Fleming had a minor cult reputation for a while there as a director without a major cult reputation despite a resume that included making Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind during the one year. That looks likely to end with the publication of this well-written by overlong tome from film critic Sragow.
Fleming deserved a bio but I don’t know if he warranted as many pages as he gets here, particularly as Sragow goes on some long tangents (eg background to the actor Lee Bowman who became an unpopular in-law to Fleming… so?). It doesn’t help that at times Fleming becomes a bit boring as the focus of a biography – he’s the sort of character who is more interesting as a support actor: tough, no-nonsense, smart, adored by women, two fisted, etc.
There were some flaws – country club anti-Semitism, casual sadism, infidelity, what was probably a drinking problem, vicious anti-Communism… attitudes he had in common with many self-made WASPs of his time. Fleming’s career also ended interestingly – a mid-life crisis (which turned out to be a near-end-of-life crisis) which saw him come under thrall of Ingrid Bergman, make one of his few flops in Joan of Arc, and die of a heart attack.
Sragow doesn’t hide Fleming’s flaws, but I think he does over-defend them. Sometimes this leads him to make silly claims – like calling some anti-Commie comments he made the equivalent of John Ford’s defence of Joe Mankiewicz during at the ADG during the McCarthy era.
And he quotes too many people saying "Fleming was great"; at times the book reads like “How cool was my friend Fleming – he was so popular and had sex with all these hot women, he was so cool.”
It’s well researched, very well researched, and Sragow has great skill as a writer. It’s just too long and a bit too worshipful.
No comments:
Post a Comment