Tuesday, June 13, 2006
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
Today's NYTimes Best 1176 is actually made up of four one act plays by Eugene Oneill, stitched together nicely. The seams are there to see in that the story is episodic, involving the same men on a merchant marine ship during war.
is a metaphor for the sailor's lives. Home is the ship. The crew is the family.
It is an ensemble piece directed by John Ford and is very good.
The pre-Duke John Wayne is featured along with Ford's 'family' of repertory actors: Thomas Mitchell, Ward Bond, Barry Fitzgerald and more. Wayne even plays with a Swedish accent.
The stories are all rather dark as is the cinematography.
Some of the scenes are terrifying; the storm, the plane attack (the planes are never seen, only the explosions and bullet-holes).
Unlike the poster, there is no color, it is black and white. There are no flames in the sea either. There don't have to be. Hollywood.
This is a theatrical piece that is barely opened up for the film. Ford has only taken advantage of the whole freighter for angles and shots. Which makes it a very cinematic piece of theater!
There are many many many great scenes with light and dark and fog and smoke.
Did I say that I liked this film a lot?
John Ford.
I will give it a 5 out of Netflix5.
