krishkmenon Reviews

Landfall (1949)

Nevil Shute at the Movies

[6/10 · 10 March 2019]

A straightforward adaptation of the classic Shute wartime novel (being a fan of his for more than 35 years) which gave the readers of the next generation a look and feel of wartime England with the last remnants of its class distinctions and taboos. The romance in the book is not really captured in the film as the lead actor (curiously named Rick while in the book it was Gerry - an allusion to his Germanic looks) tends to be a little too exuberant in his role whilst the book character was more of a youth whose adventurous spirit came out in wartime. Thankfully the name of the heroine was not changed as it was too exquisite -Mona, but the actress shows too much of poise which the character in the book did not exude, and also the actress never really brought out the character as penned by Shute. That is the spoiler part of my review but otherwise the script follows the book quite closely and the settings in black and white does capture the flavour of an England that people of our generation read about. I had been trying very hard to view this film and was lucky to have a copy recently. Any fan of Shute should view this film Krishna Kumar Meno, Chennai

The Blue Lamp (1950)

Unpretentious

[10/10 · 9 October 2014]

Now here's an unpretentious film with no glamour or glitz but keeps you hooked. Move over Hollywood, and give the "Bulldog" his due. The film moves at a pace that would seem a little slow focussing on trivial duties and lifestyles of the London bobby but don't go away the action and human drama starts halfway through and my word does it start moving! Dirk Bogarde is excellent and his portrayal of a petty hoodlum with a psychopathic streak which masks his fear is unforgettable. The bombed out East End of London and the Cockney accent takes one to post-War England. The coppers of yesteryear England did not wear guns and so do most present coppers in the sub-continent today but the director narrates by his tale that this is no walkover for criminals. Watch it.

Raiders in the Sky (1953)

No clichés or extended heroics here

[9/10 · 2 February 2013]

I had seen this film when I was in school where it was shown as part of educational films screened by one of my schoolmasters who had himself served in the Royal Indian Air Force in Burma.Today I own a copy on DVD. The exploits of people in Bomber Command is brought out with extreme accuracy to the screen by creating an atmosphere that is taut and realistic. Dirk Bogarde gives one of his best performances as the Wing Commander who is definitely cracking under the stress of command but does not want to accept it. The scenes where he gives Bryan Forbes a dressing down will certainly strike a chord where his sense of responsibility to the team is exposed. The accuracy of operations of RAF Bombers during night sorties right from the point of take off, to the tension of the ground staff till their return is brilliantly photographed. There are no clichés or extended heroics quite common in similar films but dark realism of survival during the war with the atmosphere of the airfields and aircrew intact. Being the son of an Air Force officer who did some war service in India the realism is striking. I would certainly recommend it to the younger viewers who need to study such situations.

The Way Ahead (1944)

What a Film

[10/10 · 13 October 2012]

What a film! It packs a punch even today and one can just imagine what a morale booster it would have been to the war effort for England. Carol Reed as always is top notch in direction and the portrayals by David Niven, Stanley Holloway and in a very small role Peter Ustinov not necessarily in that order is remarkable. Niven I am given to understand was lent out by the army to make this movie which was incidentally scripted by a very young Ustinov. The narrative is simple yet effective. It brings about the story of a collection of men from various parts of British society drafted into the infantry, undergoing training and being bombed out of a troop carrier in the Mediterranean and then being baptised by fire in North Africa after El-Alamein. Top class to say the least. The standouts are the sceptical old-timers who keep following the progress of the war from 1939 to 1942(when the film ends) in the newspapers with their cryptic criticism about the regiment of which they were a part earlier, but in the final scene are obviously impressed by the regiments performance. Reed sees to it that there is no dialogue in this scene but just a close up of the old-timers recording their admiration and approval - Excellent. The final scene where the trainee soldiers fit their bayonets and prepare to attack into the mist is another Reed masterpiece.

Non-Stop New York (1937)

A Hitchcockian type Thriller

[10/10 · 13 October 2012]

This unknown classic is a must see. It is fast paced in the Hitchcock style and well acted with a lot of droll sequences intertwined between. Anna Lee couldn't be prettier or more charming. The entire cast including the villain Francis Sullivan are great. The British attempt at American slang is slightly noticeable but otherwise the direction is top notch. I just love that luxury aeroplane and wish that it was a reality to the present air traveller to rid him of the monotony of long travel. The storyline may be a little slow paced but is offset by the acting. Certainly a movie far before its period and not necessarily a curio but most interesting to watch.

The Search (1948)

Simply Superb

[10/10 · 24 April 2012]

I saw this film in the early 1980's when as an Indian student in NY a senior friend who was a specialist on the movies made in the Hollywood Golden era introduced me to them. As a avid reader and history buff of the Second World war the film remains to date as one of my most favourite as I think that it is one of the few that really addressed the situation of the children refugees of the war. The story line is more or less accurate to a point as it is similar to whatever I have read on the period based on fact. The boy played by Ivan Jandl was as in the movie Czech and I am given to understand that he was later on persecuted by the Communist regime of Czechoslovakia for being US friendly. It is also a fact that though he was awarded a special Oscar he could not receive it. For a child of 10 his acting without mouthing any script is amazingly superb, maybe due to the fact that he had lived out such instances. Montgomery Clift - one of my personal favourites does not seem to act but live his role with ease. Aline MacMahon also does justice to her role and Jarmila as the mother is also excellent. However if it was not for the masterful direction of Fred Zinneman and the actual locations filmed in the bombed out post war Germany amidst the destruction and ruins maybe the film may not have been so good. Some of the scenes are etched in your memory eg. 1/ The wistful and longing look of the boy whilst at dinner sees another boy being fondled by his mother. 2/ When initially the children are being interrogated by the the Refugee Centre head a french boy recounts the horror of his being orphaned in Matheusen camp and another girl recalls collecting her mothers blouse after she perished in the gas chamber. These scenes can never be blotted out from memory. Don't miss a chance to view this classic.

The Sea Hawk (1940)

The Great Swashbuckler

[10/10 · 28 January 2012]

Everything is right in this film loosely based on the exploits of Sir Francis Drake and very little on the Rafael Sabatini novel. Errol Flynn, Claude Rains, Michael Curtiz, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, The WB Banner and piracy on the High Seas – What more could one ask for? Obviously the answer would be "The Sea Hawk". The only shortcoming to my knowledge was no Olivia de Havilland who for some reason was overlooked by Jack L Warner when he made the film. Flynn is at his dashing best as the fictionalised Geoffery Thorpe matching wits with the likes of King Philip of Spain and his treacherous agents . He matches swordplay, tongue in cheek and romance with ease making this his best ever. Claude Rains and Henry Daniel are unpleasantly debonair in their roles of Spanish spies. Brenda Marshall is adequate but just does not match up as one is always wishing Olivia alongside Errol as his lady love. Flora Robson re-creates her role as Elizabeth I and adds a great aura of grace and majesty in her depiction. One cannot but help feeling that her rendition is of such conviction that it makes one believe that Elizabeth could not but have spoken and behaved the way in which she is played. Michael Cutriz once again scores with his excellent action sequences but overall it is Korngold who enthralls the viewer with his sweeping score which is unforgettable. One cannot but recollect the similarities of this film to "Fire Over England" but the Hollywoodization of medieval England is more pronounced here. Some unforgettable scenes: The beginning of the film – the shadow of a dictator (Philip of Spain) covering the map of Europe wanting to covet England and her colonies bears a striking resemblance to Hitler and his dream all the more significant as the film was released in early 1940 when the Phoney war had just begun and Dunkirk was in the near distance. The swordplay between Flynn and the Spanish captain where he points out that the English are a practical people who do not sink with their ships – a veiled message to the Nazis that Britain would fight on even if all Europe was to fall? The speech by the Queen towards the end of the film where she warns her subjects of being prepared for the Armada that was poised to strike ( Hitler's Luftwaffe and The Battle of Britain) and a distant appeal to America to join the fight against Fascism. Last but not least the scene where the freed slaves of the Spanish Galley look wistfully at the distant Cliffs of Dover and ex- slave Tuttle mouths just one word "England" which to me was the émigré Curtiz announcing to all of downtrodden Europe that their safe haven in the wake of the impending onslaught was indeed Britain. One can go on and on about Sea Hawk but a review needs to be concise. The greatest of a swashbuckler that does not age a bit and can be viewed over and over again.

Carve Her Name with Pride (1958)

The Valiant Lady

[10/10 · 27 January 2012]

The story of Mrs Violette Szabo as portrayed by Virginia McKenna is poignantly brought to the screen. The exploits of an ordinary woman who proved to be - "The most fearless of all women SOE operatives" - as described by none other than another famous SOE operative Mrs Odette Churchill who survived the war undergoing almost similar experiences is a must. The film in almost three compartments re-traces the life of Violette from the time she meets her husband on Bastille Day in 1940 and their whirlwind romance, flashes to 1942 when her child is celebrating her 2nd birthday when she receives news of her husbands death at El-Alamein. It then fast forwards six months when she is recruited by the SOE as she had perfect qualifications for the post which included being a crack shot with the rifle (which however is contradicted by SOE records which state that she spoke French with an English accent...). The next part of the film features her training where she excels but sprains her ankle and has to sit out the first assignment by her team. During her convalescence she has to confront her father who feels she is not doing enough for the war effort,brush aside her guilt in abandoning her daughter etc.( Virginia McKenna handles these emotive scenes with remarkable talent) Her first assignment passes off quite well but the undertones of the danger of such attempts by agents are underplayed by the director. Her second assignment just after D-Day puts her a prisoner with the Gestapo after she has valiantly stood upto to a single-handed encounter with a German patrol - the torture she suffers and her ultimate death facing a firing squad at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp is leaves the viewer with no doubts on the methods used by her captors without depicting violence per se. The third part of the film is largely based on reports given by the French Resistance & Nazi records & reports by fellow prisoners of Ravensbruck all poignantly brought to the screen. The finale where we see her 5 year old daughter being received by King George to honour her mother posthumously with the George Cross brings a lump to the throat. Incidentally the episode of her shopping in Paris for her daughter while on assignment is corroborated by others hence not fictionalised for the film. In all a wonderful film that makes one wonder-struck with the exemplary courage of ordinary people who became legends in their time.

Ice Cold in Alex (1958)

Grippingly Ice-cold

[10/10 · 17 November 2011]

This is nothing short of an excellent rendition of the travails and exploits of those gallant men who served with the 8th Army in North Africa. I feel the exploits of the infantry and Army Service Corps who withstood the fury of Rommel's Afrika Korps at Tobruk has largely been neglected by Hollywood but for a few films like 5Graves to Cairo and Sahara and was left to the British film makers to recount. The storyline is purported to be a true one but probably intertwined from accounts of multiple servicemen. It is disturbingly to life with a brilliant performance by John Mills who portrays the shell-shocked, battle-weary, disturbed ASC driver ably assisted by Anthony Quayle the German spy. Sylvia Syms is very attractive and also renders one of her best early performances. The storyline takes us thru an Ambulance unit making it from under-siege Tobruk through the great desert depression to Alexandria in 1942. The group is joined by a German spy who commands the respect of his co-travellers by his exploits. We are given to really experience the brutal shocks of war torn servicemen under fire without the Errol Flynn effect like never before. I saw this movie only recently and to my knowledge I think it is one of the best of the period and genre. Krishna Kumar Menon Chennai (Madras)

Penny Serenade (1941)

The Ultimate Tearjerker

[10/10 · 28 June 2011]

I would rate this as the best film that Cary Grant acted in and though he and Irene Dunne were known mostly for their bedroom farces this film showed them differently. Both artistes are at their best amply supported by Beulah Bondi and Edgar Buchanan. The storyline is way ahead of its period as the issue of adoption is more relevant amongst childless couples today. Irene Dunne without any dialogue emotes superbly and the scene where she gazes at the picture of a chubby baby needs no voice as her face says it all. Cary Grant shows his histrionic talents as the carefree husband who is not very interested in a baby but is prepared to adopt to please his wife. He later transforms into the doting father after the arrival of Baby Tina insomuch that the daughter becomes his most prized possession. I can empathise with this character as before my son was born I had the same disposition which changed after his arrival.The scene where Cary pleads his case with the Judge for possession of Tina can bring a lump to any cynical throat. Edgar Buchanan offers superb support as the all endearing bosom pal who suffers the trails and travails of the couple. The scene where he shows the foster parents in detail on how to wash the baby is a classic which I don't think has been repeated in any film since. Beulah Bondi gives a convincing performance as the Social Worker and the scene where she reads the letter sent by Irene Dunne informing her of the rift between her husband is particularly a stands out. The recounting of the story in flashbacks accompanied by gramaphone records is also unique and never dreary. A must see and my vote for inclusion in the list of the top 100 movies of the century.

Gunga Din (1939)

Great Actioner

[10/10 · 8 May 2011]

This film is a great entertainer for all times. The cast could'nt be better and the direction great. The action sequences are wonderful. Though the storyline is borrowed from Kipling it does not necessarily stick to it but adds its one theme for better viewing - one cant complain. Set aside the Hollywoodisation of British India and factual errors and the seemingly implied prejudices of the British Raj and concentrate to enjoy the movie for what it is and no more. It is rumoured that the film was shut down in parts of India upon release but is today in demand in the sub-continent. There are factual errors in the depiction of Thugee and also certain other facts of India which given the time of the film being made are pardonable.Actually Thugee and the Kali cult were followed in Upper Bengal area and not the Northwest Frontier. Cary Grant, Victor Mclaglen and Douglas Fairbanks are tailor made for their roles and I have read someplace that they used to address each other as Cuter Ballantyne and McCghesney when they spoke to each other.

A Great Actioner indeed.

They Drive by Night (1938)

A British Gem

[10/10 · 28 April 2011]

I saw this movie for the first time a few days ago and I was glued to my seat for the entire period by its pace and photography which though low-key is extremely moody and effective. The pace is electric but due to low budgeting as all British movies of the period dampens the viewing a little. What the film lacks in production value it makes up amply in its narrative

Emlyn Williams captures all the emotions of a Wrong Man syndrome a la Hitchcock.

The psychopathic Professor chills with his menacing looks. The only flaw is that the film starts with something to talk about the lorry drivers (which is incidentally the title) but strays away.

Quite surely WB had this pictorial gem cleared from their lists to provide better promotional value to their film of the same name made in the US with George Raft.

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)

Thundering Action

[10/10 · 26 April 2011]

This Errol Flynn classic has some of the best war action on horseback ever filmed.

The storyline is convoluted history and the scriptwriters conveniently mixed up dates but who cares just sit back watch and enjoy. The plot revolves around Major Vickers (Errol Flynn) and his adventures first in the British Raj serving at the North West Frontier defending it from the Afghans and Pathans. The area according to my father who served in the same area with the RAF from 1944 to 1947 does not justify the actual ruggedness, fearsome mountains and ravines of the Hindu Kush. I couldn't care less because to me the movie is a true classic and such details are irrelevant.

Major Vickers, his fiancé and his deputy are first in Calcutta and then in the frontier where later their regiment is massacred by the Pakthoons and Afghans. This is etched in the memory of the regiment who swear revenge. They are provided the opportunity when the regiment is placed at the Balaclava Heights in the Crimean War. Major Vickers uses his position to forge an order and attack the Russian battalion which included the Afghan Sultan responsible for his regiments massacre. The resulting courageous but senseless charge is Lord Tennysons poem in action.

In the background is the story of love, betrayal and sacrifice which adds to the romantic theme. Errol Flynn is rather subdued in his performance but shines in scenes where he loses his lady love. Olivia de Havilland is as ever beautiful. Patrick Knowles is not very effective or convincing. David Niven and Nigel Bruce are at their best. The background score of Max Steiner is terrific and was his first for WB. The action sequences are staged effectively and have been copied by later films. Not accurate history but great fun.

Captain Blood (1935)

Enter Errol Flynn

[10/10 · 26 April 2011]

Errol Flynn in his first swashbuckler for Warner Brothers is a rare treat indeed. This timeless classic can be viewed again and again without a sense of monotony.

Everything is right in this 1935 film classic. What more can you ask for?

The dashing Flynn with his swordplay and action.

The ravishing Olivia in romance.

The devilishly suave villainy of Basil Rathbone.

Michael Curtiz at his height of spectacular action.

Sumptuous production by WB

And last but not in any way least --- Aaah that Korngold score. Put all the above together and you have a once in a lifetime combination which set off a series of such movies with the same team.

In the beginning it is rumored that Errol lacked self-confidence and had to re-shoot many scenes. He could not have been better cast for his first blockbuster than as Dr.Peter Blood a man wrongfully enslaved by a tyrant king later turning to piracy and then as the Governor of a Crown Colony. Perhaps Flynn was living a part of his own life as he had earlier in his native Tasmania been an accomplished sailor and a rebel and had sailed the Pacific solo in a light sail boat before reaching Hollywood.

Olivia de Havilland stands up well in her portrayal as Arabella spiting her uncle to free his slaves.

The battle scenes are terrific as one would expect from director Curtiz but with a difference - this was his first. He set himself high standards after Capt Blood and make no mistake his later films were also great actioners.

Basil Rathbone that great actor is a trifle under-shadowed by a slight case of miscasting but delivers as the French pirate Levasseur. The climatic duel with Flynn is superb but one has to understand that Rathbone was the accomplished fencer to Flynn being above an amateur. He was to later repeat his defeats to Flynns swordplay in later films.

Captain Blood also brought us the music of the great Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Korngold captures the flavors of the seafaring pirates with the majesty of the ocean waves but my personal favorite has to be "the Ship in the night' the background score when Arabellas ship is passing Bloods pirate vessel in the high seas.

One can go on and on about Captain Blood but to sum up it can be said that this movie has given such joy and excitement to over four generations and will continue for the next few.

The Last Chance (1945)

A Class of its Own

[10/10 · 25 April 2011]

This is a little gem of a war film. The real value and sense of the film is its date of making and the place where it was filmed. To answer the first would be 1944 /45 just before the fall of Berlin and the place neutral Switzerland and last but not least the film maker a refugee from Nazi Germany.

The overtones of the movie are compelling and profound but needs to be viewed in aspect to its time of making and the situation prevailing.

The plot revolves around two POWs (one British and one American) who escape from a POW train just after Mussolini has been ousted from power in 1943 Italy and try to make it to the Swiss border first by boat(assisted by a lovely Italian girl) and after being assured that they can rejoin their ranks since an Armistice has been declared.

They are later forced to take recourse of action to once again escape as Mussolini is rescued by the Germans and Italy is once again at war with the Allies. They are then assisted by a local priest to join up with a batch of refugees (probably Jewish but we are never told of their religion, the only clue offered to the viewer is that some are not present in church, are of different nationalities, and one refugee is writing about the plight of minorities in Europe - possibly about Hitlers final solution) all of whom seek the refuge of neutral Switzerland and then possibly America.

The two POWs are joined by a British Major who has been cut off from his regiment and wants to rejoin his ranks but circumstances force him to accompany the refugees.

We are also shown some vignettes of the war atrocities by the Nazis as viewed by the two POWs when they escape in a goods train and of people being separated and sent to concentration camps. All these atrocities are depicted subtly but leave no doubt to the viewer in the message that it conveys.

How the small group struggle to reach Switzerland braving the weather the Nazis and other odds form the rest of the movie. Interestingly the British POW is shown as the strongest member of the crowd as he after being wounded insists on the Swiss army permitting the refugees to stay if he is to accept medical attention being covered by the Geneva Convention. He succeeds in getting the refugees asylum but loses his life due to his injuries in the process.

The film is very evident in its portrayal of the futility of war and its strong anti-war ethos is subtly enveloped in the greater message about war torn Europe. The acting by non-decrepit actors is adequate and at times outstanding. The direction is good but the camera is outstanding.

A must see for all film buffs of the genre.

The Green Promise (1949)

Simply Charming

[9/10 · 4 April 2011]

Though this may not be one of the best movies of its time it certainly warms your heart. The plot is that of a widower with four children who seek to set up a farm using their last resources and the tribulations that follow. Walter Brennen plays to the hilt the autocratic father who professes to be democratic in all his decisions but has his own way by being overtly manipulative. Margurite Chapman plays the eldest daughter who surrogates for her mother to the siblings. She is torn emotionally behind a traditional approach emotionally and professionally as demanded by her father against the more scientific farming methods and modern values as professed by her knight in armour the Agriculturist Officer. The other two kids just play to stereotype as the nasty sister and the adolescent brother who is terrified by his father. It is Susan, beautifully played by a nine year old Natalie Wood who is the real star of this film. Her presence forces you to forget the weaker points of the film as you emote silently with her both in her pains and her happiness. The scenes where she bursts to tears as she is unable to agree to join a club as her father has forbiden it and the classic scene where she argues her case for a loan to a crusty banker (who incidentally has to cover up a smile) is great. The storyline may be weak but the acting is good and the picturisation of the storm sequences which include the heroic rescue of two lambs by Susan (allegedly which gave Natalie Wood a lifetime fear of drowning)is excellent. A great film to view with your family as it warms you up with thoughts of a long by-gone era.

The Dawn Patrol (1938)

Buddies at War

[10/10 · 22 March 2011]

The Dawn Patrol stands out as my personal favourite of all WW1 films and also the best in Air warfare films. The plot is at once appealing and filled with wartime adventure. Two classmates from England enlist in the RFC and grow up in a short span (unusually a long period during the early years of the Great War) to become flying aces. Their daredevil aerobatics are admired and envied secretly by their stern commander Basil Rathbone who the duo nick-name as Killer brand as his duties are generally limited to send raw pilots against the war seasoned German Air Force. the plot is not far from depicting actual events of that period as one may read about the actions of pilots in the real RFC or Lafayette Escadrille and also the Red Baron. The stress of command thrust upon one of the friends strains and later destroys the friendship. It later is bonded in the untimely death of the Flight Commander who tricks his pal to undertake a suicide mission. Errol Flynn as the hero plays the part of the happy-go-lucky and later highly stressed commander with perfection. David Niven is adequate as the pal but it is Basil Rathbone who walks away with top honours as the original Flight Commander who envies the daredevil pilots while hating himself for sending raw pilots to their death. The scene where he hands over command to Flynn is excellent. Another actor worth mentioning here would be Donal Crisp who has the last word about the futility of war and the loss of valuable lives - certainly a line that does not age as it is relevant even today. This film is one of the rare ones that is entirely male and only hints at females but does not show them on screen. Edmund Gouldings direction is far superior to that of the earlier version but then he is helped by Errols strong charisma. On my list of the 100 movies one should see in his/her lifetime

Out of the Past (1947)

Neat Little Noir

[10/10 · 21 March 2011]

This little gem is a must see for all noir fans. The plot is simple, and told mostly in flashback. The hero(or should we say anti-hero) is introduced as a mechanic in a small town with a shady past but trying to forget that and live a normal life courting the towns most like-able girl portrayed with usual nonchalance by Robert Mitchum. The opening scene is itself a gem - We see a highway somewhere near the California mountains and a shady looking man trudging over the local garage but instantly the viewer realises that it is a planned visit by the sequence of events. The narrative is in electric speed and we are told the story of Mitchum in his not so far past as a Private Eye who double-crosses his gangster boss and gets away with the bosses gorgeous girl (the femme fatale of the flick). The gangster and his moll are excellently portrayed by Kirk Douglas and Jane Greer. The past has come back to torment the private eye and he is pulled into another vortex of betrayal, murder and his self extinction unable to be redeemed by his new found love, the plain American girl next door. Any more of the movie would only spoil the viewers delight.