Film Pairings — What Happens When You Plagiarize Yourself? Is It An Homage?

I was a Western fan before I switched to more contemporary crime fiction.  I’m thinking my first movies. They were mostly cowboys and Indians.  At some point, probably around eleven, I switched sides and stated rooting for the Indians. I couldn’t relate to Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea.

Gradually I moved from horses to cars and from the desert to urban streets. I made an exception when I was fifteen. Rio Bravo played at one of the big movie theaters in downtown Indianapolis. I’m pretty sure it was Ricky Nelson and Dean Martin that drew me to it because I didn't like John Wayne either.  He was always bossing people around. I thought Rio Bravo was entertaining but not as meaningful as High Noon, which I saw when I was eight, (and Rio Bravo pales compared to The Unforgiven). Even so, here are two John Wayne movies for the evening.  They are interesting for their similarities (understatement) rather than their differences. According to Wikipedia, director Howard Hawks was upset with what he deemed to be the un-American High Noon. Rio Bravo was the response with the blessing of the conservative superstar John Wayne. In addition to these two nearly identical films by the same director and a third attempt by Hawks called Rio Lobos, other directors were inspired by the efforts. Rio Bravo and its offspring became an inspiration for an American meme:

Rio Bravo (1959) —Tough guy lead: John Wayne; His alcoholic al: Dean Martin, The young smart-aleck tag-along: Ricky Nelson (nick-named Colorado), The lovable old geezer: Walter Brennan.   Plot: Sheriff arrests a bad man. Another bad man wants him released. Gunfights ensue. Alcoholic kicks habit.  Old man shows his worth. Smart –aleck gets respect. Tough guy shows his soft side, sort of. The film was based on the novel by B. H. McCampbell and also features veteran western actor Ward Bond.

 

Eldorado (1966) — Tough guy lead: John Wayne.  His alcoholic pal: Robert Mitchum.  The young, smart aleck tag-along: James Caan (nicknamed Mississippi).  The lovable old geezer: Arthur Hunnicutt.   Plot: Sheriff arrests a bad man. Another bad man wants him released. Gunfights ensue. Alcoholic kicks habit.  Old man shows his worth. Smart–aleck gets respect. Tough guy shows his soft side, sort of.  The film was based on The Stars In Their Courses by Harry Brown.

If you watch just one, I’d suggest Rio Bravo.  It also has Angie Dickinson and a sweet, little duet performed by Dean and Ricky. However, despite Dean Martin’s usually comic portrayal of a drunk most of his life, Mitchum in Eldorado gets the nod in the who-makes-the- most believable-alcoholic competition.  The evening is more fun than majesty.

Speaking of drinking… if you choose to imbibe, there’s a whole lot of whiskey drinking going on. Everybody does it.  For those who choose not to mimic the characters on screen —who also shoot people and smoke — remember we’re in the desert.  We’re parched.  How about lemonade? And one more question:  What prompted the famous director to make the same movie twice?

Film Pairing — Two Takes On American Gangsters

Close your eyes.  Let’s travel back in time to the 1940s. And when you’re done with Tommy Guns in Los Angeles and a sharp divide between good and evil, go to New York for a glimpse of smaller-time gangsters and an abundance of angst in the 1970s. One film is an all-American shoot ‘em up. The other is American with a French twist. It’s a great contrast in filmmaking barely missing the obvious cultural clichés.

Gangster Squad – This is a graphic novel of a film – not quite to the extent of Sin City, but pretty damned close and almost as good. In this case, heroes and villains are intentionally paper–thin characters engaging in a violent, action-packed bio of gangster Mickey Cohen’s reign in Los Angeles and a dirty half-dozen gang of cops determined to take him down. Directed by Ruben Fleischer, and beautifully photographed by Dion Beebe, the movie was released in 2013.  Sean Penn (Cohen) and Josh Brolin play the main adversaries.  Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte and Emma Stone are also among a large and talented cast.

Blood Ties — Despite its blue-collar roots, the film relies on story and character as much as plot. In other words, if you are looking for an action film, you’ve come to the wrong place. This is a tale of two brothers — one a decent cop and the other a guy who just can’t walk a straight line. The family bond brings them together and their shared past tears them apart.  Both of their lives are in danger.  Love, honor and loyalty are explored in depth.  “What would you do?” is the question you are left with.  Leave it to the French influence to make you work and not tie it up in a neat little bow at the end. The film, also released in 2013, was directed by Guillaume Canet, based on Jacques Maillot’s Les Liens du sang.  Clive Owen and Billy Crudup play the brothers. Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis and Zoe Saldana also star.  James Caan is excellent as the brothers’ father.

A little sustenance while you watch?   For Gangster Squad, pretend you are at a table at the nightclub, Slapsy Maxie’s, and order the cocktail of your choice. Shirley Temples are okay.  There’s nothing highbrow about Blood Ties (except for its philosophical questions), so break out a six -pack of something.  For both films, stay alert for new and innovative ways of saying the F-word.

Film Pairing — Kidnapping as Comedy, Sort Of

Sometimes its fun to pair crime movies by the type of crime it is. In this case we have a whole lot of kidnapping going on. It’s also fun to have two movies that are wonderfully “off.” By “off” I mean these are not films that satisfy conventional cravings: Good guys win; bad guys lose, for example. I’m not even sure that either of these films offers any other sort of moral. I’m not so sure audiences walk out with any sense that justice was done — or even could have been done. For me, they are more like situations in real life — sometimes it’s just absurd.

The Way of the Gun, (2000) directed by Christopher McQuarrie, who directed The Usual Suspects, gives us two reprehensible people who kidnap a pregnant woman. She, for a sum of money, is carrying the child of someone who is equally or even more reprehensible than the kidnappers. No good can come of this, one thinks. One would be right. The critics at the time of the movie’s release were not favorably impressed; but I suggest that if you enjoy particularly twisted comedy,you might like this nearly Kill Bill kind of violent story in part because of the dark, comedic performances of Benicio del Toro, Ryan Phillippe, James Caan and especially Juliette Lewis.

Violence and action take a more subtle turn in 44-Inch Chest (2010). A group of old codgers (are there young codgers and if not, why not?) kidnap a young man who is having an affair with the wife of one of their friends. The theory is that if the husband has a chance to torture and otherwise humiliate his wife’s lover, a bit of self-respect can be regained. While there are those who might argue that the real torture for the young interloper is being talked to death (this is a British film after all), there is a great deal more to it. And most of it is credit to the great actors — Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt and Tom Wilkinson. The film, which could have just as easily been a stage play and possibly should have been, is nonetheless well worth the time and the talk.

Both are worth it if you are in the mood for something just a little “off.” Perhaps you shouldn’t start drinking until the second feature. In honor of the codgers, how about some lukewarm Guinness?