From Here to Eternity: 1953

From Here to Eternity is set in 1941 Hawaii, months before the Pearl Harbor attack, and follows the lives of three soldiers as they deal with the grueling aspects of military power abuse. Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) transfers to the G Unit Regiment after losing his place as top bugler in his old unit to someone with less talent but better connections. At first, the commanding officer Holmes is excited to have Prewitt as Prewitt is a middle-weight boxing champion and Holmes wants to win the boxing championship this year, but when Prewitt clearly and repeatedly states that he will not fight, his life becomes miserable, filled with extra duties and abuse from higher ranking members of the unit. Holmes supports this abuse as he hopes it will break Prewitt. Holmes, as well as other characters, expose the ugly side of the Army, one where higher ranking men use their power against subordinates. I couldn't help be feel sorry for Prewitt; he has good reasons for not wanting to fight and no one in power really seems to care. The ones who do care are unable to help him. Yet Prewitt doesn't want sympathy. No matter what disgusting duty he's given or what punishment he faces (such as trekking up and down a mountain with an extra heavy pack), Prewitt does each without breaking. He's completely stoic, facing each challenge with determination. Only towards the end of the film do we see him start to crumble, and the circumstances have become more than any one person could handle.

In addition to Prewitt's story, From Here to Eternity also follows the life of Sergeant Warden (Burt Lancaster), second in command and Holmes' right-hand man. Warden despises Holmes and cares more about the men in their unit than Holmes does, and in his position, Warden is able to influence Holmes at times for lesser, more reasonable punishments. But Warden's story is more about falling in love with the commander's wife, Karen (Deborah Kerr). We learn early in the film that the commander is unfaithful to his wife and really only stays married because officers should have wives. Any love that was present between the commander and his wife is definitely gone and has been for awhile. Karen and Warden's relationship includes an iconic scene from film, often replicated in humorous ways:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W6AGM-LxGY

Warden and Karen's relationship at times seems melodramatic, but Kerr is so elegant throughout the entire film that it's easily forgiven. She moves with such grace, which makes her cheating husband seem so much more despicable. When Karen shares the history of her marriage with Warden, Kerr's portrayal of a heartbroken, devastated woman is powerful in that at the end, the character still seems strong. Kerr makes her more of a fighter than a delicate flower that must be nurtured. 

Although Prewitt and Warden's stories dominate the film, there is a third character who plays an essential part in capturing the audience's emotions and depicting the brutality of military stockades. Private Maggio (Frank Sinatra) is a goofball who seems to be in the Army because he couldn't find anything else to do. He's often stuck with the more mundane duties, and he's the first one to befriend Prewitt, even defending Prewitt when the bullying begins. Maggio's quick temper and desire for good times quickly lead to his downfall, though, and this likable character faces perhaps the most brutal treatment in the film. Sinatra's charm fits the character perfectly, but I must admit I'm glad the role was small. Maggio was a little over the top as a character, and as a comic relief, he's helpful at times but too much would have detracted from the film as a whole.

Sinatra as Maggio with Lorraine (Donna Reed)

Source: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/frank-sinatra/images/5928480/title/frank-sinatra-donna-reed-from-here-eternity-photo

The film ends with Pearl Harbor and the start of WWII. Of course, that means there is no happy ending for these characters. But the film isn't so much about the ending for these characters but what they face along the way. It's the lives they lead until Pearl Harbor that are more important than what their future holds. From the beginning, the audience knows, more or less, how the story is going to end because of history. Unlike other war films that have won Best Picture up to this point, From Here to Eternity captures the time just before the war, when war seemed possible yet still so far away. The soldiers are more carefree in this film, focused on getting weekend passes and meeting girls than surviving. In that sense, From Here to Eternity becomes Best Picture worthy because it's just so different.

The Greatest Show on Earth: 1952

After a fairly long hiatus, I finally found time to watch the 2 1/2 hour circus extravaganza that is The Greatest Show on Earth, starring Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, and James Stewart. The film's story is fairly short: the film could easily have been an hour and a half. But the film is more than the story; it's also a full circus performance broken into chunks. I saw trapeze artists, clown shenanigans, musical numbers, elephants, lions, and more. Each performance segment was full of elaborate costumes and incorporated bits of the storyline. The film also had a narrator who acts as the behind-the-circus guide for the audience, explaining how the circus moves from city to city to town to town and how set up and tear down occur. It really became an education in how a circus functions (although I already knew quite a bit about circuses after visiting the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida).

As I mentioned, the costumes were incredibly elaborate, and it seemed every  female character had numerous costumes for performing as well as a full wardrobe for everyday scenes. The performances followed various themes, including a Disney segment, a Hawaiian luau, and the four seasons. Being a color film, the costumes dazzle the viewer, and the intricate details really stand out. The trailer includes some of these costumes:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GJHCicaOs0

Besides the costumes, I have to say the acting was also impressive. Stewart plays Buttons the Clown, who is clearly on the run from some crime but seems so sweet to Holly (Hutton) that you can't imagine that Buttons is guilty of anything terrible (but he is). Stewart does play his usual, awww-shucks character, only this time with face paint, silly clothes, and oversized shoes, but this seems so perfect for the Buttons character. Plus, Stewart has the opportunity for slapstick in this role, and he becomes the perfect mixture of friendly and funny. Heston plays the "bossman", or the behind-the-scenes leader and organizer of the circus, perfectly. He keeps his emotions in check when appropriate, but there are subtle moments when we see his facade crack and reveal his true feelings for Holly. But I think my favorite character was the sassy, street-smart Angel (Gloria Grahame) who says what she thinks and does what she thinks is right, and usually, she has a better conscience than the girl-next-door Holly. Grahame was Violet in It's A Wonderful Life, and in that film, she seems like the trashy counterpart to Donna Reed's wholesome Mary. In Greatest Show, however, Grahame has the chance to play a larger role and be a strong woman who doesn't need a man to be complete. Despite these strong performances, Hutton as Holly often came across as annoying, a woman who can't quite decide which man she wants and whines about it. I haven't seen Hutton in other films, though, so perhaps this is just the character I have an issue with, not the actress.

Brad, the "bossman", with Buttons

Source: http://www.the-frame.com/2012/03/on-row-three-oscar-winner-rank-em/

Although I had my doubts about this film, overall I enjoyed the storyline, but I wish there was less circus and more character development. I didn't feel like I knew the characters until towards the end of the film, and then I wanted to know them better. 

An American in Paris: 1951

Unlike the last few films I watched, An American in Paris is in color, and while I enjoy the richness of classic black and white films, the color was a welcome break. Add in the music and Gene Kelly, and I have to say that first hour or so of the film was quite enjoyable. 

An American in Paris has a pretty simple storyline. It's a love triangle. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love, girl starts to fall in love but is already committed to someone else. Gene Kelly is Jerry Mulligan, the boy in this story. Jerry is a struggling artist who stayed in Paris after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. As he says, Paris provides inspiration for artists, but it seems that although he's inspired, his work hasn't sold much. He's the epitome of starving artist until he captures the attention of a wealthy American woman, Milo Roberts, and we soon learn that Milo has a problem with hooking up with struggling artists, providing them financial support, and then having her heart stomped all over when the men become famous and leave her. Jerry is more upfront with Milo, making it clear that he isn't interested in a romantic relationship and plans to pay back every dime she gives him. Jerry's moral core seems to come from his American upbringing; he wants to earn his success. The other motivation for Jerry to avoid romantic entanglement is, of course, the girl I mentioned, Lise. Lise (played by Leslie Caron) is a Frenchwoman Jerry encounters on a night out, and he is immediately attracted to the shy, aloof Frenchwoman. No matter how much he tries to charm her that evening, she has no interest in dating him. Jerry's persistence pays off, however, as he learns her phone number and where she works. When he shows up in the perfume shop while she's helping a customer and helps her finish the sale, he has charmed his way into a first date. Their relationship grows from here.

Naturally, all is not easy for Jerry and Lise, especially since Lise is basically engaged to another man, who Jerry considers a friend. Despite this issue, most of the film remains upbeat. Jerry is ready with a smile and song and a tap dance. The musical includes a version of "I Got Rhythm" that involves French children saying the "I got" part with Jerry singing the rest. 

Gene Kelly is perfect in the role; he has chemistry with everyone on screen and his dancing is simply amazing. Lesile Caron is a talented dancer as well, and when the two are together, you truly believe they are Jerry and Lise, two lovers meant to be together but torn apart by their circumstances.

The only part of the film that I didn't quite understand was the last dance sequence. The sequence lasts over 10 minutes and features Kelly and Caron. Throughout the entire sequence, the music is instrumental, and it appears that the audience must interpret what the dance reveals about the characters or story. Or perhaps it was simply a chance to feature these two talented performers. Whatever the case, I lost interest about 3-4 minutes in and even dozed off. Up to that point, I had been fully engaged in the film, so if I ever watch this again, I think I'll just skip that dance sequence and jump right to the ending (which is about 2 minutes long following the dance).

All About Eve: 1950

Back in 2009 when I was taking a film class in grad school, I watched All About Eve, but it wasn't because the film was one of those we were require to watch. I watched it because all my course reading kept referring to the film, and I quickly realized that if I was going to make any sense of the content of the course, I would need to watch All About Eve, and I remember that I wasn't disappointed at all with watching it. And a re-watching wasn't a hardship.

At its most basic level, All About Eve is a film about karma, or to use the cliche, "what goes around comes around." The story focuses on Margo Channing, a 40-year-old stage actress adored by her fans and friends. Margo is, without a doubt, a diva at the prime of her career, but she is plagued with the thought of growing older. Typically, Margo portrays twenty-somethings on stage, and she recognizes that her career may end at any time. Her insecurity about her age becomes almost destructive after she takes in Eve, a woman who claims to be Margo's biggest fan and who has a sob story that causes the other people in the story to initially take her side in every situation. In the end, Eve turn outs to be quite a con artist, and Margo learns what really matters in her life. But the best part of the film is closing scene. I'm not going to discuss it here; you really just have to watch the entire film to understand just how powerful the closing scene is.

What I like most about All About Eve is Margo's transformation. In the beginning of the film, I didn't really like her. She seemed self-centered and a bit shallow, but as the film progresses and the audience learns more about Margo, I realized that she is really just insecure and actually values her friends. She becomes almost endearing, but even with that change, she still remains quick-witted and sassy. One cause for her transformation is her boyfriend Bill; no matter what she says or does and regardless of him being eight years younger, he remains utterly devoted to her. That's not to say that he doesn't challenge her. He fights with her and requires her to move beyond her fear to be with him. I wonder if Margo's fear isn't so much age as it is an unwillingness to trust her heart to him. She doesn't seem to have any family, and while she has friends, she only seems to fully reveal herself to Karen and possibly Bertie, her no-nonsense assistant. For everyone else, it's Margo the star. But as Eve rises to fame and betrays Margo, we finally see Margo let Bill in and allow herself to depend on him. At the same time, Margo retains her independence.

Margo Channing, played by Bette Davis

Source: https://theroadshowversion.wordpress.com/category/all-about-eve-1950/

If you're not interested in investing the 138 minutes it takes to watch All About Eve, then I suggest The Simpsons parody of the film where Lisa steals Krusty's show and becomes addicted to applause.