Seen: May 1st, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 6
Certain pictures are just legendary. This is one of them. I've heard the name for years, seen clips of the beach scene. It won a bunch of awards and was key to several actors' careers. It's considered a classic.
But it's hardly timeless.
Basically, I don't think that I have the context to appreciate this film. Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift are hardly household names at this point. Frank Sinatra is well known, but at this time his career was on the wane, and this film rejuvenated it to some degree. The novel on which the film was based was a runaway best seller. It had to be heavily adapted and dramatically toned down for the film. The beach scene was risque, as was the very idea of an explicit affair. WWII was still fairly fresh in Americans' memories, and Pearl Harbor something that most remembered vividly.
All these factors contributed to the popularity and significance of the film at the time. Without them, the film loses much of its relevance, boiling down to four simple stories. These stories intertwine, but are maintain a degree of independence.
First, there is Pruitt trying to find redemption. He's committed what he feels is an unforgivable sin. He's doing penance for that and his additional sin of pride. He's looking for redemption by suffering silently at the hands of others and in the love of a good woman. Clift's performance is one of the best here. He is moody and tortured.
His antithesis is Captain Holmes. Self-centered, egotistical and arrogant, he takes everything he can and makes no effort. Everything is an affront to him. He interacts only to advance his own ends, whether that be bullying Pruitt, marrying his wife, or socializing with his superiors. His story is simple karmic allegory.
The third story is that Maggio, who just wants to live and let live. He's a happy go lucky guy beset by evil outside his own making. His is a tragedy. Sinatra does a nice turn here.
The fourth is the story of the love affair. Lancaster's Warden is a bit of a caricature. He plays a major part in all the stories, but plays all his various roles with little variation. He's so reserved, even in his drunken moments that it's hard to see his real motivations. I doubt even he knows them. Karen Holmes too is a caricature. Trophy wife looking for something more, but terrified of finding it and ultimately weak and dependent.
For me, the only really compelling story is Pruitt's, the rest are just along for the ride. The constant focus changes and the melodramatic tension of impending war are distracting. It makes it all a bit difficult to reconcile. Everything ties up in the end, each ending to its own mood, but none of them are really satisfying.
Perhaps it's a little like life that way.
The Good: Clift's performance
The Bad: Karen's weakness
The Ugly: Abuse of power
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