From Here To Eternity tells of the troubled lives of soldiers on a military base in Hawaii just before the time of the Pearl Harbor invasion.
Burt Lancaster plays the tough no nonsense 1st Sergeant who basically does all the actual work for the corrupt Captain Holmes. Although tough he is good at heart and attempts to help the very much mistreated Private Prewitt (Montgomery Clift). The other major element of his character is his secret romance with Captain Holmes' wife Karen (Deborah Kerr).
The romantic part of Lancaster's performance I actually feel is the weaker half. Lancaster frankly seems overly enthusiastic about the whole thing instantly, and he does not show any sort of transition, he just goes basically right for it. There is only reluctance in him thinking he is just another one of the affairs which she has had before. Lancaster even portrays this aspect of the romance, as more of a technical problem, that a complete major issue, a major issue that they get over quickly. The actual romance of the two is never that special otherwise than the terrifically directed, not so much acted, moment on the beach that certainly is exceedingly memorable, but actually has little to do with either of the two actors' performances. On re-watch I think what Lancaster does in many ways is realize the Sergeant in many ways a man acting on essentially this pent up quality of a man just on the edge of breaking all the time. The romance being an extension of that and I think makes more sense as such where his eagerness is part of man not just wanting but needing to jump at the opportunity in seeing this woman even at risk of military punishment. Lancaster's performance being a representation of the man who knows the war's coming and is acting very much within that framework in so many scenes.
Kerr and Lancaster are not bad together really, but at the same time their chemistry never is anything that seems all that interesting. They are there, I do not doubt that they would be together, there is a certain degree of naturalism between the two, but it never seems to be a real larger than life love affair which the story seems to act like it is but Kerr and Lancaster do not fully deliver on. Luckily the romance is not the only part of his performance, and he does have his scenes with the men on the army base, these scenes Lancaster is far more effective. Lancaster always has the right command in his scenes reinforcing his position as a strong resilient man. He makes it clear that the Sergeant is a perfectly effective man, always on the ball, and ready for action as he should be. Watching it again I would say Kerr and Lancaster share a specific chemistry where the certain desperation is the definition of it. The desperation of Kerr's wife needing to get away from her horrible husband, and Lancaster's Sergeant fixated on "taking" what he sees as the captain illegally "owning" as the wasted woman. The performances attuned not to typical romantic affection but rather specifically works within the confines of desperation.
He also has the right subtle camaraderie with the other enlisted men showing a common bond. Lancaster does this quite well because he never goes out and says he really cares for them, but he certainly indicates it through very small but intelligently played reactions which indicate that Warden really does care honestly about the men he trains and commands. Lancaster is never quite amazing in the role, but he certainly is always good in this aspect of the character particularly at the end with the Pearl Harbor attack where Lancaster takes complete command of those scenes showing the true skills of the Sergeant despite being faced with a difficult surprise attack. Lancaster becomes the perfectly steadfast military man completely showing the full ability of Warden at the end of the film. Lancaster is never perfect in the role the whole romance part of his story line really is underwhelming in the end. Also from time to time Lancaster gives some odd line readings for example when he stats he hates officers, the way Lancaster says that line seems oddly childish and out of character for Warden. Have to correct this as the whole point of the line and the delivery is to be childish. As the man wanting to stay kind of the confines of his built reality, even if it is a reality he's frustrated with. Beyond that this is a compelling performance even if Clift is the performance you leave the most with after watching the film. As what Lancaster delivers is the man coming terms basically within his world as the man born and bred for the military and what that reality means. As when the war starts literally, Lancaster excels in having the presence of just taking off to such an extreme that he thrives in every moment showing the man living it. Beneath that though we see the human behind, who jumped at the chance to be with the Captain's wife, and particularly feels a genuine sorrow over Prewitt's fate. His final moment being a truly great one where Lancaster so artfully shows the emotions just starting to penetrate before Warden pushes back and takes upon again just the true leader of man, the man Warden has now accepted he will be specifically now that the war is now carrying him even further into that fate.
4 comments:
Hurm. I liked him better than you, but not enough to give him the win. Holden or Clift.
I like him alot too, but I agree with the same things you said.
I think he was good but a little too limited - it's hard to understand why he was so close to the win and Clift wasn't.
Well, my predictions are ruined. :) I don't really remember him.
Post a Comment