May book and film review

BOOKS

THE DON FLOWS HOME TO THE SEA, by Mikhail Sholokov. On the losing side in the civil war between the Reds and the Whites in post revolutionary Russia, Gregor struggles to find his way an an uncertain new world. The concluding volume of Sholokov's magnum opus "And Quiet Flows the Don" keeps up the impressive standard set by the first part. Sholokov is less interested in politics than the people and the extraordinary beauty of the landscape in which they play out their lives. The Soviets, including Stalin, had a soft spot for Sholokov, and hence he survived all the terrible purges and lived to win the Nobel prize, primarily for this marvellously human book. Read it.
THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, by B Traven. A trio of American indigents head for the Mexican hills to find their fortunes. But they underestimate the madness-inducing powers of that precious yellow metal... Impossible to think of this book without recalling the wonderful John Huston movie, one of the very best to come out of 1940s Hollywood. But none of it would have been possible without this book. Nonetheless, B Traven, a man about whom almost nothing is known beyond his literary output, has produced a work which can stand alone as a fine piece of writing, with excellent characterisation and a riveting plotline.
THE DEATH SHIP, by B Traven. A seaman is left behind by his ship in a foreign port, taking all his papers with him. He quickly finds that without a passport a man does not exist. He is deported from one country to the next until he finds a ship ready to take him on, with or without his papers. But he is soon wishing he'd never gone aboard. Once again, Mr Traven weaves a vivid spell on the reader with his description of life aboard a "death ship", that is one where the profit motive rules, and the captain cares little for the plight of his sailors, who work endless shifts in hellish conditions. One of those books which should remind us all how lucky we are not to be in the same boat. A gripping and rewarding read.

FILMS

LA KERMESSE HEROIQUE (Carnival of Heroes) 1935, D- Jaques Feyder. In early 17th century Flanders, a small town preparing for its annual carnival learns its Spanish rulers are coming to stay for the weekend. Fearful he will be the first to be hanged, the mayor plays dead. Meanwhile his wife takes over and decides the best way for everyone to survive is to make the imperial ruler's stay a pleasure... This film scandalised many at the time, with its suggestion of collaboration with the enemy, and was banned in several countries, and Truffaut labelled it "worst film ever made". It isn't though. It's actually a wickedly funny look at small town hypocrisy. Worthwhile viewing.
THE LAST DETAIL (1973) D- Hal Ashby. Two marines are given the job of taking a small time thief to military prison. On the way they decide to give him a good time prior to serving out his 7 year sentence. In what has been called an existential masterpiece, the two soldiers (Otis Young and a truly excellent Jack Nicholson) find their dreams constantly confronted by grim reality. A brilliant film, one of the best to come out of the early 1970s, due in no small part to the terrific screenplay of Robert Towne, who went on to write an even greater Nicholson vehicle, "Chinatown". Highly recommended.
THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY (1965)D-Carol Reed. At the height of the Renaissance, Pope Julius orders Michaelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel. Despite this honour, Mike is not a happy bunny: he wants to sculpt in marble, which he knows is his real strength. But you can't say no to a pope... By 1965 the "historical epic" was thought of as a sure-fire money maker, and having Charlton Heston (Mr Epic) was probably thought to seal the deal as a blockbuster. Pity then, that they couldn't have got hold of a better screenplay. The public wasn't convinced, and the movie flopped.
Buonarotti is also depicted as a man who liked women, whereas history is emphatic he was gay. Maybe they thought this wouldn't go down well with a 1960s audience, but it's a sign of the lack of substance at the film's heart. Still, there are a few strong scenes, particularly when Rex Harrison's pope is preparing to lead his armies into a charge on a small Italian hill town, but is distracted by his protege who brings his plans to him at a crucial moment. The attack is delayed while they pore over his spectacular ideas for the Sistine ceiling. We tend to forget several early popes were warriors, and perhaps the reminder is salutary...
THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK (2004)D-David Twohy. On a distant planet, a fit young black man battles against dark forces, with only Judy Dench, Thandie Newton and some excellent upper body development to help him. There's a "Family Guy" episode where Peter and the guys reminisce about the time when they all got wasted and went to see a late night showing of this movie. I suspect this may be the only way to enjoy such a piece of execrable crap. It also shows how Dame Judy will do (almost) anything for a sufficiently good paycheck.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (1978)D- John Colla, created by Glen Larson. In a galaxy far, far away, a youthful Dirk Benedict (you remember him, he played Face in the A team)leads the fight against implacable enemies. An heroic Lorne Greene leads the makeshift army, while Jane Seymour provides them with additional reasons to continue their struggles.
The success of Star Wars made low budget rip-offs like this almost inevitable, and while I may have had problems with the George Lucas franchise, compared to this they were simply sublime. The writing, the special effects and the acting are among the worst I have ever had to sit through. Take my advice: don't bother with it.
A SCREAMING MAN (2011) D- Mahamout Saleh Haroun. In the impoverished sub-Saharan state of Chad, a former African swimming champion has found his niche as a pool-guy, but this is threatened when his son is given the job and he is demoted. Meanwhile, just beyond the walls of the hotel where he works, a civil war is drawing ever closer to the front gate which he now mans... Made to high professional standards, with fine acting and editing, this is a wonderfully genuine film, highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of the human character. Excellent.