds in the stage scenes. The film’s score by Franz Waxman is superb for its mixture of bombastic and serene orchestral score to low-key yet evocative Japanese folk music to play up the atmosphere. The film’s title song by Irving Berlin is very good that is played in the background and at the film’s ending to emphasize the love between Gruver and Hana-ogi.

The casting by Sally Baiano is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it includes notable small roles from Martha Scott as Eileen’s mother, Reiko Kuba as Bailey’s Japanese girlfriend Fumiko, Douglass Watson as the prejudiced Colonel Crawford, and Kent Smith as Eileen’s father/Gruver’s superior Lt. General Watson. Ricardo Montalban is very good as the kind and sympathetic actor Nakamura who helps Gruver while becoming close with Eileen though the only drawback in Montalban’s performance is some of the make-up to make him look Japanese. Miyoshi Umeki is wonderful as Kelly’s kind wife Matsui whom Gruver grows to adore while comforting her over the orders Kelly is being asked to do. James Garner is excellent as army Captain Bailey who aids Gruver into the tense situations over Crawford’s law as he also finds attraction towards a Japanese dancer in Fumiko.

Patricia Owens is radiant as Gruver’s intended fiancee` Eileen who shows Gruver the world of Japanese culture while finding herself being drawn to the actor Nakamura. Miiko Taka is lovely as the enchanting actress Hana-ogi who falls for Gruver as there is a quiet yet engaging performance in this woman who has dealt with loss as she also finds comfort in this kind man. Red Buttons is fantastic as airman Joe Kelly who tries to deal with the prejudice over his marriage to Matsui while wanting to fight for the life he’s become accustomed to. Finally, there’s Marlon Brando in a remarkable performance as Major Lloyd “Ace” Gruver. Brando brings a wonderful charm to his character who tries to win over Hana-goi with a restrained sense of humor while going for a more low-key approach to the drama as he also sports a Southern accent. It’s one of Brando’s best performances as he also has some amazing scenes with Buttons that adds more weight to the film.

Sayonara is an extraordinary drama from Joshua Logan that features outstanding work from Marlon Brando and Red Buttons. Along with great supporting work from Miiko Taka, Miyoshi Umeki, Patricia Owens, and James Garner. It’s a film that is rich in its lush imagery while telling an engaging story about prejudice in post-war Japan that is driven by fear. In the end, Sayanora is a magnificent film from Joshua Logan.

© thevoid99 2012