Monday, November 27, 2006
APOCOLYPSE THEN?
Today's NYTimes Best 1176 Film was Stanley Kramers' version of the Nevil Shute book
This film hypothesizes a nuclear war where radiation is the universal killer (not nuclear winter or other theoretical results).
In its time it was one of several movies which had a believable 'end of the world' scenario. In fact, it is still quite believable.
It is the last days in Australia to which the radiation cloud is drifting.
Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, and Anthony Perkins face the end.
It is a slow mover with a focus on individual characters who are quite stoic, actually. No riots, no freakouts, no fallout shelters that people protect with shotguns. It is all sane and inevitable.
It is quite good actually, if a bit somnolent.
The moral is still clear but the action is not as straightforward. Back then, it was us and them. Now, it is us and a hundred others, some unkown.
Does anyone care anymore? Dunno.
You can hardly find any reference to this film in the standard canon. Yet, here it is in the Best list.
There is one fringe benefit in this film; watching Ava Gardner at her peak. She did not have a long career and here she plays to type as a boozy woman of a certain age who finds love at last in the winding down times. Very good.
I can't give this a 5 as it is too slow, too long, and too improbable.
Maybe a 4 because of its urgent message. Kramer was never subtle. Maybe a 3.
