The Lady Vanishes: Criterion #3

Alfred Hitchcock is fond of telling the story of one man fighting against staggering odds. The man is often falsely accused as in The Wrong Man or The 39 Steps. Or accidentally enters into a world of horrors that they can't escape as in The Birds or Psycho. And sometimes the lead accidentally becomes part of a large conspiracy in which they are forced to participate as in North by Northwest and The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Hithchcock is fond of the reluctant hero or heroine, people who fall into impossibly difficult situations that they did not choose for themselves. In this way his movies, even those that would not be labeled horror films, are like nightmares. The protagonist wants to scream out "this can't be happening," but barely has time to think as the rogue crop duster bears down on him trying to slice him in half. We tend to identify with the Hitchcock hero who is often ordinary--though still very much movie stars--whether they be Cary Grant living at home with his mother or hardworking family man Henry Fonda.

The Lady Vanishes is the other type of Hitchcock film--the type where two would-be lovers throw themselves into intrigue partly out of boredom and partly as a means to romance one another. As in Rear Window where a crippled photographer played by James Stewart and a pining Grace Kelly become voyeurs and then detectives, Lady features bride-in-waiting Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) on a journey to meet her fiancee where she begins to tussle and then solve a mystery with arrogant joker and folk musician Gilbert (Michael Redgrave).

While on a train journey through the fictional European country of Mandrika, Iris notices that Miss Froy, the kindly old lady who was sharing a compartment with her, doesn't seem to be on the train anymore. Partly out of a need to forestall the doldrums of an unwanted marriage and partly because of the needs of the script, Iris throws herself wholeheartedly into finding the missing Miss Froy. Gilbert, seeing an opening, joins her in a quest. The plot thickens when other passengers claim to have never seen the little old English woman. We are then asked to contemplate whether Iris--who did suffer a blow to the head earlier in the film--might be imagining Miss Froy or whether some sinister conspiracy is actually at work. (A similar question is at the heart of the ludicrous, not very funny, but highly watchable Jodie Foster thriller Flightplan).

Vanishes while ostensibly a mystery is just as much a comedy. Like Nick and Nora in The Thin Man series, Iris and Gilbert trade bon mots and blows with bad guys while trying to figure out the mystery. The mystery is a device upon which to hang a comedy of manners. Joining Iris and Gilbert in their comic quest are two stoic British gentlemen who are more concerned with returning to England in time to catch a cricket match than with the increasingly bizarre plot going on around them. Their continued stoical perturbation in the face of mystery and violence is a running joke throughout the film. This joke reaches a glorious comic crescendo when the bullets begin to fly in the film's climax.

And what a climax it is as the train's British passengers are faced with a showdown at high tea. The nation of Mandrika confronts the English on the train and they, though repeatedly denying Iris's claims and need to take action, find their backs against the wall. Among them is a pacifist who as the action heightens becomes cowardice embodied. It is in this climax that the film becomes unexpectedly political. The Lady Vanishes released in 1938 between the two world wars, is a comment on the coming conflict and the necessity of war. British who are not willing to enter the fray are naive or foolish.

As they are in other Hithcock films, the women of Vanishes are smart, brave, and resourceful. They frequently lead the charge in the film while the men try to keep up. Hitchcock reportedly had testy relationships with his female co-stars, but he frequently provided them with meaty roles. Most movies, even contemporary ones, are likely to relegate female stars to weak supporting roles where they anxiously stand by while male costars do the fighting. But The Lady Vanishes turns on the actions of several strong female characters.

Vanishes is above all a comedy and this intentionally or not takes the edge off the suspense. We are pretty sure all will work out in the end because the barb trading leads need to end up together. It could be argued that the film goes off the rails in the final third when the absurd plot drives the film toward a violent, tone shifting climax, but I found it in keeping with the delightful absurdity on display throughout the film.

In fact each of the film's three acts have there own unique tone. In the first, the cast is stranded by snow in a small rail-side hotel and each is introduced in short, comic vignettes. In the second, the mystery is afoot. By the third act, the mystery is largely solved, but a violent conflict erupts. The film under the steady hand of Hitchcock successfully fits these disparate pieces together. While not Hitchcock's best, it still is a fun, unique film that will keep you entertained.

Seven Samurai: Criterion #2

The story at the center of Seven Samurai has been told many times since the film's release: a small village continually hounded by evil bandits sends men to the City to hire defenders. The defenders will seem to be not up to the task and the villagers will learn to find strength within themselves. The story has been repeated in The Magnificent Seven, a remake of this film, The Three Amigos, and A Bug's Life to name a few favorites. It's a strong core story and works because the looming threat of the bandits' return and the questionable strength of the defenders make for surefire suspense.

Samurai, like our previous entry Grand Illusion, also examines a rigid class structure and how conflict can temporarily throw this structure out of alignment. The Samurai, the honored warrior class, do not socialize with the relatively low on the totem pole farmers. They serve noble families and are paid well, but an ongoing civil war has destabilized 16th century China and increased the likelihood that there will be samurai looking for work and food. The uncertain times bring the noble mercenaries and lowly farmer temporarily together.

Young samurai apprentice Katsushiro will not surprisingly have a romance with the farmer's daughter. We expect as much. They will hide this romance from the girl's father, but not merely because he will disapprove of his daughter's indiscretion, but because it is an insult to the sacrosanct class structure. When the samurai is discovered, is his shame merely that of a man caught in a hidden affair or is it also due to his being caught in a dalliance below his station?

Preparation for the coming fight makes up a large portion of the film. Director Kurosawa does an excellent job of laying out the geography of the village as the samurai survey the land they will defend and attempt to discover its weak points. These scenes give the viewer a sense of geography and allow us to participate fully in the film's epic closing battle. We are right in the thick of the action and have a grasp of the strategy taking place.

The care taken in preparing the viewer for the battle is refreshing. Modern action filmmaking more often than not give an impression of tense battle with quick cuts of explosions or swords clashing accompanied by a heroic theme. We understand that chaos is taking place on an epic scope, but have no sense of what exactly is happening. Kurosawa carefully orients the viewer and never loses you in the mayhem. The skirmish at the climax of this film is very small in size, but Kurosawa still manages to create the sense of an epic battle. Forty armored bandits, a few with firearms, will take on about a hundred villagers. But the stakes are high. The villagers if they lose will surely die. They are not trained warriors and there are not nearly enough samurai to defend the village.

The final battle is one of the best ever filmed. Deaths are sudden and brutal, but Kurosawa does not linger over them. He rushes us on to the next heated skirmish. The unskilled villagers fight badly, but fight with intense hatred. They swarm in large groups and thrust wildly and clumsily with their makeshift spears. Terrorized for years by the bandits, they act out with great fury when in battle. Cutting between wide shots of the village and close ups of hooves falling and spears thrusting, Kurosawa places us in the midst of the battle. The entire effect is thrilling and frequently disturbing. All of this is accomplished with no visible bloodshed.

Kurosawa like Renoir also employs long takes and deep focus to great effect. In early scenes when the villagers are trying to recruit samurai,the director uses a combination of deep focus and forced perspective to underline the villagers' poverty. (Forced perspective is utilized in The Lord of the Rings films to make the actors playing hobbits appear much smaller than others on screen.) The villagers can only pay their potential saviors in rice and their small, but essential, container of rice frequently dwarfs the villagers onscreen. Every shot in the film is carefully composed and full of meaning. We wonder at Kurosawa's camera that both serves story, but also moves with grace and agility. He films movement with such urgency and clarity.

The film is not only notable for the prowess of Kurosawa's construction, but also for the performances. Toshiro Mifune--the inspiration behind Jon Belushi's choleric Saturday Night Live samurai--first appears to be the film's comic relief. He desires to be a samurai, but lacks the necessary refinement and bearing. But he proves to be a valuable morale booster. As the story continues, Mifune develops a darker side to his character as the reasons for his lack of refinement emerge. Takashi Shimura, playing the samurai leader Kambei Shimada, lends his character the necessary gravity while at the same time providing the film's moral center. He is a great leader, but also a humanitarian willing to work for food in defense of the needy.

Seven Samurai is in black and white and features subtitles which have kept it from reaching a broader audience. It has also been done the honor and disservice of being labeled masterpiece which lends it the impression of being stuffy and humorless. The film is, however, is an extremely enjoyable and engrossing action film. Some would say it is The Action Film. It is sure to please both the film snob and average viewer.

Grand Illusion: Criterion #1

The first thing you need to know is that this WWI POW film has much in common with The Breakfast Club. But we'll get to that later. You'll also be surprised to know that this Criterion DVD release is amazingly accessible. Later installments include the lengthy, meditative Solaris and the jarring, odd Alphaville, but Grand Illusion is as watchable as many modern dramas. You don't have to have a PhD in Film Studies to appreciate the movie.

The film tells the story of Lieutenant Marechal (Jean Gabin) and Captain de Boldieu, two French officers fighting the first world war. Marechal is a pilot and blue collar guy while de Boldieu is an aristocrat. They are shot down by Captain von Rauffenstein, a German aristocrat, while flying a reconnaissance mission. Von Rauffenstein, even in the midst of warfare, gives the officers a distinguished welcome and toasts their arrival, sharing wine with them at his table. Bullets might not care about your station in life, but von Rauffenstein is determined to preserve social order in spite of the chaos.

These opening moments tell us what will be at stake throughout the film. War and captivity to some degree strips combatants of their social standing. But von Rauffenstein will seek to preserve them. He will lay out rules for the men to follow as if they are playing a game. He knows the men will try to escape captivity--it is their role as officers--but he expects de Boldieu to behave in a manner befitting his bloodline. The old order will be preserved. In a conversation late in the film between de Boldieu and von Rauffenstein, they share a recognition that the old order is dying. The German captain is knowingly fighting a losing battle.

In fact, throughout much of the film, the soldiers all treat each other will surprising kindness. The German soldiers are workmanlike and never particularly cruel to their captives. The captives are surrounded by barbed wire and the guards all carry guns, but the mood among the men is generally upbeat. They put on stage productions and the American officers all carry tennis rackets.

If I had not first listened to the spirited introduction by director Jean Renoir included on the DVD, I would have been tempted to view these niceties as ironic, an absurd vision constructed to examine class conflict. But Renoir fought in the war himself and declares that World War I was a conflict fought between gentlemen before Hitler destroyed the "spirit of humanity." As a conflicted pacifist, I don't know whether to be disturbed by this vision of a more tidy war or to realize that Renoir is showing that social niceties could and were preserved in the more subdued prison camps.

And here is where we arrive at The Breakfast Club similarities. You have to think John Hughes watched Grand Illusion a few dozen times while penning his tale of teen angst and clique disintegration. (Incidentally, I always thought the ending of The Breakfast Club was far too rosy. I would have preferred if the movie featured a crushing epilogue in which Bryan (Anthony Michael Hall) shows up at school only to be punched by Emilio Estevez with Molly Ringwald on his arm while Judd Nelson ignores him and Ally Sheedy in the distance crumbles dead leaves with intensity. And is anyone else po'd that Sheedy's conformity is treated as triumphant. But back to Renoir...) Just as five teens discover common bonds while confined to Saturday detention, the prison camp forces the working class, the aristocrat, and people of different races and ethnicity into cooperation with one another. Renoir's vision isn't as pleasantly trite as that of Hughes, but they do share a similar theme.

Renoir seems to conclude that this cross class cooperation is an illusion and unsustainable. Not long after Marechal and the moneyed, Jewish captive Rosenthal leave the camp, they begin shouting at one another and name calling. When Marechal must cut short a war time romance with a German woman and vows to return to her, Rosenthal tells him that the idea is ridiculous and unrealistic. Captivity and conflict have ironically has brought out the better natures in some men. But the disappearance of inter-class struggle and resentment is chimerical.

The director regularly employs long takes and deep focus--objects in the foreground appear as clearly as those in background--in the film. We are given a great deal to observe at any given moment. Because of this, the film rewards multiple viewings. We can observe several actors reacting at once which often forces us to choose where to place our focus. From a technical standpoint, the use of long takes combined with a moving camera are a marvel as they require precision from the actors who must deliver lines without error and always be acting and for the production crew who must remain invisible. Where a director like DePalma will use the long take and appearance of a long take to wow you with his technical mastery, Renoir uses his in service to story. Renoir becomes unobtrusive and the actors, story, and setting solidify in our minds.

Grand Illusion is justifiably labeled a classic and made for a fine start to my noble quest. Onward and upward.

The Plan

I'm starting my New Year's resolutions a month early. In order to a) educate myself more thoroughly about film, b)develop my writing technique, and c)create a not sizable portfolio, I'm going to work my way through the--at the moment--over 450 titles from the Criterion DVD collection. Criterion is a video company that releases the "greatest" films--many long unavailable--with lots of extras and pristine sound and picture. Working your way through the list will expose you to the film masterworks as well as "Blood for Dracula."

Drawbacks

A)"Blood for Dracula"
B)Having to watch the pain as cinema brutal buldingsroman "Fat Girl" once again.
C)Dipping into the Kino and Facets Video catalog is really necessary for completing a survey of essential cinema.
D)Looking like a fool next to the masters. What do I have to gain by critiquing these works? They can only reveal my shortcomings. What could I possibly add to the conversation about "The Rules of the Game"? (This brings to mind a conversation I had with my tenth grade English teacher. After finishing the required "The Scarlet Letter," I asked her if for my paper I could write why the book was bad. She told me I didn't have the expertise to do so. I've learned a great deal since then, shed some of my arrogance, grown wiser, and "Scarlet Letter" is still a bad book.)

Pluses

A)Hopefully building a better critical lexicon. Learning to wield some more expressive words than "very," "fantastic," and "awful."
B)Goals. Therapists say these are important.
C)Writing on a regular basis. Keeping the fingers moving is important to becoming a better writer and typist.
D)Seeing hundreds of great films. And "The Rock." Yes, there are some seemingly inexplicable choices in the Criterion catalog.

Promises
A)I will not try to be Roger Ebert, David Denby, Pauline Kael, etc. This project is about developing my own style.
B)I'll try to give the films the benefit of the doubt. There's a reason Criterion selected "Armageddon", and though I think it's one of the worst films ever made, I'll try to give it a fair shake. Michael Bay is a master of technique even if he stinks at storytelling. And don't worry. There are only two Michael Bay's in the mix. The rest of the list is full of heavy weights like Ozu, Kurosowa, Truffaut, and Renoir.
C)I will tell you what I'm watching ahead of time so you can play along at home. Criterion numbers each of their releases and for the near future we'll be following that list in order.
D)If you want to share your insights into the films, feel free to post at the bottom of each entry. I'll try to respond to everyone creating an ongoing film discussion if that's desired.
E)I'll try not to bore you.

First up, Jean Renoir's great escape "Grand Illusion". A WW I POW film featuring director and actor Erich Von Stroheim.

Next will be "The Seven Samurai," the Kurosawa action masterpiece. I saw this one on the big screen so rewatching it on my tiny television will likely diminish the experience. But hopefully the limitations of my viewing space will add an extra wrinkle to the project.

Following Kurosawa, will be a Hitchcock I have never seen, "The Lady Vanishes."

So let's get started. Fire up your Netflix queues, Amazon wish lists, library OPACs, and file sharing software if you're a no good scofflaw and come along for the ride.