MY VIEWING DIARY: PART TWO

While I anxiously await the time I can once again sit in a darkened theater to watch a film, here is another round of movies I have streamed while trapped indoors:

"Room at the Top" (1959)

"Room at the Top", a British drama by director, Jack Clayton adapted from the novel by John Braine, tells the story of Joe Lampton (Laurence Harvey), a young man from a factory town of Dufton, arriving in Warnley to begin an entry-level job in the Treasurer's Department. With a strong desire to quickly move his way up to acquire wealth and a better life, he sets his sights on Susan Brown (Heather Sears), the daughter of a successful local businessman who does not approve of Joe for his daughter. Joe begins an affair with an older married woman, Alice Aisgill (Simone Signoret) while still pursuing Susan. After falling hard for Alice, Joe realizes that love is all that truly matters. However there are a few complications that arise that will make this become impossible. 

"Room at the Top" was one of the early films in the cinematic British New Wave when social realism began to appear on screen, centered on the arduous life of the working class. Yet I don't think time has not been particularly kind to this drama. As a contemporary viewer, the film feels stiff and overly theatrical. But the film was a box-office hit and highly praised in it's day, receiving six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. Hermione Baddeley (who some of you might remember her as Mrs. Naugatuck on the TV comedy series, "Maude") with under three minutes of total screen time received a surprising yet deserved nod for Best Supporting Actress as a friend of Alice. "Room at the Top" won Oscars for it's screenplay and for Ms. Signoret as Best Actress. While I certainly understand the appeal of this French actress with her steely and sensual presence, I'm just not sure if this was the best female performance of that year when considering that Doris Day ("Pillow Talk"), Audrey Hepburn ("The Nun's Story"), Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor (both for "Suddenly, Last Summer") were also in the running. And Mr. Harvey received a nomination for Best Actor for his work here which is far more problematic as his performance never convinces us that he was ever a working class bloke.



"The Kingmaker" (2019)

In "The Kingmaker", Imelda Marcos' warm remembrances of her time as the First Lady of the Philippines is in sharp contrast to the terrifying recollections of the many people who survived during the regime of her late husband, Ferdinand Marcos who ruled the country as President for twenty-one years before being deposed and forced into exile in 1986. 

This compelling yet disquieting documentary by Lauren Greenfield features interviews with Mrs Marcos where she actively cultivates an image of herself where she was simply a loving and caring "mother" of the people who happened to like "nice things". But we are shown how her unquenchable desire for a lavish lifestyle, which included the purchase of luxury goods, real estate from across the globe and even displacing citizens so she could have a zoo of exotic animals roaming freely on an island, ultimately lead to the family stealing billions of the country's funds for their own personal use. We hear from people who suffered due to martial law enacted by President Marcos and the political rivals who helps overturn the corrupt government. 

The film also follows Marcos as she's on the campaign trail for her only son, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. as he runs for Vice-President of the Philippines. "The Kingmaker" reveals how this former First Lady boldly tries to use her persuasive charm to completely rewrite history in order to restore her family's image and reclaim their place of political power in the country.



"Flesh and the Devil" (1926)

I have to admit that I can probably count on one hand how many silent movies I have seen. I know for a film buff, that's kinda shameful but I'm going to try and change that. I had actually seen a segment on TCM about silent films and one that had caught my eye was "Flesh and the Devil" from director, Clarence Brown. What made me curious was the discussion on the stunning cinematography by William H. Daniels and the undeniable star power of Greta Garbo. While I was aware of the commanding presence she had in photographs but when Garbo is in motion on the screen, she is absolutely breathtaking. Unable to speak English when she arrived in America, the young Swedish actress was signed to M-G-M, given a makeover and with this, her third feature film, would become an international movie star. 

This romantic melodrama is a not-so-subtle look at temptation and sin with John Gilbert (a major star at the time) as Leo von Harden and Lars Hanson as Ulrich von Eltz, two childhood friends now serving together in the German army. After Leo sets his eyes on the alluring Felicitas (Garbo), they begin a passionate affair. However, Felicitas neglected to tell Leo that she's married and when her husband, Count von Rhaden (Marc McDermott) catches them, he demands satisfaction. There is a duel; Felicitas becomes a widow and Leo (who claimed the duel was over a quarrel during a card game) is sent to Africa for five years by the military as punishment. And Leo unwisely asks his dear friend, Urlich (unaware of the affair) to watch over Felicitas while he is away. 

Without sound, the performances had to be much broader and dramatic which can be distracting for modern audiences. But I was really captivated by this beautifully shot film, particularly by Garbo who was a master of seduction, using only her eyes to magnetically draw you in.