Last night I watched two favorites I recently picked up on BluRay. I didn’t think about the thematic connections before hand.
Steven Spielberg’s “Always” (1989) and Sam Peckinpah’s “Ride The High Country” (1962)
“Always” (1989)
Spielberg made this fantasy, a remake of the Spencer Tracy film, “A Guy Named Joe” (1943), between “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989) and “Hook” (1991).
In the late eighties Spielberg’s success at the box office hit a speed bump with the financial failure of “Empire of the Sun” (1987), ($22m box office, #53 Variety) and the critical and financial failure of “Always” (1989) ($44m box office, #29 Variety).
This was followed by spectacular success again with “Hook” (1991)“Jurassic Park” (1993), “Schindler’s List” (1993) and closing the 1990’s with “Saving Private Ryan” (1998).
So is “Always” (1989) deserving of its lackluster box office and derision by critics?
Released at Christmas 1989 alongside “Back to the Future Part 2”, “The Little Mermaid”, “National Lampoon’s Christmas vacation” and another film about relationships and grief “Steel Magnolia’s” - “Always” was outperformed by all.
It was a different film for Spielberg, not a high flying adventure or sci-fi story, but a film about grief, and selflessness. I hadn’t had any experience with these feelings at age 25. I could relate to the romantic aspects, the light comedy and the fire fighting depicted but the deeper aspects of the script didn’t connect with me and I think with the audience at the time.
I’m 61 in a couple of weeks. Those deeper aspects register greatly with me now. In the years since, my Parents and some friends have died, I’ve loved and lost, loved again and built a life. I understand much more and watching the film I can connect with all the lead characters.
It really is a beautiful film.
The performances are terrific, Holly Hunter especially. Dreyfuss may never have been better. The film looks great and the fire sequences realistic.
Highly recommended.
A friend of mine’s Father was a water bomber pilot who died in a plane crash fighting a fire when I was a teenager. She avoided this film then, understandably, and has to this day.
My second film last night was Sam Peckinpah’s “Ride the High Country” (1962)
Another film, like “Always”, about dealing with life and death stars Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea.
Scott, age 64, retired following this film and McCrea, age 57, only appeared in three more films before retirement. Both actors were two of the most successful Western-film actors in Hollywood history.
Set in the early 20th century after the invention of the automobile, an aging cowboy, McCrea, is hired to collect and transport Gold from a mining camp to the bank. McCrea hires an old friend, Scott and his young cohort, Ron Starr, to help. Unbeknownst to McCrea, Scott plans to steal the Gold. Along the way they encounter a young woman, Mariette Hartley, eager to escape her home, ruled over by her domineering religious Father.
In the mining camp, they encounter the Hammond brothers, one of whom marries Hartley. The brothers attempt to rape her and are stopped by McCrea. Setting up a standoff not only with the Hammond Brothers, but with Scott - who still plans to steal the Gold.
Performances from Scott and McCrea are excellent, discussing life’s choices, right and wrong, turning left when you should have turned right. Where you end up when you make the wrong choice. This is played out by the choices Ron Starr - Scott’s partner, and Mariette Hartley make.
Great locations, exquisitely shot, great use of the expansive CinemaScope frame combined with off-centre closeups really add to the stellar performances.
Very Highly recommended
Steven Spielberg’s “Always” (1989) and Sam Peckinpah’s “Ride The High Country” (1962)
“Always” (1989)
Spielberg made this fantasy, a remake of the Spencer Tracy film, “A Guy Named Joe” (1943), between “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989) and “Hook” (1991).
In the late eighties Spielberg’s success at the box office hit a speed bump with the financial failure of “Empire of the Sun” (1987), ($22m box office, #53 Variety) and the critical and financial failure of “Always” (1989) ($44m box office, #29 Variety).
This was followed by spectacular success again with “Hook” (1991)“Jurassic Park” (1993), “Schindler’s List” (1993) and closing the 1990’s with “Saving Private Ryan” (1998).
So is “Always” (1989) deserving of its lackluster box office and derision by critics?
Released at Christmas 1989 alongside “Back to the Future Part 2”, “The Little Mermaid”, “National Lampoon’s Christmas vacation” and another film about relationships and grief “Steel Magnolia’s” - “Always” was outperformed by all.
It was a different film for Spielberg, not a high flying adventure or sci-fi story, but a film about grief, and selflessness. I hadn’t had any experience with these feelings at age 25. I could relate to the romantic aspects, the light comedy and the fire fighting depicted but the deeper aspects of the script didn’t connect with me and I think with the audience at the time.
I’m 61 in a couple of weeks. Those deeper aspects register greatly with me now. In the years since, my Parents and some friends have died, I’ve loved and lost, loved again and built a life. I understand much more and watching the film I can connect with all the lead characters.
It really is a beautiful film.
The performances are terrific, Holly Hunter especially. Dreyfuss may never have been better. The film looks great and the fire sequences realistic.
Highly recommended.
A friend of mine’s Father was a water bomber pilot who died in a plane crash fighting a fire when I was a teenager. She avoided this film then, understandably, and has to this day.
My second film last night was Sam Peckinpah’s “Ride the High Country” (1962)
Another film, like “Always”, about dealing with life and death stars Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea.
Scott, age 64, retired following this film and McCrea, age 57, only appeared in three more films before retirement. Both actors were two of the most successful Western-film actors in Hollywood history.
Set in the early 20th century after the invention of the automobile, an aging cowboy, McCrea, is hired to collect and transport Gold from a mining camp to the bank. McCrea hires an old friend, Scott and his young cohort, Ron Starr, to help. Unbeknownst to McCrea, Scott plans to steal the Gold. Along the way they encounter a young woman, Mariette Hartley, eager to escape her home, ruled over by her domineering religious Father.
In the mining camp, they encounter the Hammond brothers, one of whom marries Hartley. The brothers attempt to rape her and are stopped by McCrea. Setting up a standoff not only with the Hammond Brothers, but with Scott - who still plans to steal the Gold.
Performances from Scott and McCrea are excellent, discussing life’s choices, right and wrong, turning left when you should have turned right. Where you end up when you make the wrong choice. This is played out by the choices Ron Starr - Scott’s partner, and Mariette Hartley make.
Great locations, exquisitely shot, great use of the expansive CinemaScope frame combined with off-centre closeups really add to the stellar performances.
Very Highly recommended
