Best Picture of 1961

This year of review has certainly taken its time to complete, but despite that, the verdict was a relatively quick decision to make. Most likely, that's due to one of the films lining up almost perfectly with my taste in genre. Still, here's my explanation.

The nominees for Best Picture of 1961 are:

• Fanny
• The Guns of Navarone
• The Hustler
• Judgment at Nuremberg
• West Side Story

Selecting my least favourite of the 1961 Best Picture contenders was even easier than choosing my winner. Fanny is artificial and, though it has its charms, it is clearly overshadowed by its four competitors.

Each of the remaining films would be a worthy victor. The iconic musical West Side Story is thoroughly entertaining, enough to win over the Academy and be chosen as their Best Picture. The Guns of Navarone excites with its masterful action and adventure. And Judgment at Nuremberg engages its audience by laying bare some heavy philosophical issues.

But it's the gritty and absorbing drama The Hustler that wins my vote for the best of the year. With its electrifying performances and a story full of both tension and humour, this classic hits all the right notes. Thus, I now officially proclaim The Hustler as my favourite 1961 Best Picture nominee.

Best Picture of 1961
Academy's choice: West Side Story	Matt's choice: The Hustler

Your choice:

Don't agree with me? Then let me know by voting in the poll above for your favourite of 1961. We now move back to 1934 for reasons that will be explained in the next post. The most notable thing about this awards year is the record 12 films that were nominated for Best Picture. So, it looks like we're in for the long haul.

And the nominees for Best Picture of 1934 are:

• The Barretts of Wimpole Street
• Cleopatra
• Flirtation Walk
• The Gay Divorcee
• Here Comes the Navy
• The House of Rothschild
• Imitation of Life
• It Happened One Night
• One Night of Love
• The Thin Man
• The White Parade
• Viva Villa!

Stay tuned...

1961 - Judgement at Nuremberg

With our Australian visit behind us, Kat and I are now relaxing in Los Angeles for a few days before heading back to New York. Almost immediately after arriving back in the States, America's penchant for large food portions became obvious. That's what you get for eating at The Cheesecake Factory, I guess.

And now, the final movie to review from 1961's Best Picture race...

Judgment at Nuremberg
Director:
Stanley Kramer
Screenplay:
Abby Mann
Starring:
Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich, Maximilian Schell, Judy Garland, Montgomery Clift, William Shatner, Werner Klemperer
Academy Awards:
11 nominations
2 wins, for Best Actor (Schell) and Best Adapted Screenplay

Soon after the end of World War II, a down-to-earth judge from Maine, Dan Haywood (Tracy), arrives in Germany to fill his post as the chief judge in a military tribunal. Accused of crimes against humanity, the defendants are four German judges, including the internationally renowned Ernst Janning (Lancaster). The jurists are all represented by German attorney Hans Rolfe (Schell), while leading the prosecution is Colonel Tad Lawson (Widmark). Along with the testimony in court, Haywood converses with Germans outside of the courtroom, including Frau Bertholt (Dietrich), the widow of a German general, in order to gain a deeper understanding of how such blatant atrocities could have occurred in a seemingly civilized country.

This one's definitely a courtroom drama, folks. It's over three hours long and most of that takes place inside the courtroom. Director Stanley Kramer keeps things from getting dull, however, with some creative camera tricks, including sudden zooms and long circular pans. But even if these gimmicks were absent, the subject matter alone is certainly enough to keep you invested. It's deep and often unsettling stuff, particularly when the prosecution shows disturbing real-life footage from the concentration camps.

It may sound odd to liken this film to fellow nominee The Guns of Navarone, but despite the lack of action sequences in Judgment at Nuremberg, both films wax philosophical about sensitive moral issues. In this case, the focus is drawn towards how much responsibility should be held by those who enforce immoral laws. Were the defendants at the centre of the story justified in carrying out their government's orders to save their own skin? Or should they be considered complicit in all that followed? That theme is further explored by asking questions of ordinary civilians. Were average Germans aware of the atrocities their government was committing? And if so, how should they have dealt with that information?

Representing the two sides of this debate are the prosecution and defense lawyers in the trial. It may just have been due to the respective actors' performances, but during the opening statements, I felt as though the film was guiding my moral pendulum towards the defense. Richard Widmark's portrayal of prosecuting attorney Colonel Lawson struck me as unreasonable and self-righteous, whereas Maximilian Schell's defense attorney Hans Rolfe takes the persona of the sincere underdog. My sympathies didn't remain there for long, however, since Rolfe almost immediately becomes a little smarmy. Nonetheless, Lawson's brattishness prevented me from ever fully siding with him either. The posturing from both sides makes things slightly muddy, but the final act leaves no doubt as to which conclusion the film makers would like us to draw. It's most likely the right conclusion to draw, of course, but it is hindered somewhat by Widmark being overshadowed by the powerhouse that is Schell's passionate and ultimately Oscar-winning performance.

Along with the two lawyers, Judgment at Nuremberg boasts a star-studded cast. As the judge at the head of it all, the always calm and amiable Spencer Tracy represents the audience, trying to make sense of everything he hears. He is supported by strong performances from Burt Lancaster, Marlene Dietrich, Montgomery Clift and particularly Judy Garland, who delivers an incredibly heartbreaking turn on the witness stand. Also look out for two soon-to-be television stars. That's Star Trek's William Shatner (pictured, with Tracy) as Judge Haywood's charming aide Captain Byers, and despite Werner Klemperer's steely portrayal of defendant Emil Hahn, I couldn't help imagining him as Colonel Klink bellowing, "Ho-o-ogan!"

1961 - The Guns of Navarone

After a busy few months, Kat and I are currently on holiday in Sydney, catching up with friends and family, and enjoying the sunshine (when it appears). And since we're only here for a short time, I've been trying to cram in as many of those Aussie things (mostly food items) that are unavailable in the States. So far, I've managed to feed my nostalgia with a packet of Toobs, an Oporto meal, a KFC Zinger burger, a sausage roll from the servo, a pizza with more than one topping (NYC, your cuisine is amazing, but you really need to learn how to top your pizzas), my mum's homemade schnitzel and dumplings, my father-in-law's barbecue, a burger with the lot, and boxes and boxes of Shapes. I also got the chance to plonk myself down in front of the TV to watch some cricket and witness the Aussies dominate the Ashes, both of which haven't happened in a long time (i.e. the watching and the dominating). Suffice it to say, it has been a very pleasant trip so far.

The night before flying to Australia, I caught one last movie. Another Best Picture nominee from the 1961 contest...

The Guns of Navarone
Director:
J. Lee Thompson
Screenplay:
Carl Foreman
(based on the novel by Alistair MacLean)
Starring:
Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Baker, Anthony Quayle, James Darren, Irene Papas, Gia Scala
Academy Awards:
7 nominations
1 win, for Best Special Effects

I have a confession to make. I had heard the title of this film many times over the years but never really investigated further as to what it was about or who was in it. So up until now, I have always just assumed that The Guns of Navarone was a western. I suppose there is an argument that could be made that the film possesses some qualities of a western, but it certainly isn't a wild, wild West shoot-'em-up type of movie and there are no cowboys nor saloons, as I had imagined.

Rather, the story centres on a team of Allied soldiers during the Second World War, given the task of destroying the large havoc-wreaking German guns strategically positioned on the island of Navarone. The commanding officer is Major Franklin (Quayle) with mountaineer Captain Mallory (Peck) as second in command. They are joined by a Greek Colonel (Quinn), an explosives expert (Niven), a Greek-American (Darren) and an engineer (Baker). After successfully navigating by sea to the island, Mallory skilfully maneuvers the team up the perilous cliffs. Franklin is injured, however, leaving Mallory to take charge of the mission.

One of the elements this picture shares with Westerns is its sense of adventure. Our team of protagonists moves from one predicament to the next, keeping the tension high, a testament to the deft hand of both the director and the editor. And despite the obvious use of scale models, the explosions are exciting. Indeed, the film won its only Oscar for those special effects.

As I've come to discover, when the Academy nominates war films (or any kind of action film, for that matter) for Best Picture, it usually is a sign that the film is more than a mere string of exhilarating action sequences. No doubt, The Guns of Navarone focuses heavily on the main mission and it is at its most gripping when the gang is on the move, but the story is peppered with myriad philosophical discussions about the ethics of war and the effects of combat on the human psyche.

In spite of a wonderful cast who all suit their roles perfectly, the film did not receive any Oscar nominations for its actors. Gregory Peck impresses with his language skills, speaking Greek and German flawlessly (well, at least to these ears). David Niven is his usual nonchalant charming self. And that's a young Richard Harris (pictured) as an irritated Australian squadron leader, doing a remarkably accurate Aussie accent, complete with liberal use of the word "bloody."

1961 - The Hustler

Well, this current year of review is certainly taking its time. At this rate, I'll never finish this project. But as long as I review more films in 2013 than are nominated next January, I'll take that as a win...

To be fair, it's been a busy few months. In July, I went to Baltimore to guest star in an episode of the second season of House of Cards. Look out for that on Netflix early next year. In September, Kat's and my theatre company produced (and she starred in and I directed) a successful run of an Aussie musical called Once We Lived Here. And I'm currently starring as Puck in a crazy production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, in which all the other actors draw their characters from a hat at the beginning of each performance. (I get to play Puck every night, though.) But the biggest news of all is that Kat and I are expecting our first child in March, so I'll be trying to get as many reviews in before then. In fact, the due date is right around the Oscar ceremony this year, so I may finally find something that trumps my viewing of the Academy Awards.

Let's move on now to another Best Picture nominee from 1961...

The Hustler
Director:
Robert Rossen
Screenplay:
Sidney Carroll and Robert Rossen
(based on the novel by Walter Tevis)
Starring:
Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott, Myron McCormick, Murray Hamilton
Academy Awards:
9 nominations
2 wins, for Black-and-White Cinematography and Art Direction

Fast Eddie Felson (Newman) is a brash pool hustler, excited to take on nationally renowned Minnesota Fats (Gleason). After initially winning over $10,000, Eddie's inability to quit while he's ahead combined with his alcoholism result in him finishing the day-and-a-half pool marathon with only $200 to his name. Scrounging around for more games to play, Eddie eventually strikes up a relationship with fellow alcoholic Sarah Packard (Laurie), but the romance struggles as Eddie's focus remains on figuring out a way to raise the stakes to challenge Fats to a rematch.

The Hustler is the kind of movie that makes aspiring filmmakers sick. Everything just falls into place so expertly that it hardly seems fair. It's riveting and tension-filled, yet it delivers all of this with a wry smile throughout. In fact, it's almost as if there are two movies happening at the same time. One is a pseudo sports film, complete with tense game-play and surprising outcomes. The other is a gritty relationship drama, full of emotion and struggle. Together, they are story-telling at its most brilliant.

Indeed, the very first scene is so well-structured and clever that it's hard not to smile as you watch it. It's only a shame that the film's title gives away what's going to happen. However, despite this knowledge, it's still enjoyable to watch it unfold. And in a way, it sets up a sort of fake-out for the rest of the movie. There were several scenes in which I wasn't entirely sure whether Eddie was genuinely losing or just waiting for the right moment to reveal the hustle. I suppose you could say that the film hustled me.

Most of the performances are small and noir-like, which hits the spot for my liking. Paul Newman (pictured) is ahead of his time with a superbly natural portrayal of this issues-riddled man. Jackie Gleason, too, is surprisingly subtle for a man known for his histrionic comedy. And both possess impressive pool-playing skills. It's actually them making most of those shots. Piper Laurie is a much-needed shot of estrogen in an otherwise testosterone-heavy movie, overcoming the occasional 1960s sexist caricatures of her character by presenting an interesting and flawed woman. It's always a pleasure watching George C. Scott, and his performance as the charming yet ruthless manager is fantastic. The main cast receives wonderful support from seasoned character man Murray Hamilton (previously seen on this blog in The Graduate and Jaws) as an eccentric millionaire, who almost seems like a Bond villain with his calm demeanour and unique way of holding cigarettes. And yep, that's boxing champion (and Raging Bull subject) Jake LaMotta as the bartender in the opening scene.

1961 - West Side Story

I'm back. Another long hiatus, I know. It's hardly worth acting surprised about it any more. I won't bother with excuses. Nor will I make empty promises that it won't happen again. Instead, let's get straight into our next review.

It's the eventual Best Picture winner from the 1961 race...

West Side Story
Director:
Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins
Screenplay:
Ernest Lehman
(based on the musical play by Arthur Laurents & Jerome Robbins)
Starring:
Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, Simon Oakland, Ned Glass, William Bramley
Academy Awards:
11 nominations
10 wins, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Chakiris), Best Supporting Actress (Moreno)

Inspired by Shakespeare's tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story moves the action from medieval Verona to contemporary New York City, and the Montagues and Capulets are replaced by two rival street gangs - the Jets, a bunch of white American hoodlums, led by Riff (Tamblyn), and the Sharks, made up of immigrant Puerto Ricans, led by Bernardo (Chakiris). The star-crossed lovers of this tale are Tony (Beymer), Riff's best friend who has had enough of gang life, and Bernardo's sister, Maria (Wood). Upon meeting at a local dance, the two fall in love at first sight (literally) and pursue a romance despite the disapproval of their respective friends. Oh, and it's a musical.

Film musicals have a certain undeniable theatrical style that takes some getting used to and West Side Story is no exception. In fact, in this case, the style takes a little more getting used to than normal, since not only are we asked to accept that people will burst into song and dance to express their feelings, but we are asked to accept that tough guys will burst into song and dance to express their feelings. And despite their menacing demeanour, there's something decidedly nonthreatening about suavely dressed men gracefully dancing down the street. It's also tough to take a fight scene seriously when the brawling participants are executing perfect pirouettes.

Having said that, the dance sequences are certainly fascinating art, thanks to the unique innovation of Jerome Robbins' choreography. Add to that Leonard Bernstein's memorable music and Stephen Sondheim's witty lyrics, and you've got yourself some delightful entertainment. And the cinematography complements it all beautifully, capturing the musical numbers in a way that live theatre could never do. In fact, what works so well here is the fact that, while the picture is undoubtedly theatrical, it makes the most of its medium, rather than merely filming a stage show. Many scenes take place on location on the streets of New York, and there are some interesting visual effects (for its time), particularly when Tony and Maria first meet. As the two lovers lock eyes, they lose focus of everything that is happening around them, as does the camera image. Tony and Maria are in sharp focus while the image surrounding their bodies is a complete blur.

For those familiar with Romeo and Juliet, it's a fun exercise in how to adapt a Shakespeare play for a modern setting. Although the ending is mathematically only half as tragic as the original, most of the famous scenes are still there but given a contemporary twist. The unmistakable balcony scene, for instance, takes place on a fire escape (pictured).

When assessing the performances, one has to factor in the tendency of films of yore to embrace a somewhat melodramatic style of acting, coupled with that same tendency in musicals of any era. But while some of the performances are hammy, there is enough genuine heart here to offset any histrionics. Of particular note is Rita Moreno who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Anita, the girlfriend of George Chakiris' Bernardo. Chakiris himself nabbed the award for Best Supporting Actor. Also worth a mention is the underrated Simon Oakland, who delivers a superb turn as Lieutenant Schrank, the hard-nosed cop who doesn't take any crap from anyone. And John Astin, better known as TV's Gomez Addams, is fun in his uncredited role as the dance hall leader.

All up, West Side Story took home a whopping 10 Oscars from 11 nominations. Ernest Lehman's adapted screenplay was the only loser. The directing team of Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins shared the Best Director gong, the first time the award was presented to more than one person. In addition, Robbins also received a special honorary award the same year for his contribution to choreography on film.

1961 - Fanny

How is it already May? And while we're at it, how is it already 2013? I actually watched this next movie over a month ago, but once again, other things got in the way. One of those other things was a short film that I wrote and directed called Homesick. It's the story of an Australian couple who moves to New York with their six-year-old daughter, Molly. When Molly stops talking due to a serious bout of homesickness, her father takes her on a day trip around New York City, pretending they're back home in Sydney. Kat and I played the Aussie couple, and it was quite a surreal experience having auditions for our daughter. But we found a girl with enough red hair and freckles to pass as our progeny. The film is complete now, post production and all, and has already been entered into its first film festival, so I'll keep you all updated on its progress.

We now begin our look at the nominees from the Academy's 1961 Best Picture contest. First off...

Fanny
Director:
Joshua Logan
Screenplay:
Julius J. Epstein
(based on the play by S.N. Behrman and Joshua Logan, and the Marseilles Trilogy by Marcel Pagnol)
Starring:
Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, Charles Boyer, Horst Buccholz, Georgette Anys, Salvatore Baccaloni, Lionel Jeffries, Raymond Bussieres, Joel Flateau
Academy Awards:
5 nominations
0 wins

It's the early 1920s in the port town of Marseilles, France. Young French girl Fanny (Caron) finds herself rejected once again by her long-lasting crush Marius (Buccholz), who has his heart set on a life at sea. When Fanny's mother (Anys) promises her daughter to the much older, but incredibly wealthy, Panisse (Chevalier), Fanny resists, but the news seems to do the trick for Marius, who confesses his love for her, and the two spend a night together, even though the next day he is setting sail for five years.

Once Marius is gone, Fanny discovers she is pregnant. Worried that she will never be able to escape the shame of being an unmarried mother, she is relieved to hear that Panisse still wants to marry her, and indeed, is excited at the prospect of having a son to carry on his family name. Fanny and Panisse get married, but upon Marius' return, things get truly complicated.

The irony of Fanny is that, even though it removed all the songs from its Broadway musical source material, it is as hammy and theatrical as anything you're likely to see on the Great White Way. The drama is mostly heavy-handed, and in a further irony, the one place the picture could have milked its sentiment is the one place it is avoided. The story could have concluded with sweeping romantic music as Fanny and Marius fall into each other's arms. Instead, we are given the albeit touching, but far less romantic, scene of a dry letter being dictated to our heroine. On the other hand, Marius is particularly broody, and often comes across as selfish, which hinders our desire for him to win the girl anyway.

The performances are over the top across the board, especially the supporting characters. Georgette Anys, in particular, is giving it all she has, so it is unfortunate that her entire performance has been dubbed - rather badly, I might add - because her own voice might actually have been a more humorous fit for her expressive face. The usually subdued Charles Boyer even succumbs to some play-acting at times. Nonetheless, his was the only performance from the film to receive an Oscar nomination. Maurice Chevalier is borderline creepy at first (there's over four decades between him and Caron - I mean, come on!), but he eventually grows on you and is genuinely funny. Finally, the star of the film, Leslie Caron, manages to retain her loveliness and charm. Thankfully, considering she has to carry the movie, hers is probably the most subtle performance in the film.