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Directors Discussion
by Dr. Bob Blackwood
Allegedly, Ford's tombstone just says: “Admiral John Ford.” Ford died with the honorary rank of rear admiral in the U.S. Navy. During WWII, Ford was in charge of the Navy's documentary film program, producing over 70 short and feature length films, including the award-winning "The Battle of Midway" that he shot as the Japanese attacked Midway. He was a liberal Democrat, surrounded by conservative Republicans, and was a son of a bitch. His son, Pat Ford, worked with him for a time and always spoke to him by saying: "yes, sir." Once he said "no, sir" and that was the last time he worked with his father on a film.
But John
Ford made great films. He won four Oscars for best films plus many
other awards. Those in the business regard him as the American director
who had the greatest influence on how Americans view their own history.
His film "Cheyenne Autumn" (1964), which was one of his last
films, was sort of an apologia to the Native Americans for all the other
Westerns he made. I'm sure he would never call it that.
HOORAY
FOR LOUIS MALLE FILMS (1960-1987) AND TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES
In
the Chicago Comcast Cable system, the Turner Classic Movies are having two
nights devoted to the films of French director Louis Malle.
Tonight, Oct. 23, I saw for one more time the Surreal “Zazie dans le
metro” (1960) and the disturbing but masterful “Le Feu Follet” (“The
Fire Within”) (1963). Tomorrow
night brings “Au Revoir, Les Enfants” (1987), “Lacombe Lucien” (1974)
and “Calcutta” (1969). All of
his films are somewhat different from all the others of his films both in
content and in style. I’ve yet
to read a very good book on Louis Malle’s work in English, but, if you can
recommend one, I would appreciate it.
The
two films I can comment upon tonight I have already screened at Wright College
at various film classes in the 1970s-1990s.
“Zazie” is based on a novel by Raymond Queneau.
It
is a surreal approach, involving political satire (a Petain poster appears
during a rehab of a bar), a sort of animation resembling Tex Avery’s Bugs
Bunny (with ice cream cones instead of carrots) mixed with someone else’s
Road Runner in the form of the 91/2 year old Catherine Demongeot as Zazie.
Only a great director could use a younger girl to play the 11-year-old
Zazie. The film is almost always
in a non-stop chase, anti-realities are happening in the backgrounds (people
floating off the Eiffel Tower landing softly with a meter-wide weather balloon
in hand. The last big sequence is
a saloon-type brawl.
The
film ultimately ends with little Zazie (who has the foulest mouth in Paris,
remarkable for a girl from the provinces) getting her ride on the metro.
True,
her uncle is a terribly overweight Spanish ballerina (Philippe Noiret, the
determined cop from “Day of the Jackal”) and her aunt is the uncle’s
terribly butch costume designer (Carla Marlier, who has the look of a
“mannequin” in all meanings of that word in both English and French).
But her family does not disturb Zazie, nor does the lecher/cop/fascist
leader/Metro conductor who chases her throughout the film (Vittorio Caprioli),
nor does uncle and aunt’s angry landlord (Hubert Deschamps), nor does any
thing nor any human on this planet. Zazie
learns a lot quickly and wonderfully.
“Le
Feu Follet” tells of a formerly wealthy playboy and ex-Army officer, Alain
Leroy (Maurice Ronet) who is based on a character in Pierre Drieu La
Rochelle’s novel and a young man whom Malle knew who committed suicide.
We
see Alain leaving a clinic where he dried out and showing fear about leaving
it, rejecting the love of a good woman (played by Léna Skerle) who made love
to him and promised him more support. He
refuses to commit to his estranged wife who paid for his cure.
He brushed off some of the most interesting emotionally and
intellectually alive folks that you would ever want to talk to: including
Jeanne Moreau as a painter, Alain Mottel as a poet, Bernard Noël as an
Egyptologist and former best friend, all beautiful women and intelligent men.
Yet, his eyes are always caught by the lovely ladies of Paris, just as
mine were by the lovely ladies of Montreal clothed according to Parisian
fashion magazines. It is fascinating.
His
old service pals were involved with the Secret Army Organization that tried to
take out DeGaulle. He regrets not
joining them, but says their day has passed.
In fact, he deeply feels that his day has passed as well.
No, “The Fire Within” didn’t make any money, but what a
fascinating film with an amazing interaction between the characters.
Give
Louis Malle a chance. Candace
Bergen did (from 1980 until 1995, when he died).
They are both special. Malle
also made one of the finest radio plays that I ever heard—“My Dinner with
Andre” (1981)—which unfortunately he released as a film with images.
It, too, was certainly different from anything else he had ever done,
unfortunately.
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