Friday, September 25, 2009
WHO ARE THE INMATES?
Today's film was Le roi de coeur / King of Hearts (1966).
I have not linked it because you cannot find a decent review of it anywhere on IMDb.
It is lost on the American public.
It is an allegory. Not meant to be realistic. It has an antiwar message which, unfortunately, today seems hopelessly naive.
A town is mined by retreating Germans during WWI. The town is evacuated.
The approaching British army hears about the mining from a member of the underground just before he is shot, unbeknownst to the British.
They send Alan Bates into the town alone to find the underground guy. What he finds is that the inmates of the town's mental hospital have been unintentionally let out of their asylum and have taken over the town.
Here begins the wonderful fantasy of a town full of crazy people acting normal. At least to Bates.
The fantasy of this film is gossamer but the truths that it presents about war are hard edged.
There is suspense from the fact that the mine is set to go off at midnight. We know this but Bates and the people do not until the last minute.
The actors in this film seem to be having a wonderful time and so will you.
This film played somewhere in Boston or Cambridge, continuously, for many years.
It is as alive and enjoyable today as it was in 1966 or any day since.
I will give it a 5 out of Netflix5. Well, I always have given it a 5.
