The film revolves a recently-divorced woman who meets a mechanic who would introduce her to an aging cowboy where she falls for him where they all decide to capture wild horses for money. It is a film that has a simple premise though writer Arthur Miller has created something more complex with its characters as they all try to deal with the modern world around them as the days of the cowboys and horse wrangling waning. Miller’s screenplay is more of a study of people who all face uncertainty in the next stage of their lives with the stripper Roslyn (Marilyn Monroe) just getting her divorce as she laments over failure in her marriage as well as the idea of falling in love again. Helping her with her issues is her landlady Isabelle Steers (Thelma Ritter) as well as a mechanic/pilot in Guido (Eli Wallach) who is smitten by her as he would later meet her with his friend in the aging cowboy Gay Langland (Clark Gable). Roslyn and Gay hit it off as they both have dealt with a lot in their lives with the latter having been through relationships while is coping with changing times.
With an idea to capture wild horses as part of a business plan, Gay and Guido decide to get another cowboy in the rodeo rider Perce Howland (Montgomery Clift). Miller also explore the fragility of these characters with Perce being a man that has been in too many rodeos as he is struggling with his finances and takes Gay’s offer to do something. Even as he gets injured at the rodeo where he has a conversation with Roslyn about his own life as he is among the group of broken people that include Roslyn, Guido, and Gay as there is a scene where he calls out for his adult children who have left him after he told them he would be back. The film’s third act is about the capturing of wild horses including mustangs and stallions where Roslyn is taken aback by the cruelty of what the men must do as well as the aftermath yet what is more shocking is how many they find.
John Huston’s direction is exquisite in not just its setting of the American West but also this clash of the old ways and the modern world. Shot on location in and around Reno and Dayton, Nevada with locations in the deserts of the state, Huston uses a lot of wide and medium shots to capture the beauty of the deserts and small towns as it plays into a world that is changing though the traditions of the West such as rodeos and gatherings are still happening. Huston’s direction is often shown in certain places and locations where there is a sense of a modern world overshadowing the old world where Gay would first meet Roslyn at a diner with his dog while the unfinished house that Guido has where Gay would stay at times is set on the desert. Huston would also use close-ups for some scenes in the way characters would interact with one another while also knowing how to film a simple conversation in scenes such as Gay and Roslyn having breakfast or Perce and Roslyn conversing behind the bar. Huston also plays into the male gaze in how men look at Roslyn where there are moments where she does not seem to mind but during a scene where she is hitting a ball with a paddle tied to a string. A man slaps her ass causing some trouble where she is little troubled by it but still brushes it off.
Huston’s approach to shooting the desert and mountain landscapes of Nevada plays into the West that still has its magic but there is also a sense of loss in the land. Even as Guido uses his plane to find wild horses that include mustangs and stallions where he would find them running, Huston’s usage of aerial shots are gorgeous to play into the vastness of the West. For Roslyn, it is a world that she does not know about while learning about what they need to do to capture the horses, and the aftermath is upsetting. There is a great wide shot of her screaming in the desert over the way horses are treated while the men are more upset in how many they captured as it plays into the times and how the West is no longer what it used to be. It becomes something that Gay has trouble accepting where Huston creates a scene of Gay trying to assert his own power only to realize that the world is changing. Overall, Huston crafts a somber yet rapturous film about a former stripper, an aging cowboy, a pilot/mechanic, and a broken-down rodeo cowboy all trying to find the next phase in their lives in the modern world set in the West.
Cinematographer Russell Metty does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography with its usage of natural and available lighting that captures the beauty of the landscape as well as the usage of low-key natural lighting for the scenes at night and in the morning. Editor George Tomasini does brilliant work with the editing as its usage of rhythmic cuts play into the elements of drama and suspense that occurs throughout the film as it is a major highlight of the film. Art directors Stephen B. Grimes and Bill Newberry, with set decorator Frank R. McKelvy, do excellent work with the look of Guido’s home that includes a section that has yet to be built as well as the saloon that all the characters go to during the rodeo. Costume supervisor Jean Louis does fantastic work with the dresses and clothes that Roslyn wears that includes jeans and a shirt when she is riding a horse in one scene as well as the dresses she wears in social engagements.
The special effects work of Cline Jones does terrific work with the scenes involving the rodeo and horse wrangling scenes to play into the sense of realism that happens in those moments. Sound recordists Charles Grenzbach, Philip Mitchell, and R.D. Cook do superb work with the sound as it plays into the way a location is presented whether it is in the quiet scenes in the deserts or the loud and raucous atmosphere of the rodeo. The film’s music by Alex North is incredible for its orchestral score with somber yet swelling string pieces for some of the dramatic moments and bombastic arrangements with its percussions and strings for the suspenseful scenes.
The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Marietta Tree as a girlfriend of Gay he takes to the train station early in the film, Philip Mitchell as Isabelle’s ex-husband she sees at the rodeo, Rex Bell as an old cowboy staring at Roslyn’s ass, James Barton as an old cowboy hanging at the rodeo with his young grandson, Estelle Winwood as a church lady collecting money, and Kevin McCarthy as Roslyn’s ex-husband Raymond who only appears in one scene waiting for her at the courthouse. Thelma Ritter is excellent as Isabelle Steers as Roslyn’s landlady who had seen a lot in her life as she is also someone who does what she can to help Roslyn while often being the wisest person in the room as it an understated yet charming performance.
Eli Wallach is brilliant as Guido as a mechanic/pilot who is smitten by Roslyn as he hopes to give her a decent life as he must contend with Gay while also doing what he can to help Gay in capturing wild horses even though it is a job that is becoming more useless in these changing times. Montgomery Clift is brilliant as Perce Howland as a broken-down rodeo cowboy who is in financial dire straits as he agrees to help Gay and Guido in their job while lamenting over his own misfortunes and numerous injuries in the rodeo where he befriends Roslyn where he also deals with what he has to do in capturing wild horses where Clift shows a lot of conflict in his face as a man who had seen too much.
Finally, there is the duo of Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe in their final film performances in their respective roles as Gay Langland and Roslyn Taber. Gable’s performance is phenomenal as this aging cowboy is a man that is trying to find meaning in his old age while also being someone who seeks companionship in Roslyn as he also tries to assert his own masculinity in a world where his ideas of masculinity is becoming futile. Monroe’s performance as Roslyn is tremendous where Monroe displays a fragility and uncertainty of a woman who has been through too many bad relationships and a lack of a future as she is seeking meaning in her own life where she is fascinated by the men she meets while falling for Gay where Monroe has great chemistry with her co-stars as well as showcasing her own rage in a key dramatic moment as it is a career-defining performance from the actress.
The Misfits is an outstanding film by John Huston that features great performances from Eli Wallach, Thelma Ritter, and Montgomery Clift as well as spectacular final performances from Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe. Along with its gorgeous visuals, Alex North’s music score, and Arthur Miller’s gripping and somber screenplay. The film is a dramatic-western that is more about a world where people find themselves unable to adapt to changing times while trying to cope with what they do to live in that new world. In the end, The Misfits is a magnificent film by John Huston.
© thevoid99 2025
Based on the novel An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser and its adapted play by playwright Patrick Kearney, A Place in the Sun is the story of a young man who is love with two women including a socialite while the other is a woman whose uncle he works for as it leads to trouble. Directed by George Stevens and screenplay by Michael Wilson and Harry Brown, the film is inspired on a real-life story of love gone wrong that lead to murder as it plays into a young man caught up in a torrid love triangle. Starring Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Shelley Winters, Anne Revere, and Raymond Burr. A Place in the Sun is an evocative and haunting film from George Stevens.
The film is the simple story of a young man who is given a job at his uncle’s factory where he dates a co-worker, despite rules against dating co-workers at the factory, while finds himself falling for a heiress where the love triangle leads to trouble. It’s a film that explores a man who arrives into a small town where his uncle is rich and gives him a job in the hope he can stay out of trouble and work hard. Yet, he befriends a co-worker as they start to date but he would fall for this heiress who represents a life that he might want with all of the splendors that it offers. The film’s screenplay by Michael Wilson and Harry Brown opens with George Eastman’s arrival into this small town where his uncle Charles (Herbert Hayes) is a rich industrialist who met George back in Chicago when George was a bellhop as he decide to give him a job working at his factory.
While he meets his posh relatives, George is aware that he’s an outsider to the family as he’s more concerned with just wanting to do good for his uncle. Upon working at the factory, he meets Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters) whom he would date despite a rule in the factory for co-workers to not date each other. Yet, Alice intrigues George due to the fact that they both come from similar backgrounds with George not really wanting to be part of his relatives’ world of luxury and parties. That is until he formally meets the society girl Angela Vickers (Elizabeth Taylor) whom he had seen at his uncle’s home and much earlier when he was hitchhiking. Vickers is a completely different person from the more introverted Alice as she’s lively and often enjoying party while she finds George intriguing as the two fall in love but George cares for Alice as things become complicated when she becomes pregnant. Even as she confides in a shrink about what to do just as she learns that George is with Vickers leading to a lot of trouble all in the film’s first half.
George Stevens’ direction is largely straightforward in terms of the compositions he creates yet he does manage to play into some of the dramatic tension that occurs throughout the film. Shot on various locations around Lake Tahoe, Echo Lake, and Cascade Lake in California as well as interiors at Paramount Studios, Stevens showcased a world that has this air of social divide where George lived in a small apartment while his uncle and Vickers lived in spacious homes. Stevens would create some unique wide shots to play into the spacious homes but also in some of the locations including the lakes where some of the characters go to. Stevens’ direction is also intimate in its approach to close-ups and medium shots in the way he would shoot certain scenes that include some gazing shots that goes on for a few minutes to play into a conversation. Especially during a moment where George meets Alice at his apartment for a dinner as he arrived late as it is about the lack of space and where the camera is placed as he shoots them from behind.
Much of the its first act has Stevens establishing the characters and setting while its second act is where the drama intensifies as it relates to this love triangle between George, Alice, and Vickers as both Alice and Vickers would never meet each other during the course of the film. It is also where George deals with his own internal conflicts as it relates to what he wants as it leads to this eerie third act in relation to the aftermath of what he got himself involved in. Stevens’ direction definitely intensify not just this air of anguish and guilt but also this social divide as it relates to George being somewhat in the middle. Even as it relates to this tragedy where there are sides yet not everyone is willing to hear George’s story despite his involvement in what happened. Overall, Stevens crafts a rapturous and mesmerizing film about a young man caught in a love triangle that leads to trouble and tragedy.
Cinematographer William C. Mellor does amazing work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography at it helps set a mood for some of the film’s dramatic scenes with its usage of available light and shadows for scenes set at night as well as the way some of the daytime interiors/exteriors are presented as it helps heighten the world of Vickers and her friends. Editor William Hornbeck does excellent work with the editing with its stylish usage of dissolves and transition wipes as well as some rhythmic cutting to help play into some of the dramatic tension that occurs in the film. Art directors Hans Dreier and Walter H. Tyler, with set decorator Emile Kuri, do brilliant work with the look of the mansions George’s uncle and the Vickers family lived in as well as the small and cramped apartment he lives in.
Costume designer Edith Head does fantastic work with the costumes from the design of the dresses that Alice wears to the stylish gowns that Vickers wears. Sound recordists Gene Garvin and Gene Merritt do terrific work with the sound in the atmosphere of the parties as well as some quiet scenes in the film including scenes that involve a bird that would frighten George. The film’s music by Franz Waxman, with un-credited work by Daniele Amfitheatrof, is wonderful for its usage of lush orchestral textures in the strings as well as the usage of bombastic percussions to help maintain a tense atmosphere in the suspense.
The film’s superb cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Kathleen Freeman as a factory worker who testified in court, Ian Wolfe as the psychiatrist Dr. Wolfe, Sheppard Strudwick and Frieda Inescort as Vickers’ parents, Kathryn Givney as George’s aunt Louise, Keefe Brasselle as George’s cousin Earl, Walter Sande as George’s attorney, Fred Clark as a defense attorney, and Herbert Heyes as George’s uncle Charles Eastman who gives George the chance to make something of himself. Anne Revere is superb as George’s mother who lives in the Midwest as she hopes that her son would succeed and stay away from trouble. Raymond Burr is fantastic as District Attorney R. Frank Marlowe as a man who investigates the aftermath of the tragedy as he believes that George did create trouble and is guilty.
Shelley Winters is amazing as Alice Tripp as a poor factory worker that George befriends and would date despite rules from the factory as she is fascinated by George but questions about the validity of their relationship as she becomes pregnant and learns about his time with Vickers. Elizabeth Taylor is brilliant as Angela Vickers as a young heiress who is often the center of attention as she is always at parties where she takes an interest in George whom she sees as someone different but also a man who has a lot of value in introducing her to the world outside of her posh existence. Finally, there’s Montgomery Clift in a phenomenal performance as George Eastman as a man trying to not to get into trouble by working at his uncle’s factory and make something of himself only to be involved in a love triangle as well as two different lifestyles that offer a lot as he becomes tormented by his world as it is a haunting yet intense performance from Clift.
A Place in the Sun is a tremendous film from George Stevens that features great performances from Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, and Shelley Winters. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, evocative music score, and its study of love and desire. It is a film that explore a man’s own torment and anguish that lead to tragedy due to not just the love triangle he involved himself in but also two different world that play into the social divide and their respective lifestyles. In the end, A Place in the Sun is a spectacular film from George Stevens.
George Stevens Films: (The Cohens and the Kellys in Trouble) – (Kentucky Kernals) – (Bachelor Bait) – (Laddie) – (The Nitwits) – (Alice Adams) – (Annie Oakley) - Swing Time - (Quality Street) – (A Damsel in Distress (1937 film)) – (Vivacious Lady) – (Gunga Din) – (Vigil in the Night) – (Penny Serenade) – (Woman of the Year) – (The Talk of the Town (1942 film)) – (The More the Merrier) – (That Justice Be Done) – (On Our Merry Way) – (I Remember Mama) – (Something to Live for) – Shane - Giant (1956 film) - (The Diary of Anne Frank) – (The Greatest Story Ever Told) – (The Only Game in Town)
© thevoid99 2020
Based on the novel by James Jones, From Here to Eternity is the story of three U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Pearl Harbor months before the attack as they deal with tribulations of their environment as well as the women in their lives. Directed by Fred Zinneman and screenplay by Daniel Taradash, the film is a look into the lives of soldiers as they deal with some of the cruelty of their work as a couple of men find themselves wanting a life outside of war. Starring Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Ernest Borgnine, Philip Ober, Jack Warden, Mickey Shaughnessy, Claude Akins, George Reeves, and Frank Sinatra. From Here to Eternity is a ravishing yet compelling film from Fred Zinneman.
Set months before the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the film revolves around a tough but fair sergeant who watches over a company that includes a new transfer and a fellow soldier who find themselves at odds with non-commissioned officers. It’s a film that play into the lives of three different men who are part of the same company as they deal with hazing and all sorts of things while two of them would find love during their time. Daniel Taradash’s screenplay does have a straightforward narrative that follows the lives of these three men as they deal with their duties at the Schofield Barracks on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Leading the company is First Sergeant Milton Warden (Burt Lancaster) who is the second in command to a rifle company that is mainly run by Captain Dana “Dynamite” Holmes (Philip Ober).
New to the company is Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) who was a bugler but is transferred hoping to do something else though Captain Holmes is aware that Private Prewitt is a boxer and hopes he can box for the company so he would get a promotion. For Private Prewitt, he isn’t interested in boxing due to actions that he committed as he’s consumed with guilt where Captain Holmes want to get other non-commissioned officers to make things tough for him to get him to box. Private Prewitt does get sympathy from another rebel of sorts in Private Angelo Maggio (Frank Sinatra) who is urging Private Prewitt to stay out of trouble but knows that Prewitt is being pushed. During the days where they would get day-leaves from service where Maggio is a member of an exclusive club, Prewitt meets a paid dancer in Lorene (Donna Reed whom he falls for and would have a relationship with. For Warden, he would engage into an affair with Captain Holmes’ wife Karen (Deborah Kerr) as she is known for a having a seedy reputation as Warden discovers that it’s actually much more complicated.
Fred Zinneman’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of the compositions yet it does play into this moment in time just before war is to happen in America. Shot on location in Honolulu and other parts of Hawaii, the film does play into a world of military service where it is set in this lovely and vibrant island but it’s not exactly what it seems. While Zinneman would use some wide shots to establish bits of the location as well as a few places the characters go to. Much of his direction is more based on medium shots and close-ups to play into the drama and the interaction between characters. Particularly a scene between Warden and Karen during a night out as it would lead to one of the most iconic moments in film as it play into this emerging romance and passion these two have for each other despite the complications that both of them have to carry in their secret affair. Zinneman’s direction also play into soldiers and the tension they have with their non-commissioned superiors such as Maggio towards the brutal Staff Sgt. James R. Judson (Ernest Borgnine) who runs the stockade.
Even as Prewitt is being pushed to try and submit to Captain Holmes’ wishes to box for his company with others making him do things as Zinneman doesn’t shy away from the awful treatment Prewitt is given. The third act isn’t just about the mistreatment of Prewitt and Maggio but also Warden realizing it’s gone far enough though he would try to persuade the former to just give in and save face while knowing that Prewitt is stubborn. It also play into the decisions Warden and Prewitt have about their possible life outside of duty as it relates to their respective relationships with Karen and Lorene. Even as the two women have ideas of what they should do but also what they want for themselves as there is this conflict that Zinneman would convey into a world that is full of love and safety or the world of duty. Overall, Zinneman crafts a captivating and evocative film about three soldiers dealing with their world just before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Cinematographer Burnett Guffey, with additional work from Floyd Crosby, does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography as it play into the beauty of the daytime exteriors of Hawaii as well as the usage of low-key lights for the exterior scenes at night. Editor William A. Lyon does excellent work with the editing as it is feature some rhythmic cuts to play into some of the drama as well as these intense moments of confrontation between the protagonists and the non-commissioned officers. Art director Cary Odell and set decorator Frank Tuttle do fantastic work with the look of the nightclub that Maggio is a member of as well as the bars at the city and the interior of the barracks.
Costume designer Jean Louis does amazing work with the design of the dresses and gowns that Lorene and Karen wear as well as the casual clothes they would wear at home. The sound work of John P. Livadary is terrific for its sound in capturing the sound of soldiers marching as well as air sirens and bugles being heard from afar. The film’s music by George Duning is wonderful for its serene and sweeping orchestral score that play into some of the romantic elements of the film while providing some more rhythmic pieces for some of the suspense and scenes at the military station.
The casting by Maxwell Arnow is superb as it feature some notable small roles from Claude Akins as Warden’s friend Sgt. “Baldy” Dohm, Robert J. Wilke as Sgt. Henderson, George Reeves as Warden’s assistant Sgt. Maylon Stark, Jack Warden as Corporal Buckley who is trying to help Prewitt in not get anymore hazing, Harry Bellaver as Private 1st Class Mazzioli, Mickey Shaughnessy as Sgt. Leva who always carries a guitar, John Dennis as the brutish Sgt. Galovitch who tries to push Prewitt, and Ernest Borgnine in a terrific performance as the brutal Staff Sgt. James R. “Fatso” Judson who has issues with Maggio where he also runs the stockade as he is this sadistic figure that likes to push people around including Maggio in the worst way. Philip Ober is fantastic as Captain Dana “Dynamite” Holmes as an officer that wants to haze Prewitt so harshly so that Prewitt would give in and box for him as he’s a man that wants glory but is also flawed for being neglectful in his home life in favor of other activities.
Frank Sinatra is excellent as Private Angelo Maggio as a soldier who is in training for combat while doing other duties such as clean-ups and such as he’s also a man that likes to have fun but doesn’t like being pushed around as it is Sinatra in great form. Donna Reed is brilliant as Lorene as a woman at an exclusive club who is paid to dance with other men as she embarks on a relationship with Prewitt while admitting to having her own ideas of what she wants to do with her life as it’s a performance that is filled with layers and complexities on a role that could’ve been one-dimensional as Reed just manages to hit every note that is needed for that character. Deborah Kerr is amazing as Karen Holmes as the neglected wife of Captain Holmes as a woman that is aware of what others said about her as she has her reasons while is eager to leave her husband for something much better though she has a hard time understanding Warden’s reluctance in the idea of being an officer.
Montgomery Clift is incredible as Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt as a new transfer who endures a brutal hazing from non-commissioned officers so he can give and become Captain Holmes’ top boxer as he displays someone who is stubborn in refusing to give in while having valid reasons for not wanting to fight as it’s a riveting and complex performance from Clift. Finally, there’s Burt Lancaster in a phenomenal performance as 1st Sgt. Milton Warden as a man who runs the infantry company for Captain Holmes as he is tough but fair as he doesn’t like what others are doing to Prewitt and Maggio while he also copes with his love for Karen whom he wants to help but struggles with his devotion to his work as a soldier as it’s an iconic performance from Lancaster.
From Here to Eternity is a tremendous film from Fred Zinneman. Featuring a great ensemble cast, a compelling premise, gorgeous visuals, and a sublime music score, the film is definitely a riveting war drama that play into men dealing with the conflict of duty and love just before World War II was to come onto their turf. It’s also an unconventional war drama in some respects as it play into what men will not do to answer to those that want to break their spirit. In the end, From Here to Eternity is a spectacular film from Fred Zinneman.
Fred Zinneman Films: (Redes) - (That Mothers Might Live) - (Stuffie) - (Forbidden Passage) - (Kid Glove Killer) - (Eyes in the Night) - (The Seventh Cross) - (My Brother Talks to Horses) - (The Search) - (Act of Violence) - (The Men (1950 film)) - (Benjy) - (Teresa) – High Noon - (Oklahoma!) - (A Hatful of Rain) - (The Nun’s Story) - (The Sundowners) - (Behold a Pale Horse) - (A Man For All Seasons) - (The Day of the Jackal) - (Julia) - (Five Days One Summer)
© thevoid99 2018
Based on the story Blazing Guns on the Chisholm Trail by Borden Chase for the Saturday Evening Post, Red River is the story of a cattle drive from Texas to Kansas where a rancher finds himself sparring with his independent-minded adopted son. Directed by Howard Hawks and screenplay by Borden Chase and Charles Schnee, the film is a fictional account about the very first cattle drive along the Chisholm trail as it also explores the dynamic between two men on the cattle drive. Starring John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Walter Brennan, Joanne Dru, Coleen Gray, John Ireland, Harry Carey, Harry Carey Jr., Hank Worden, Noah Beery Jr., and Paul Fix. Red River is a mesmerizing and riveting film from Howard Hawks.
Set during the aftermath of the American Civil War where the country is going through an economic depression, the film revolves around a rancher who spent 14 years creating a ranch in Texas as he decides to take the cattle to Missouri and hope to make some money. Joining him is adopted son, his longtime trail hand, and several other men trekking more than a thousand miles yet things go wrong prompting some tension between father and son as the latter realizes that going to a small town in Kansas is the way to go as it also has a railroad. It’s a film that explores a cattle drive as well as two men finding themselves at odds over what to do as a series of small incidents would drive them further. Even as many of the men who signed up for the trail find themselves dealing with the journey and how rough it’s become as they begin to rebel.
The film’s screenplay by Borden Chase and Charles Schnee doesn’t just explore the dynamic between Thomas Dunson (John Wayne) and his adopted son Matthew Garth (Montgomery Clift) but also the former’s stubborn demeanor trying to get the cattle to Missouri thinking he will be well-paid there. The script opens with a prologue of sorts as it relates to how Dunson found the land and met Garth when he was a kid. It displays the drive and ambition that Dunson has where he is eager to make a name for himself following a moment of tragedy in an earlier cattle drive. When he spends years building the ranch with Garth and longtime friend Groot (Walter Brennan), he would succeed but becomes broke due to the aftermath of the Civil War where he makes the decision to do the cattle drive. When they’re joined by several men including a gunslinger named Cherry Valance (John Ireland), the journey from Texas to Missouri would be an arduous one.
Garth doesn’t try to argue or go against Dunson but eventually realizes that Dunson’s ideals start to get the better of him as even Groot start to question what is going on. The film’s second half isn’t just about a breakdown between Dunson and Garth but also what the latter would try to do after some men left the drive in protest. Even as some of the men would make a discovery of what they would find that would lead them to Kansas much to Dunson’s protest. For Dunson, it’s a moment where he’s humiliated as he would retaliate in such a way as Garth would anticipate it leading to a very chilling climax.
Howard Hawks’ direction is truly intoxicating in terms of the presentation he creates where he does maintain a feel of the American West where it plays into a world that is changing but also with a sense of hope. Shot in various locations around Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, California, and parts of Mexico, the film does play into this growing expansion of the West where Hawks would use a lot of wide shots for the scenery as well as in some medium shots to capture the intimacy of the group. With the aid of co-director Arthur Rosson in shooting some of the cattle drive and action sequences in the film, Hawks maintains that sense of being in the journey while knowing how rough it is as it would include a stampede scene and later a sequence involving Indians trying to go after a group of travelers. There is an element of thrill in those sequences while Hawks would also find ways to create scenes of dialogue and drama that is really key to the film in the course of the story.
Many of the scenes during the stops in the journey are very intimate where Hawks uses some close-ups and medium shots to play into the growing tension between Dunson and Garth. Even in moments where Dunson would do some very serious things to those who caused harm or tried to leave the drive as it would be some of the darkest moments in the film. Once the film goes into the third act where Garth would take control of the drive and move it towards Kansas. The eventual showdown between Dunson and Garth isn’t a traditional showdown where guns are drawn as it is more about ownership and ideals. Overall, Hawks creates a rapturous yet intense film about a cattle drive that becomes a troubling journey for a rancher and his adopted son.
Cinematographer Russell Harlan does amazing work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from the look of the daytime exterior scenes as well as the look of the scenes set at night as it would also include some additional work from Allan Thompson in some of the special effects for the action sequences. Editor Christian Nyby does excellent work with the editing as it includes some stylish rhythmic cuts for some of the action scenes along with some straightforward cuts for the drama as well in some of the chilling moments in the film. Art director John Datu Arensma does fantastic work with the look of some of the buildings in the film as well as the town for the film‘s climax.
The sound work of Richard Deweese is superb for the way the cattle sounds during a stampede as well as the little moments in the film as it plays into the intimacy and suspense. The film’s music by Dimitri Tiomkin is wonderful for its orchestral-based score that is filled with lush string arrangements and some bombastic percussions where it plays into some the action in the latter as it would include a song written by Tiomkin that is in the vein of country-western music.
The film’s marvelous cast include some notable small roles from Slim Pickens as a cowboy late in the film, Shelly Winters as a dancehall girl in the wagon, Mickey Kuhn as the young Garth, William Self as a wounded wrangler from another drive that Dunson and Garth meet, Ivan Parry as a sugar-addicted wrangler named Kenneally, and Chief Yowlachie as an Indian wrangler named Two Jaw Quo. Other noteworthy roles as wrangler’s in Dunson’s cattle drive include Wally Wales, Hank Worden, and Paul Fix as a trio of men who become frustrated with Dunson’s rules while Harry Carey Jr. is terrific as a young wrangler eager to make it and bring money home to his family. Noah Beery Jr. is superb as the wrangler Buster McGee who would help Garth in rebelling against Dunson while making a key discovery in their destination.
Coleen Gray is wonderful as Fen as the love of Dunson’s life early in the film who wanted to join him on the land he had just discovered. Harry Carey Sr. is excellent as Mr. Melville in a trading company leader who would give Garth the offer of a lifetime as his small but brief appearance late in the film is fun to watch. Joanne Dru is amazing as Tess Millay as a woman Garth meets in the third act as he saves her from an Indian attack where she is this fascinating woman that is intrigued by Garth but also fascinated by who Dunson is. John Ireland is brilliant as Cherry Valance as a gunslinger who joins Dunson and Garth as he befriends the latter over their skills as he is also someone that knows more about what is out there.
Walter Brennan is incredible as Groot as a old trail hand who has been Dunson’s longtime friend as he is also the film’s conscience of sorts where he observes a lot that is happening as he becomes frustrated with Dunson’s stubbornness. Montgomery Clift is phenomenal as Matthew Garth as Dunson’s loyal stepson who does whatever he can to help his stepfather in driving the cattle to Missouri as he begins to realize what needs to be done as it’s more of an act of taking control instead of disrespecting the man who raised him. Finally, there’s John Wayne in a tremendous performance as Thomas Dunson as this man who would build and create a cattle ranch from very little as he does whatever he can to get the cattle to Missouri as it’s Wayne being a man that is quite un-likeable at times but is filled with a lot of determination no matter how foolish it is as it’s one of Wayne’s great performances.
Red River is a magnificent film from Howard Hawks that features great performances from John Wayne and Montgomery Clift. Featuring an amazing supporting cast, dazzling visuals, and a gripping story, the film isn’t just one of the finest westerns ever made but it’s also a unique study into the fallacy of ambition but also what some will do to salvage morale in an ever-changing world. In the end, Red River is an outstanding film from Howard Hawks.
Howard Hawks Films: (The Road to Glory) - (Fig Leaves) - (Cradle Snatchers) - (Paid to Love) - (A Girl in Every Port (1928 film)) - (Fazil) - (The Air Circus) - (Trent’s Last Case (1929 film)) - (The Dawn Patrol (1930)) - (The Criminal Code) - Scarface (1932 film) - (The Crowd Roars (1932 film)) - (Tiger Shark) - (Today We Live) - (The Prizefighter and the Lady) - (Viva Villa!) - (Twentieth Century) - (Barbary Coast) - (Ceiling Zero) - (The Road to Glory) - (Come and Get It) - Bringing Up Baby - (Only Angels Have Wings) - (His Girl Friday) - (Sergeant York) - (Ball of Fire) - (Air Force) - (To Have and Have Not) - (The Big Sleep (1946 film)) - (The Outlaw) - (A Song is Born) - (I Was a Male War Bride) - (The Big Sky) - (Monkey Business) - (O Henry’s Full House) - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - (Land of the Pharaohs) - Rio Bravo - (Hatari!) - (Man’s Favorite Sport?) - (Red Line 7000) - (El Dorado) - (Rio Lobo)
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the play Nos deux consciences (Our Two Consciences) by Paul Anthelme, I Confess is the story of a priest who becomes a murder suspect as he tries to find help with the church as he deals with possibly violating its rules. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and screenplay by George Tabori and William Archibald, the film explores a man of faith dealing with a murder he didn’t commit as he finds himself in danger. Starring Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Brian Aherne, O.E. Hasse, and Karl Malden. I Confess is a riveting and engaging film from Alfred Hitchcock.
Following the death of a lawyer where a German gardener confesses the murder to a young priest, the priest finds himself being a murder suspects as he ponders into telling the truth or not break his vows and protect his friend. It’s a film that is largely about internal conflict for this young priest in Father Logan (Montgomery Clift) as he has his vows that he needs to keep but the idea of going to prison for a crime he didn’t commit would overwhelm him as well as telling the truth so he can clear his name.
The film’s screenplay starts off with the investigation of the murder but also questions into what Father Logan was doing on the night of the murder. Especially as it relates to the wife of Quebec legislature member who had a past with Father Logan as she knows he is innocent while admitting to having issues with the lawyer who is killed. It would play into many suspicions that occur as the investigator Larrue (Karl Malden) feels that something isn’t right as he wants Father Logan to reveal the truth where Logan’s own conflicts come into play in its third act. Even as there are those that want to go after Logan to set an example as the people who know the truth are forced to watch in horror in the film’s climatic trial.
Alfred Hitchcock’s direction does have some aspects of style from its opening sequence as well as his approach to mood in some of the film’s dramatic and suspenseful moments. Even as he maintains a sense of intimacy in his compositions from close-ups and medium shots as well as a few wide shots for some of the film’s exterior settings set partially in Quebec City with some interior locations shot in Hollywood. Some of these involve some unique camera angles such as the flashback where Ruth Grandfort (Anne Baxter) talks about her past with Father Logan before World War II that takes much of the film’s second act. Hitchcock’s approach to suspense definitely plays into Father Logan’s internal conflict such as a sequence where he is walking around the city as he is being followed as he has no idea where to go. It’s among one of the finest moments in the film as it would lead to the climatic trial where it would play into revelations about what really happened. Overall, Hitchcock creates a very gripping yet engrossing film about a priest who knows the truth but is unable to reveal it due to his vows.
Cinematographer Robert Burks does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography where it‘s quite straightforward in its daytime scenes while some of its shading and lighting schemes help set the film‘s dark mood for the scenes set at night. Editor Rudi Fehr does brilliant work with the editing with its use of dissolves as well as creating some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and suspense. Art directors Ted Haworth and John Beckman, with set decorator George James Hopkins, do superb work with the set pieces from some of the interiors in the places near the church to the home that Ruth lives in. The sound work of Oliver S. Garretson is terrific for its sound editing as well as creating a tense mood in the trial scene. The film’s music by Dimitri Tiomkin is fantastic for its somber yet flourishing orchestral score that plays into the drama along with more eerie pieces for its suspenseful moments.
The film’s amazing cast features some notable small roles Charles Andres as the church head Father Millars, Dolly Haas as the church housekeeper Alma, Roger Dann as Ruth’s very rich and powerful husband Pierre, and Brian Aherne in a terrific performance as the Crown Prosecutor Robertson who believes that Father Logan is guilty. O.E. Hasse is wonderful as the German immigrant Otto who is the church’s caretaker/gardener that did the murder as he deals with the sacrifice Father Logan is doing.
Karl Malden is fantastic as Inspector Larrue who leads the investigation as he realize the case isn’t as simple as it is as he believes that Father Logan knows something and is actually innocent. Anne Baxter is excellent as Ruth Grandfort as a former lover of Father Logan who tries to help him as she is forced to reveal her past life with Father Logan. Finally, there’s Montgomery Clift in a superb performance as Father Logan as this young priest who is accused of murder as Clift brings a lot of restrained anguish into his role as it’s one of Clift’s finest performances.
I Confess is an excellent film from Alfred Hitchcock. Armed with a great cast and a thrilling premise, the film is an example of Hitchcock’s mastery in the art of mystery and suspense. It’s also a film that has him explore the idea of faith and some of the drawbacks in a man’s devotion to his faith. In the end, I Confess is a superbly chilling film from Alfred Hitchcock.
Alfred Hitchcock Films: (Number 13) - (The Pleasure Garden) - (The Blackguard) - (The Mountain Eagle) - (The Lodger) - (A Story of the London Fog) - (The Ring) - (Downhill) - (The Farmer’s Wife) - (Easy Virtue) - (Champagne) - (The Manxman) - (Blackmail) - (Juno and the Paycock) - (Murder!) - (The Skin Game) - (Mary) - (Lord Camber’s Ladies) - (Rich and Strange) - (Number Seventeen) - (Waltzes from Vienna) - (The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)) - The 39 Steps - (Secret Agent) - (Sabotage) - (Young and Innocent) - The Lady Vanishes - (Jamaica Inn) - Rebecca - (Foreign Correspondent) - (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) - Suspicion - (Saboteur) - (Shadow of a Doubt) - Bon Voyage - Lifeboat - (Spellbound) - Notorious - (The Paradine Cage) - Rope - (Under Capricorn) - (Stage Fright) - Strangers on a Train - Dial M for Murder - Rear Window - To Catch a Thief - (The Trouble with Harry) - The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film) - (The Wrong Man) - Vertigo - North by Northwest - Psycho - The Birds - Marnie - (Torn Curtain) - (Topaz) - (Frenzy) - (Family Plot)
© thevoid99 2014
