True grit, nostalgia and old friends

Press, 26 October 1984, Page 15

True grit, nostalgia and old friends

By

BOB HALLIDAY

“THE GRAPES OF WRATH” (1940) B AND W CBS/FOX “The Grapes of Wrath” is a screen adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel about an impoverished family’s struggle to move from the dustbowl of Oklahoma during the. 1930 s to the “promised land” of California, where, according to the advertisements, work aplenty and the good life await them. They arq to be sadly disappointed. Long (2% hours), and at times slow-moving, this is one of the earliest Hollywood films to reflect a genuine social conscience.

This movie is about hard times, true grit, and the strength of the family. It is directed by John Ford, and the actors include Henry Fonda as young Tom Joad and John Carradine as the wayward preacher,. Casey. Dialogue, lighting, camerawork and editing all reflect the skills of the great movie-making masters. It is family entertainment of a more serious kind.

“THE THIRD MAN” (1949) B AND W THORN/EMI Written by Graham Greene and directed by the veteran film-maker, Carol Read, “The Third Man” is a stylish, witty thriller set in post-war occupied Vienna. Holly Martins, an American author of B-grade westerns and short of cash, arrives in, Vienna to work for his old buddy, Harry Lime. But Harry has been killed in an “accident” leaving his girlfriend, Anna, to the ’ mercy of the Russian authorities. Major Calloway of the British military police is frustrated in his investigations of Harry’s ■HBBffIBHUffiKnnnBHSHI

shady dealings. As Holly tries to piece together the circumstances of his friend’s death he finds that two and two most often make five. And who is the mysterious “third man”? Director Read makes the scarred and seedy city an integral part of the action, with excellent use of unusual camera angles and natural lighting techniques. The soundtrack is of note both for clever editing of effects and background music by Anton Karas played only on a zither. This music became famous as “the Harry Lime theme.” Read’s accomplished direction of the actors is evident in laconic performances by Joseph Cotten as Holly and Trevor Howard as Major Calloway. Orson Welles does his own thing as the worldly Harry, writing in some lines which were to become famous:

“In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the. Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love, and in 500 years of democracy and peace what did they produce — cuckoo clocks! So long Holly.” The film ends in a dramatic chase sequence through the sewers under the city

demonstrating that you don’t need the hi-tech razzle-dazzle of “Star Wars” to produce a very successful cinematic thriller. Highly recommended — especially for older viewers in need of a little nostalgia. “THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK” (1980) CBS/FOX This sequel to “Star Wars” needs little introduction. All our old friends are still with us: Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leah (“could use a good kiss”), Chewbacca the Wookie, Darth Vader, C3PO (“I am fluent in six million forms of communication”), R2-D2, and the Millenium Falcon ("the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy”). As a bonus, we are introduced to Yoda, small in stature but big in wisdom, the Jedi master who teaches Luke to use the Force to advantage. In this movie our heroes take quite a beating: Luke loses a hand and learns some unpalatable facts about his origins, C3PO comes apart at the seams, and Han Solo ends up as an ice-cube. The downbeat ending leaves us eagerly awaiting the release on video of part three: “The Return of the Jedi”. Compelling viewing for kids of all ages. May the Force be with you! (Tapes supplied by K.G.B. Video Library.)