Without the distraction of hues, a viewer can concentrate on nuances, facial expressions, and language spoken or implied. The medium becomes so much more intense whether the subject is frothy or leaden. For those frames which capture life many decades ago, it is fascinating to focus on clothing styles, speech patterns, and furniture that is so perfect it almost becomes an additional character.
Thespians, male or female, are rarely as unblemished in real life as the characters they portray. Thankfully, it is also true that the totally debauched characters almost never reflect the people who speak their lines.
Film noir is a genre which was very popular in the mid twentieth century. Glamorous gals with long wavy hair interacted with suave (or sinister) men dressed immaculately in three piece suits and wearing hats. Camera shots linger in alleyways as meetings take place and the hero seeks justice for somebody. Even the truly bad guys seem to have a certain suaveness about them.
An exemplary example of this film type is the 3.5 star "Call Northside 777." Released in 1948, it reflects a post-war positivity even as the story unfolds with its impossible quest. Utilizing the consummate acting prowess of Jimmy Stewart, fresh from his heroism during World War II, the viewer somehow knows that the ending will be satisfactory. Suspending belief is part of the charm of the movies, then and now.
Looking incredibly dashing, Mr. Stewart never appears on screen in anything less than the aforementioned three piece suit. His hat is always near by. His hair is sleek, in place and his face is freshly shaven. On second thought, there are a couple of scenes where the suit is forsaken. Stewart's character, a Chicago newspaperman following a story, can't sleep one night. The camera captures his wife, awake in her twin bed (required by the Hayes Commission) and watching her husband tossing fitfully. He is awakened and naturally he's wearing a proper pair of pajamas. Even the top button is closed on his shirt. The same concept, just the nighttime version. The character projects a cleanliness in his demeanor.
Jim McNeal, the newspaperman, is a person of integrity who also understands that sensational stories sell papers. He struggles with his conscience as he delves into the story behind the murder conviction eleven years earlier of a man whose mother vehemently claims her son is innocent. With Lee J. Cobb as Jim's boss and the underrated Richard Conte as the imprisoned man, the acting is superb. A well-written script and excellent direction wrap the story as Stewart's masterfully understated character searches for the truth and delayed justice. It is his courage that prevails as hopelessness creeps across the screen.
While I watched this movie last night, I reflected upon the films of today. Nobody would make this one again or else it would be so altered as to be unrecognizable. Suits would be banished, language coarsened, bare skin exposed, violence introduced. Garish colors would wash away the purity of the story. The lead actor would be edgy, maybe corruptible. He'd work for an on-line publication and have a bit of history himself. The wife, or more likely a girlfriend, might discourage him from exploring a seemingly hopeless cause. The boss would forcefully talk about readership and suggest/insist that all facts need not be checked, innuendo will do. The prisoner's mother would be far from saintly herself.
Am I a cynic? Yes I am. I enjoy movies that transport me. It may be the story, the acting, the scenery, how good I feel when the film concludes. I care not for unnecessary violence, crude language, nasty pranks, or meanness of any kind. I'd like to feel that the people in the film have talent, whether richly developed or gifted with potential. It might even be nice to know that some actors are as good as their characters in real life, but I really don't expect that very often.
Some years ago I had the extraordinary opportunity to meet Jimmy Stewart. The date was nearly 50 years since he starred in "Call Northside 777." I wish I had already seen that movie and I could have told him how much I enjoyed it. Remembering our brief encounter as we sat across from each other on two sofas, I realize that I was much too awed to converse coherently. He was totally gracious. Always a hero. On screen and off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlFBva0x_OY
No comments:
Post a Comment