Running in Place With a Bum Leg: Evolution, Warfare, and The Small Back Room
"Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place."
Lewis Carroll
After World War II was over with, we could finally tell the truth about it with our arts. At the same time that Italian Neorealism was telling the story of the poor masses and their day to day lives, certain films around the the world cast backwards light into the depths of our societies, and especially our societies at war. Films like Late Spring told the story at home as well as any thus far in the history of film, while one of art cinema's most beloved films, The Third Man, wove a mystery that contains to fascinate. The widening gyre of what was acceptable as a film continued to elongate, ready to burst at the thin-stretched edges. Enter The Small Back Room.
History is a tale of battles. Most of the battles aren't documented as they occurred at a tribal level long before there were any forms of documentation. Recently, our populations have exploded and we've gone to war in huge groups known as nations. World War II is by far the most large scale of these wars. In hindsight, it's difficult to understand how a nation was spellbound by a psychopathic leader, but I'd simplistically argue that 1. The treaty of Versailles at the end of the first World War. The very concept of history being a battleground of ideas in which the winner of the battle has their history written most loudly seems to be an easy way to summarize history.
Our protagonist, Sammy Rice, has no interest in winners and losers, in beating his chest in dominant ways, or any of the other bizarre testosterone rituals of warfare. He simply wants to save lives. He has a bum leg from what seems to be a past military incursion, and he understands the toll of warfare, both physically and especially - as we will come to see - psychologically. We have a man here who is sensitive and talented, and not content to live in the way many males do. We also have a man who is struggling with his vices. Perhaps there is a correlation between these two?
The lush black and white photography, rich characterization, and at times avant-garde use of storytelling draws you into the struggle that Sammy faces day-to-day. His bitterness toward authority and war create part of the draw toward alcoholism. Indeed, when our emotions aren't adaptive (as Sammy's are too rich, too vibrant, too complex to be of use in a wartime situation), and he can't buy into simply talking to a controlling wife on telephone day-after-day or focusing on the numbers of war operations, including body counts and slight gains, as his coworkers do, he is forced into dulling his reactions toward this. Emotions were designed to spark our actions toward certain benefits, and there can be no benefit gained from collapsing in an injured, defeated, bitter, and caustic heap, as Sammy's are wont to do.
The climax is likewise intense, and provides an ample history that follows in films like Paradise Now and The Hurt Locker. Mentioning these further reminds me of Dil Se.. and Divine Intervention and the relationship between bombs and human love. The red queen hypothesis is in full affect.
What evolutionary lessons are to be learned here? The most obvious is that war is huge in our history and will probably - most unfortunately - continue to be so. Next, we evolved to satisfy our pleasure centers and we've become way too good at it for our own benefit. We must try to maintain the Greek ideal, the even keel. Finally, peace, love, and understanding are goals worth seeking out. We learn lessons too late, and we must deal with damage that makes our learning not only harder to apply but that stands as a constant reminder of our past failings. This is humanity.
References
Film
Dil Se..., 1998, Ratnam
Divine Intervention, 2005, Suleiman
Late Spring, 1949, Ozu
Paradise Now, 2005, Abu-Assad
The Hurt Locker, 2008, Bigelow
The Small Back Room, 1949, Powell & Pressburger
The Third Man, 1949, Welles
Literature/Websites
-An Evolutionary Perspective On Substance Abuse, Nesse, http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/31367/0000279.pdf?sequence=1
-Discussion, on Snopes.com, of "history is written by the winners," http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=101;t=000374;p=0
-List of Wars by Death Toll, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_by_death_toll
-The Red Queen hypothesis, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Queen_hypothesis
-The Treaty of Versailles, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Treaty_of_Versailles
Again, my film and television viewing has been pretty solid and consistent these last few weeks. I hope that a schedule will solidify that even better. I'd like to read about film a lot more so that I can integrate evolution, film, and social concern in my trifold approach.
Another issue I'm having is no real computer usage at a solid time, as I'm looking for a job, living in a slightly inhospitable place, and trying to write. It's not ideal. That being said, I do have resources open to me that I'm not taking advantage of, and I'm not working hard enough to schedule my writing along with other important things in my life. So.. I"m going to work harder :)
The Last Films I've Seen
1. Rio das Mortes, 1971, Fassbinder, 5.4/10.
Art, or something. More something. Two fine young spousal-abusing gents decide they will travel to Peru. One sells his car, they borrow money and seem set to leave, then the movie ends. Bizarre stuff.
2. The Ninth Gate, 1999, Polanski, 5.4/10.
Despite the low score I've given this, and the mess it was as a movie (I feel I'll never read an Arturo Pérez-Reverte novel), it was still entertaining and worth watching. Johnny Depp and the "dark" undertones of the film had me smiling at times, and the movie never dragged. I do find books (and the movies that they're transformed into) that deal with the occult quite interesting, as I'm a sucker for conspiracy theories and the like. I don't believe any of it really, but I do like to learn about them. Johnny Depp must feel similarly, as we can see in From Hell.
3. Frantic, 1988, Polanski, 6.0/10.
A well-acted film that included a bit of silly pseudo-romance. I see ties to a film like Knife in the Water here, as the main character has love diverted and we travel the weird side paths of attraction. Coming from Polanski, however, this sort of worries me (not unlike a re-viewing of Woody Allen movies will, after the most recent allegations). Capable storytelling here, and a somewhat interesting.
4. My Darling Clementine, 1946, Ford, 7.0/10.
The grittiest and most pared down (almost documentary-like) telling of the Earp family that I've ever seen. Wyatt Earp and Tombstone take a back seat to this. It contains little ornamentation or romance, and it's quite good.
5. Knife in the Water, 1962, Polanski, 7.4/10.
Aside from Rosemary's Baby, this may be my favorite Polanski film. Ok, The Pianist and Chinatown are probably my favorites, but as far as consistently watchable, those first two films may be at a higher point. It's a breezy film, contains that poor editing of master directors' earlier films that endears them to me, and it has moments of emotion-inducing conflict that make it a top tier film. A couple pick up a hitchhiker and the type-A male (though in the film he proves himself to be a well-written, more complex version of this) decides to invite him along on their sailing day-trip. You get an interesting first person sailing trip, and the company of this somewhat normal couple, and the very strange hitchhiking student/vagabond. There's class warfare, sexual games, and many evolutionary struggles that find themselves at play here.
6. Mamma Roma, 1962, Pasolini, 7.5/10.
Only the second Pasolini film I've seen, it rates as much more watchable than the masochistic Salo. That should come as no surprise. But Pasolini was known as an enfant terrible, so this film certainly has an edge. It's got a lot of Italian Neorealism in it, a lot of slice of life filming that was great. Prostitution and broken homes line this film and it's intense.
7. The Small Back Room, 1949, Powell & Pressburger, 8.4/10.
See Above.
Television
1. "The Long Bright Dark," True Detective, Pilot, Fukunaga, 10.0.
Yeah, this is the next one, the next show to impress me. I've still just seen the pilot and the season finale just happened (Sunday). Will there be a second season? Not sure, but the dialogue in this, the acting, the southern gothic ambience (if you will, and you better!) is all just spot on. Compare this with the silly and stupid (IMO), The Reflecting Skin, and there is simply no contest. That film frustrated the hell out of me and was simply ridiculous. I even got in an argument on imdb about it. Can't wait to see more of this lushly perverse series!
2. "Forty Detectives Later," Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Season 5, Episode 28, Hiller, 7.2/10.
Fun episode with a nice Hitchcockian twist at the end. I'd say this episode is indicative of the series.
3. "The Days Dwindle Down," Murder, She Wrote, Season 3, Episode 21, Lynch, 7.0/10.
A man who just served time in prison carries the moral shame of the conviction despite his insistence that he is innocent. His wife finds Jessica and asks her to clear his name. The investigation and typical high jinks ensue. Good times.
4. "The Victim," Gunsmoke, Season 13, Episode 16, 1968, McEveety, 7.0/10.
A disliked, mentally challenged man is accused of murder. Wow. 1968? I suppose you can't have a black man protagonist, even in the most intelligent, progressive series on TV, so you pick another horribly misunderstood demographic. Well done. Solid episode.
5. "Deadman's Law," Gunsmoke, Season 13, Episode 17, 1968, Rich, 7.8/10.
Every town has the greedy hawks who would take everything from you if you let your guard down. Ok, it's maybe not that dramatic, but it's part of the freeloading suite, so to speak. Matt has trouble on the trail, and a mafia-like group of cattle ranchers tries to seize power in the town. And they do, and it's a big standoff. Good episode more in a traditional trope of Westerns.
6. "The Gunrunners," Gunsmoke, Season 13, Episode 21, 1968, Moore, 6.0/10.
Finding an injured Native, the town doctor can't decide if it's foul play or an accident, but it's quickly solved and leads to a plot that makes the title ring true. It's not the greatest episode, the action is lacking (as is the story), and you wonder if they were struggling to put together stories near the end of season #13. Solid acting and story still, but not the quality I've come to expect from the series.
7. "The Sixth Finger," The Outer Limits, Season 1, Episode 5, 1963, Goldstone, 8.2/10.
Many ideas colliding here. Human evolution, it's natural "progression," the rube-ish nature of small town folk, science as a discipline, and more.
8. "Forecast: Low Clouds and Coastal Fog," The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Season 1, Episode 17, 1963, Haas, 7.0/10.
Concepts of love, marriage, race, boredom, and various other things all collide here. This episode deserves a re-viewing.
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