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MikeZ-2
Reviews
Conspiracy (2001)
Well-acted but flawed
Having recently seen Branagh playing the heroic Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton with humanity and warmth, it was interesting to see his acting abilities being tested in the opposite direction. Heydrich was, by all accounts, a cold and an inhuman character, and Branagh plays the role with the almost believable heartlessness of a true tyrant. Unfortunately though, like all the other actors, he just doesn't capture the pitiless evil of the men who participated in the Wannsee conference. For a start, most of them were just too British, apart from Tucci who was just, well, too American. But therein, perhaps unconsciously and unintentionally, lies the films message. Maybe suffering and mass murder can just as easily be perpetrated by a board meeting of dull lawyers and accountants as by a gang of skinheads.
I must take issue with a previous contributor, Lady Goeth. The film talks about the victims of gas chambers turning pink. The Wannsee conspirators were not talking about the effect of Zyklon-B, but straightforward carbon monoxide from engine exhausts. It is well-known that anyone who dies from the effects of CO poisoning turns pink. At the time of Wannsee, the idea of using Auschwitz style gas chambers was still a glint in the eye of Heydrich and his crew, as is evident from the film. However, I did notice a glaring error of authenticity. When Heydrich's Fieseler Storch light aircraft is shown flying in at the start of the film it has swastikas on its wings. German military aeroplanes only ever had swastikas on their tailplanes. Perhaps this obvious error was made because HBO thought their audiences would expect to see big swastikas on Nazi aircraft. The wings and fuselage of Luftwaffe machines were only ever marked with simple black crosses.
Guns at Batasi (1964)
A Chance Discovery
I discovered this film, quite by chance, whilst looking through the early evening schedules for BBC1. Billed in the newspaper as a "Second World War drama" it is anything but, actually being set in early '60s East Africa just after countries like Kenya achieved independence from Britain. Richard Attenborough is splendid as the RSM who worships "spit and polish" as much as he does HM The Queen. (Odd to think she's still on the throne and "reigning" over the same but very much changed realm.) Attenborough's characterisation of the type of man who ran the British Army is spot on. Are such men still with us? Flora Robson also gives a entirely believable performance as the naive and opinionated Labour MP. We know such women are still amongst us. The supporting cast of actors portraying the sergeants and reluctant conscript give this film great credibility. Mia Farrow is an unexpected guest and we can only envy Wilkie for getting his wicked way. Jack Hawkins, as ever, gives a stock performance as the officer who remains stiff upper-lipped in the face of adversity. Altogether an unexpected treat.
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
A privilege to watch
I have just seen this film for what must be the fifth time. This production must be elevated to the ranks of the all time time classics. Connery and Caine play the two lovable rogues who attempt to seek their fortune in the mythical land of Kafiristan. Their portrayal of the two ex-British Army sergeants is masterful. Only someone who had served in the British armed forces could have achieved such an accurate characterisation of a British NCO teaching drill to raw recruits. Caine himself had served in the British Army during the Korean War, and he appeared to be reliving his army experiences with relish. We are indeed fortunate to have been spared the original partnership of Bogart and Gable, or the other, later planned partnerships of Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster, or Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Fine actors that these all are, they simply wouldn't have been able to play the roles of Peachey or Dravant with the understated humour that sustained British soldiers abroad through thick and thin. Only Newman and Redford could have come close, but their version would more likely have turned out to be "Butch and Sundance Go to India". Saeed Jaffrey is also magnificent and infinitely believeable. The whole film makes those with a spirit of adventure yearn for the lost days of Empire. The film's depiction of naivete and brutality encapsulate human nature without any of the political correctness that would encumber such a film today. Superb.
Le violon rouge (1998)
A superb masterpiece.
A truly remarkable film, I was almost tempted to award it a perfect 10. The only thing that prevented me from doing so was remembering the advice of my old English teacher (Doug "Fundamentally" Hounsell) that only God can be perfect. Thus I never award 10 out of 10 for anything. Anyway, I digress. This film deserves a whole flock of superlative epithets. From its very start to the shocking denouement I was transfixed. It had been languishing in my video recorder for at least a fortnight waiting for the opportunity for a late-night viewing. By then, I had forgotten what it was supposed to be about, which made it all the more enjoyable. Only the inconvenience of having to fast-forward through the adverts disturbed my viewing of a piece of craftsmanship that stood comparison with its subject, a 17th century Italian violin. Why can't Hollywood make films like this anymore?
The Thin Red Line (1998)
A piece of performance art.
If this film set out to convey the realities of war then it did so successfully, for war is 95% boredom and 5% dread and fear. In my case I dreaded that the film would never end. Like many films these days the dialogue largely consisted of indistinct mumblings and mutterings that hindered instead of helping the plot, and it needed all the help it could get. The cinematic photography was excellent but surely a movie is not just a visual experience? The mood was overwhelmingly sombre. War is no laughing matter but soldiers develop a black sense of humour to cope with the stress of combat. The only humorous touch appeared at the beginning of the film when the native walking in the opposite direction exchanged a disinterested glance with the soldiers, and I'm not sure that this was intentionally funny. The director only conveyed a one-dimensional image of war like a piece of "performance art" projected onto a screen - a series of stills instead of a moving image. Only Nick Nolte's acting saved us from a living death. A disappointing effort that could have been so much more.
Romper Stomper (1992)
A truly ground-breaking film
A superbly acted and directed film, Romper Stomper is a brilliant social commentary not just on Australia but on other societies around the world. It depicts the alienation of white working-class youth who seek refuge in extreme right-wing ideology (and I'm avoiding the use of the term "fascism" here because that simply means authoritarian and militaristic and these skinheads are virtual anarchists). In fact their political beliefs are really only confined to the leader of the gang, the other characters could be members of any other type of gang who simply enjoy fighting rivals or strangers. It's really a story of young men without skills adrift in an increasingly complex, feminist and multi-cultural world. Unless a role is found for men like these their only outlet is violence. This film could just easily have been made about gang-members anywhere, only the sympathies of the lead characters for Adolf Hitler, Nazi Germany and white supremacy made it controversial.
Sahara (1995)
A pointless remake of "The Tank"
A completely pointless remake of the 1942 film "The Tank" starring Humphrey Bogart. The Bogart film at least had some propaganda value in inaccurately depicting US troops in the Battle for Tobruk, which was an almost an entirely Australian affair. The overblown portrayal of all Germans as nasty, fanatical Nazis was frankly laughable. The only believable acting was of James Belushi as a typical loudmouthed American, or was he just playing himself? Surely 50 years after the event we can have some intelligent films about the Second World War.
The Dam Busters (1955)
A classic aviation war film
A pity such films like this cannot be made today. Historical accuracy, brilliant characterisation and believable acting all make for superb film let down only by its special effects. If you can disregard the dubious military value and effectiveness of the raid and the men who died in the execution of their duty (including one of my namesakes) then it makes for great entertainment. I doubt we will ever see another film like it again.