Sunday, September 18, 2005
SAVED Revised 091905--Kennedy added
Today's Best 1176 NYTimes Best Film was
This film is a major overhaul of the Sinclair Lewis novel, yet maintains the force of the original. Some punches are pulled nevertheless. We can never quite get to say what we feel about the bogus in religion. Someone always gets nervous.
The force in this picture is personified by Burt Lancaster at the peak of his power as an actor. He inhabits Elmer with a performance of great humanity. He is a sinner and a con-man for sure but he is also, at bottom, a good man. This is one of the pulled punches but somehow Lancaster makes it work.
Jean Simmons is a revelation as the evangelist who Lancaster hooks up with; in more ways than just the professional. She is legit and to maintain the balance while she has a fling with Lancaster requires grace and dignity which Simmons summons most effectively.
I had forgotten about Arthur Kennedy. In this, he is a reporter in the H. L. Mencken mode. He serves as a sort of greek chorus and attitude adjuster; helping us hear and see the rich text in a particular light. It is a clever device that helps move this story forward through the brambles of controversy. Remember, this was just barely, hardly, out of the fifties.
Arthur Kennedy was a great actor; always on the edges of stardom and often in this type of role. His dad was Edgar Kennedy, a comic actor who had anger management problems. He was a Saturday matinee short staple.
Shirley Jones is the whore who drives them apart and spoils the game. She is mid career between musical comedy and the Partridge family. (That is her isn't it?) and just makes it through the door.
We liked it a lot. It is long at 147 minutes but the time flies. There are great vignettes with wonderful character actors of the time throughout.
I will give it a 4 out of Netflix5.
I have to say that I got weepy at the beginning about missing Burt Lancaster. We have seen him in so many films and he has been in many of these Bests and will be in more. He was a 'good friend' over the years. He always gave us more than our money's worth.
This film has him in a lot of closeups. You notice that he leads with his teeth a lot. Out and shouting. In and closing down. He was a real technician.
His hair is a force of nature; a mind of its own. He must have had to have a comb on him at all times. We could see it unravel in a scene. Just great.
They did not use his beef in this picture at all. No shirts off. All serious mid-west wool suits and the like. He is a tough cookie but he doesn't show it until it is called for.
I digress. Like I said. I loved to watch Burt Lancaster. And will continue to do so.
