All The King's Men Noir
I'm glad to see that the Sean Penn version of this movie has sparked an interest in the academy award winning original.
In 1947, the movie version of a Pulizter-Prizewinning book of the same name won Best Picture. If you like film noir, you'll see why it won after viewing this old classic (easily available in two DVD versions).
There are the unmistakable marks of its time in this film. Of course, it was made just after the end of WW II, and drawing analogies to dictatorships and American socialism are right from the times themselves.
Broderick Crawford is really good as Willie, although some members of the supporting cast, especially John Ireland, are not up to the roles they play. I also don't know whether the direction was as good as it could be; there are some situations where the combination of writer/director is absolutely inspired, but I would not say that here.
The ultimate destruction of the old order is, to me, the most fascinating element of this film. Film Noir was all about that: a breakdown in an old social order, with nothing but a void seeming to replace it. That is much in evidence here exemplified, as it was in the book, by "Burden's Landing" and its complex blend of great principles lost, but old prejudices and injustices going away, too.
It's a fascinating movie, and still quite watchable today. I agree with some who say there that it is better than the remake, as good as the remake was...Sean Penn really surprised me.
In 1947, the movie version of a Pulizter-Prizewinning book of the same name won Best Picture. If you like film noir, you'll see why it won after viewing this old classic (easily available in two DVD versions).
There are the unmistakable marks of its time in this film. Of course, it was made just after the end of WW II, and drawing analogies to dictatorships and American socialism are right from the times themselves.
Broderick Crawford is really good as Willie, although some members of the supporting cast, especially John Ireland, are not up to the roles they play. I also don't know whether the direction was as good as it could be; there are some situations where the combination of writer/director is absolutely inspired, but I would not say that here.
The ultimate destruction of the old order is, to me, the most fascinating element of this film. Film Noir was all about that: a breakdown in an old social order, with nothing but a void seeming to replace it. That is much in evidence here exemplified, as it was in the book, by "Burden's Landing" and its complex blend of great principles lost, but old prejudices and injustices going away, too.
It's a fascinating movie, and still quite watchable today. I agree with some who say there that it is better than the remake, as good as the remake was...Sean Penn really surprised me.
posted by John Bernat @ 12:15 PM
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