Al's Omniflick: The Pantheon of the Underrated, the Underpraised and the Impressively Intelligent

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

The Pantheon of the Underrated, the Underpraised and the Impressively Intelligent

I've devoted two Pantheons to the Overrated, the Overpraised and Oppressively Empty-Headed so I thought I'd compile its antithesis; a short list of movies and talent from the film world who I think are Underrated, Underpraised and Impressively Intelligent. After-all, it's only fair that one heap honors upon the deserving once-in-awhile rather than just target things for sniping--as fun as that can be.

I didn't brainstorm the list but casually scribbled some things that came to mind. The process was brief but spontaneous. I kept the list short and sweet but acknowledge the infinite number of personalities who might have appeared here. There is always space for those worthies on a future list.
For now, I hope you enjoy what I came up with on short notice. As always, feel free to include your own choices in the comment section below.

The Innocents--Director: Jack Clayton--The Underrated
A terrific adaptation of the Henry James novel The Turn of the Screw, Jack Clayton's film is gloomy, moody and spooky as all get up. Deborah Kerr plays a governess on an estate that may or may not be haunted by two spirits who may or may not be manipulating the children in her care. Filmed in black and white, cinematographer Freddie Francis' eerie, shadowy visuals are both beautiful and frightening. The film is seldom included in best horror film lists but it deserves a place there, nevertheless.

Charles Bronson--The Underrated and Underpraised
Everyone knows Charles Bronson but all too often he is spoken of dismissively as the guy who played the vigilante in Death Wish. But what is often overlooked is his work in the 1960s, including The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Dirty Dozen and Once Upon a Time in the West. He even turned up in an old episode of the Twilight Zone I watched recently (The Man, 3rd season). Bronson brought charisma and machismo to his action roles and could hold his own on screen against the likes of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen and Lee Marvin. He deserved better than the weak material he was saddled with later in his career but his best work is beyond reproach.

To Live and Die in L.A.--Director: William Friedkin--The Impressively Intelligent, The Underrated and The Underpraised
One of the most overlooked films of the 1980s, Friedkin's film is an exciting thriller about a couple of government agents who will stop at nothing to bring down a counterfeiter. William Petersen and John Pankow are brilliant as said agents who find themselves in a gray, moral area when they break the law to pursue Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe), their brutal and complicated prey. Friedkin's smart, convoluted story never slips and never lets up.

David Oyelowo--The Underrated
Though he is 40 years of age, actor Daniel Oyelowo seems like he just arrived. His exceptional work in Selma, as Martin Luther King and A Most Violent Year as a tenacious district attorney intent on bringing a sketchy businessman to justice is a clear indication we'll see more great performances in the future. The fact that Oyelowo is British makes his affecting performance as MLK all the more magnificent. Hopefully the film industry will reward him with more interesting work.

Straight Time--Director: Ulu Grosbard--The Underrated and Underpraised
Grosbard's gritty crime film tells the story of an inmate, Max Denbo (Dustin Hoffman, in one of his best roles) who tries to live straight after his release from prison, only to find an unconscionable parole officer, Earl Frank (an excellent M. Emmet Walsh) and a trying civilian life nearly insurmountable obstacles. Dustin Hoffman is superb, as is Harry Dean Stanton, who plays Denbo's ex-con friend. The tension between Denbo and Frank is particularly fascinating. The story is unsentimental and bleak but unforgettable.

Dianne Wiest--The Underrated and Underpraised
It's a crime we don't see more of Dianne Wiest in films because given excellent material, she is excellent onscreen. Though she has won two Oscars and been nominated for countless other awards, she is rarely seen in movies these days, which is travesty. Her versatility as both a dramatic and comedic actor is evident in Hannah and Her Sisters and Bullets Over Broadway, both Oscar-winning roles. Her performance as Helen Sinclair in Bullets is one of the funniest in American cinema. Though Wiest has distinguished herself in a variety of roles, it is safe to say her some of her best work has been in Woody Allen's films.

Emmanuel Lubezki--The Underrated
Mexican cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki has been recognized for his extraordinary work and will no doubt garner more attention in the future, but he may never become famous (cinematographers never do), which is a pity. Consider his impressive resume from the last five years: The Tree of Life, Gravity, Birdman, The Revenant and The Knight of Cups; five films known for their extraordinary visuals, and one begins to understand his boundless talents. Unfortunately cinematographers never occupy the spotlight for long unless they're standing behind a dais at the Oscars but the aforementioned films would be the poorer without his considerable contributions.

Thank you for taking a moment of your day to read or at least look over my list. I hope you enjoyed it. See you here soon.

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On DVD

Fury (1936)

Director: Fritz Lang

Though we might normally think of the films M and Metropolis when director Fritz Lang becomes the topic of conversation, less known is the legendary director's work in Hollywood. Having fled the ever-growing menace of Nazi Germany for America in the early 1930s', Lang eventually found himself under contract for MGM.

Though his work in Hollywood is very uneven, one standout is Fury, from 1936. Starring Spencer Tracy and Sylvia Sydney, the film's condemnation of mob justice seems spectacularly daring now, considering lynching was still a reality in Depression-era America. We don't see one black person in the film entire but we know precisely for whom Lang film is sympathetic.

Spencer Tracy plays Joe Wilson, who is arrested in a small town while en route to meet his fiance, Katherine (Sylvia Sydney). Suspected of being part of a kidnapping of a little girl, Wilson is arrested on the flimsiest evidence. While he sits in cell; angry and indignant, Katherine is puzzled as to why her fiance hasn't arrived at their prearranged meeting place.

But Wilson's fortunes take a darker and more dangerous turn when a mob--already on edge--is roused to anger. Egging one another on, the mob moves on the jailhouse where Wilson is being held. As the angry gathering becomes a mass, drawing citizens of the town into their swelling numbers, a lynch-mob begins to form. The sheriff, determined to see due process take its course, refuses their forceful demands. Becoming angrier and angrier and bolder and bolder, the crowd storms the jail, overwhelming the sheriff and his deputies. Unable to unlock the cell doors to reach Wilson, the mob sets the jailhouse ablaze as an alternate method of lynching.

Katherine, having arrived on the scene, faints when she sees flames engulf the cell where her fiance is held.

In spite of the mob acting as a faceless entity, its principle members are brought to trial though the town and the defendants maintain a conspiracy of silence, hoping to escape convictions and censure.

A sure acquittal seems imminent until damning evidence assures their guilt. When the majority of the members receive death sentences, Wilson turns up at his brothers, having survived the fire. Knowing the public is unaware of his survival, he vows to stay in hiding to ensure the mob conspirators are executed.

The scene where Katherine, nearly insane from grief, comes face to face with Joe is a powerful moment in the film. As she slowly recovers from her state, she realizes Joe's vindictive determination to see the mob hang is in itself a great injustice.

The story climaxes during a stirring courtroom scene that brings the fascinating story to a close.

I would have never expected Hollywood to make a statement as powerful as Fury made in 1936. Given the fact that lynchings in America at the time went unpunished, the movie railed bravely, in spite of the main character being white rather than black, against what was then the status quo. The Oxbow Incident would make a similar and commensurately powerful statement seven years later.

The film's willingness to peer into the darker side of American life could be partly attributed to Lang, who co-wrote the story and who was no stranger to exploring the darker side of humanity. Having seen evil flower in his home country, it makes sense Lang would choose to tell this story.

Spencer Tracy and Sylvia Sydney give wonderful, emotionally layered performances. Katherine's near descent into madness is depicted touchingly by Sydney. To see Tracy's mild-mannered Wilson become angry and vengeful is heartbreaking.

Even watching Lang's film on a small screen does little to diminish its power. Weeks after the viewing, I still can't shake its indelible images or its angry indictment of one of America's great crimes. One couldn't devise a better title than one it was given eighty years ago. Fury indeed.