2 hrs & 34 min, color, 1965
Is it a degree of fear that
distinguishes a hero from a coward? If
not, what else does? This is a fitting
and most pertinent question when studying the narrative of this exciting late
19th century adventure movie, released in 1965 and recently rereleased
into home viewing and based upon a novel by the celebrated author Joseph
Conrad. The man whose story gets told is
one who must swim in the dangerous waters that cover the boundary separating
courage and cowardice. I call it an
adventure story, though it is also one of deep reflection. The journey its main character takes is not
just one through time and space but of the seeking heart and mind. The novel is strange in that this main
character is not given a last name. From
the opening narration he is called simply Jim, a kind of Everyman on a quest
for redemption. He is British, but he is
not a Lord in his country’s Parliament nor is the designation in any respect
official. That title is bestowed upon him
by grateful people he rescues. More
about that shortly!
It is a story of a man’s search
for his destiny and his craving for redemption.
And who better equipped to bring such a one to life than Peter O’Toole,
one of the best actors ever to be seen on the movie screen. Watching him make his way in Jim’s shoes
gives me the unmistakable feeling that he is still alive. He was gifted with a face that could
externalize complex emotion so vividly that I wonder how many takes it required
to get each demanding scene just right and what vast resources of spirit and
imagination he drew upon. Those who
directed him, in this instance Richard Brooks, who also wrote the screenplay,
must have been awestruck by what he gave them to work with. It must have been something like being
entrusted with a precious metal to build a tower. “Lord Jim” is not O’Toole’s best role, but it
is nevertheless one that draws us almost musically into the mystery of the man
he embodies.
Jim is a man who starts out as
an aspiring seaman, beginning at the lowest rank in His Majesty’s Navy but
rising over time to the distinction of an officer. He yearns to be a hero and for a spell he
establishes himself as a loyal second in command earning the plaudits of an
admiring captain (Jack Hawkins), saving his commander-in-chief from a mutiny
and proving himself diligent and rugged in all departments. But fate deals him a nasty blow, when an
injury forces him into temporary hospitalization on land, and afterward, eager
to get back over water, he takes up second in command on a vessel of a less
reputable crew and less structural seaworthiness. During a raging storm and in a moment of
human weakness he makes a sudden, fateful, panicked decision that amounts to
desertion. His career as a seaman tanks,
his reputation in ruins. In disgrace he
then becomes a lonely vagabond wandering the earth and looking for he knows not
what, until a European merchant (Paul Lukas) not knowing who Jim is offers him
an extremely dangerous task smuggling arms and ammunition to a tribe somewhere
in the Southeast Asian islands who are captives of a savage warlord (Eli
Wallach).
Yes, he becomes their champion
liberator, toppling the dictator and inciting the captive population to throw
off their captors and reestablish civil and sacred order. The half hour or so in which this uprising is
depicted is an especially exciting and heart thumping affair, intricately
portrayed and hard driving. Through it
all he gains a measure of self-respect as well as the admiration and gratitude
of the people he has liberated. He also
wins the love of a beautiful young and brave native woman (Dallah Lavi). But fate it seems is not through with him
even yet. Other greedy fortune hunting
enemies (led by ruthless swindler James Mason) conspire to subvert the colony,
and Jim’s infamous history catches up with him.
The justice finally meted out is both strange and somehow sad and
beautiful, all at once.
Fear does play a large part in
the twists and turns of his odyssey. We
are told in the voiceover that imagination, something Jim has in acute
quantity, can make a person see what that one fears to see. A strong and daring individual may force
her/himself to act bravely in an emergency situation, but however much that one
accomplishes with brave behavior, fear is like a silent foe forever stalking
and waiting. Courage may momentarily
resist fear, but it does not obliterate it.
Especially is this true of those whose means of livelihood is fraught
with danger.
At a climactic moment Jim
himself gives us an even more challenging notion: “Maybe cowards and heroes are both ordinary
[persons] who for a split second do something out of the ordinary”. I personally find this a bit of a puzzle. It certainly warrants discussion. In fact, there are many words coming from the
mouths of both sympathetic and corrupt characters in this screenplay that one
could spend an entire evening examining.
Here is another puzzler: “Some
men [or women] are not meant to be heroes and some heroes cannot become men [or
women]”, apparently too busy making one sacrifice or another or thriving upon
life-or-death risk. This kind of
dialogue is typical of Conrad’s fiction.
He is both mysterious and intellectual.
Accordingly the movie is both an action spectacle and a meditation upon
the behavior of the human mind and heart.
It tackles not only the subjects of courage and cowardice but of
humility and atonement. And in Conrad’s
world the evil persons portrayed know the weaknesses of their enemies and play
upon them; there is as much psychological combat at moments of confrontation as
there is armed conflict.
Speaking in purely cinematic
terms, the picture’s stereophonic soundtrack and photography are quite
lovely. The imagery and the editing are
of the finest caliber, as is the score.
There is also some beautiful choreography engaged in by the natives that
my wife and I found most fascinating and entertaining. Many including myself are still puzzling over
the film’s weak reception at the time of its first release a half century
ago. I think it would prove a worthy
rediscovery.
To read other entries in my
blog, please consult its website:
enspiritus.blogspot.com. To learn about me consult on the website the
blog entry for August 9, 2013.
No comments:
Post a Comment