Not one of Errol Flynn's best known war films, but it's really excellent - it's not an Errol Flynn vehicle, really, but rather an ensemble piece; in fact, although Errol gives a fine, restrained performance, when I first saw the film I thought his casting threw the whole piece a bit off, but watching it again I got used to it.It's definitely Errol's most communist (ish) film, with a top-notch script by later blacklistee Robert Rossen and images that seem straight out of the Soviet Union: the masses marching together with their rifles a la Eisenstein, the oppressive Nazis, the quisling who works at the factory (one Nazi says one of them "is for us", another says "The owner?", the Nazi replies "Of course"), the prominence given to women (several are leaders and take part in the fighting), the fanatical glint in the resistance's eye.
Most of all there is the film's theme, best espoused with some dialogue at the end: "I can't walk by myself". "You don't have to". While Errol is the leader, he's more first among equals - there's none of the solo dictatorial orders of Robin Hood or Captain Blood (even if they were rebels there was no doubt Errol was boss), the Norwegian fighters here work on the basis of teamwork. Whenever someone does an action by themselves here, its shown to be totally ineffective (a school teacher telling off a Nazi, a Nazi mistress telling off a Nazi) or dangerous to the whole group (a man attacks his daughter's rapist). There is a great scene where Errol has to force himself not to avenge his girlfriend's rape so as not to endanger the whole resistance.
Edge of Darkness is full of wonderful scenes : the Beau Geste-like opening sequence, the resistance meeting in the church (with everyone facing forward as they have their discussion), the school teacher's futile protest, Ann Sheridan's post-rape scene (where we forget about dad Walter Huston - this is good writing), the scene in the town suqare where the priest and women start blowing people away (director Lewis Milestone effectively using zooms here - Milestone does overuse his patented "tracking shot of charging troops" method from All Quiet on the Western Front a bit too often).
It is also a film full of strong characterisations: Judith Anderson's Nazi hater who nonetheless becomes affectionate towards a nice Nazi, Huston's decent doctor and his everything is-all-right dotty wife (Ruth Gordon), their quisling son and tough as guts daughter, the old school teacher, the pacifist priest, the mistress (Nancy Olson) to the head Nazi. Helmut Dantine's bad guy is a bit too scenery chewing and the film does go over the top on occasion in handling, but it holds up extremely well.
Two bits I noticed for fun: when Ruth Gordon goes on the boat at the end leaving Walter Huston, note how Huston's pretty maid is in the background shot - she's staying with her old employer, so presumably will offer some consolation for him! Also liked the bit where Errol tells Ann Sheridan that all the women with children are going to England but everyone else is headed for the hills to become a guerilla - Sheridan has this brief look as if to say "hang on, no one told me that".
No comments:
Post a Comment