The one with The Movies - 1

They are not long, the days of wine and roses:

Out of a misty dream

Our path emerges for a while, then closes

Within a dream.

Let me put it out as cleanly and as clearly as I can: I was mesmerized by these two movies. Meaningful, beautiful and thought provoking cinema.

I saw two movies this weekend. Here is a brief description of these movies and the random train of thoughts that went through my head.

Anatomy of a Murder

1959 | James Stewart, George C. Scott, Lee Remick & Ben Gazzara.

This is a gem of a movie. At 2hrs 40 minutes, this one is comparable to the length of a conventional bollywood movie minus its songs. It can be best described as a courtroom drama. It is not a mystery as the title or the beginning would lead you to believe so. Rather ambiguous ending, but to be frank, I somehow believe it leans to one side (read spoiler section).

Read the plot on Wiki or watch the movie.

Spoilers & Notes

• The character of Lee is somewhat opposite to what one might “expect” of a rape victim. She’s openly flirtatious and not emotionally scarred by what has happened. She seems to be very happy as she goes around partying prior to the trial. She wears clothing considered to be carefree during her times. Beigler’s remarks on her not wearing a girdle are reflective of the era when women were supposed to wear them. Her case is not discussed in the movie at length. It is very interesting to note that Dancer (George Scott) tries to cast aspersions on Laura’s events of the rape, by questioning her dressing style and her flirtatious behavior. It is ironic that this is still an imminent issue today (Slutwalk). That people still believe that a small part of the fault lies on the victim. I mean, who asks to be raped?
• Paul Biegler does not seem to be motivated to find the truth. He seems determined to win the case for his client. There is a particular scene where he asks for the fee and Manion mentions he’s broke. At that moment, Biegler is prepared to leave, but Manion shrewdly suggests that he can raise the money. Biegler is also shown to be attracted to Laura, although he behaves in a very formal manner to her.
• Laura and Manion’s relationship is shown to be very ambiguous. There are scenes in which he acts very rude to her and yet another in which he embraces her after she cries on stand (that may have been for the jury). The ending scenes bring forth the fact that Manion was abusive towards Laura, which makes one question whether Manion himself was responsible for beating up his wife and whether he committed the murder thinking that his wife was having an affair with another man.
• Trivia-wise: The film was groundbreaking for its frank language. The judge (Joseph Welch) presided over the Army-McCarthy hearings (Here’s a link to the famous “Have you no decency” video). There is plenty of jazz. In fact, the opening itself is a jazz sequence.

Days of Wine and Roses

1962 | Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick.

The movie is about Joe (Jack), a rising PR guy, and Kirsten (Lee). Joe & Kirsten get married and the story focuses on their dependence on alcohol which wrecks their relationship. Read the complete plot here. Ultimately, Joe realizes that Kirsten is better off without him.

Spoilers and Notes.

• The movie begins with a shot of a bar. It is impossible to ignore the fact that most of the patrons (men & women) are smoking. The movie deals with the vice of alcoholism but seems to disregard smoking as a vice. This was 1962 when smoking was considered to be popular and advertised as a slimming agent. The link between smoking and cancer was established before this time and even aired on television by Edward Murrow in “See it now” (June, 1955). There is a scene in the movie where Kirsten is in a motel, absolutely wasted and Joe tries to reason with her. She asks for a cigarette and he willingly gives her one. In fact, the aspect of smoking is common to both these movies. Smoking has not had a “prohibition” and is not banned in offices. It is as bad (if not worse) as binge-drinking.
• I think the crucial part of the movie is where Joe is able to understand that he is an alcoholic and even joins AA whereas Kirsten simply denies. She, tragically, keeps denying till the end that she is not an alcoholic. There are some poignant scenes that are timeless viz. Joe’s search for the missing bottle in the greenhouse, Joe screaming at Kirsten that she is no longer fun, not ‘in-shape’ and he needs more attention than the baby. Kirsten’s downward spiral begins at this point as she goes from a few drinks to being drunk all the time.
• It also reminds me of another tragic movie: “Candy” (trailer), starring Abbie Cornish and Heath Ledger. In fact, it looks like a modern version of “Days of Wine & Roses” with the vice being drugs instead of alcohol. In both the movies, the relationship is defined by the dependence on alcohol and drugs. They have a similar structure (although Candy has it better defined). In both movies, the female protagonist relapses completely and is unable to get over the addiction. In both movies, the husband leaves his wife for her own well being. Candy is harsher in terms of treatment, yet both the movies are hauntingly beautiful and tragic.

Hope you get to watch either of these movies. I assure you they will be worth the time you spend on them.