A Nicholas Ray of Hope

[ChiO]

“You’re tearing me apart” and “I’m a stranger here myself” could stand as the two lines from Nicholas Ray’s movies that are the summation of his career. Much as F FOR FAKE can be viewed as Orson Welles’ explanation for and of his life as a filmmaker, WE CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN can be seen as Ray expanding on those two memorable quotations and expounding on all that’s come before.

Shot in the early- to mid-‘70s when Ray was teaching at SUNY, WE CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN, made with the assistance of his students, is a movie about a director at the end of his life who is now teaching and making a movie with the assistance of his students. Ray blurs all distinctions between reality and film-reality to give us his personal reality. Again, similar to F FOR FAKE, which Welles made around the same time, it is a movie that is not fiction and not a documentary, but an essay by and on a filmmaker.

Multiple images, real and abstract and rehearsed, often fill the screen, representing the multiple points of view of different real persons, actors, and of Ray himself. He tries to connect with his students, with his audience, and himself. He both succeeds and, perhaps, fails. What is on the screen (and the screens on the screen) is fractured and flawed and representative of the myriad facets of Life and Ray’s life. He shows himself as a stranger being torn apart, and yet, as bleak as the view can be, there is a sense that he is holding out some Hope for those filmmakers – and humanity – that fight for a personal vision.

It is one thought-provoking visual and visceral 90 minute experience.

[Mr. Arkadin]

I have never seen this movie, but it sounds fascinating. Did it ever have a release on video?

[ChiO]

Did it ever have a release on video?

Officially in the U.S.? Not to the best of my knowledge, but I rented it a local store -- owned and operated by a 20-something guy who makes Tarentino seem like a piker -- that specializes in the difficult-to-find. I told him that, when I rented it, his staff told me that it was really depressing, but that I had found it poignant rather than depressing (LIGHTNING OVER WATER -- that's depressing) and a film that I couldn't get out of my head. He smiled, agreed, and proclaimed it his favorite Ray movie.

What I first thought to be a flaw in the transfer, but then decided that it was intentional (though its meaning escaped me) is that often when there are multiple images on the screen, there is usually something else at the top or right-top corner, but the "something else" changes (portions of two suspended traffic lights and a pole being the most recognizable image). The storeowner told me that what Ray had done was film the separate images, project them on a screen, and then film the screen as the images are projected.

Gonna have to think about that some more.

[Mr. Arkadin]

Apparently, I need to visit the windy city. You guys have access to all the good stuff up there!

[moira finnie]

I thought that it might interest other Nicholas Ray fiends to know that Bitter Victory (1958), which some critics regard as Ray's last movie with real traces of greatness in it, will be broadcast on TCM on Nov 11 at 5:15AM. Ostensibly a WWII story set in North Africa, it details the envy and bonds between Curt Jergens and Richard Burton, who are at war with each other and themselves since both men are involved with Ruth Roman. After seeing this film, Jean-Luc Godard stated that "There was theater (Griffith), poetry (Murnau), painting (Rossellini), dance (Eisenstein), music (Renoir). Henceforth there is cinema. And the cinema is Nicholas Ray."


I don't know if Godard might have been exaggerating just a bit, but I like Ray's movies. I am looking forward to it, but hope that anyone who has seen it will also chime in with their comments. Some people who have seen this movie believe that it features the best film acting by both male stars,whose careers, to put it mildly, had their ups and downs. It might do me good to see these actors just before the world completely corrupted their talent.

An interesting analysis of Bitter Victory by Jonathan Rosenbaum has been posted here.

[MissGoddess]

Thank you for this notice, as I'll (hopefully) be recording it. I have never seen BITTER VICTORY, but I like all who are involved so I can't see how it can fail.

[knitwit45]

Hey, Moira, is that "Mr. Wilson", as in "Please don't squeeze the Charmin" dancing in the middle of the frame?

[moira finnie]

It does look like him, knitty, but do you think that Mr. Whipple (Dick Wilson) would squeeze anything but Charmin?

[knitwit45]

I've seen him in something, can't remember what, and he was a real Letch!

[MissGoddess]

I watched BITTER VICTORY this morning.



And that's a good thing, by the way.

I was ENORMOUSLY impressed yet again, by Nicholas Ray's way of X-RAY-ING the human soul, if you'll pardon the awful pun. This time he pins his beaming peepers on two soldiers. Two men made of entirely different material, both conditioned in different ways by their war experiences. These men are played by Curd Jurgens and Richard Burton in what I consider among the VERY BEST work ever done by either. They both completely get under the skin of their characters, and never were two men less alike---yet both are not who they really are, either, because war is making them into something less than human.

On the surface, one man is basically honest---with himself and others, and the other is dishonest. Both are chosen to take on a mission in WWII North Africa that will test their mettle and win them a medal, if successful. One is an officer, a gentleman---and a desk jockey. The other is an officer, not much of a gentleman, and a combat hardened soldier. The desk jockey is married to Ruth Roman, and yes, you can just guess the other guy knows about her, too.

I'm being cryptic about the details because I want so much for others to see it with their own eyes, and maybe be good enough to discuss it. I was very impressed with this character study, what different types of men will do under extreme circumstances, how in the end, you pay for what you are. There is even redemption. I'll leave it to you to see for yourselves which character redeems himself.
A word for the character who is always smart mouthing and sassing the Major...I have to watch the movie again to find out which actor* played him, but I loved him. He had what I'd call the "Timothy Carey role".

*It was Nigel Green. This TCM article mentions him specifically:

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid ... y=Articles

Richard Burton and Curt Jurgens face the enemy within while serving on a dangerous mission.

[ChiO]

Is anyone else getting misty-eyed when the TCM salute to Nicholas Ray, narrated by Dennis Hopper, is shown?

[mongoII]

I saw it today and it left me wondering. Mr. Ray had the potential of being a fine director, with some very good films under his belt. It's sad that his hard living brought his Hollywood career to a premature finish.