Genre – Cold War Satire
Time: 1 Hour 50 minutes
Platform: Amazon Prime (Rent)
Director: Norman Jewison
Cast: Carl Reiner. Eva Marie Saint. Alan Arkin. Brian Keith.
Satires either work. Or they don’t. Nothing in between.
It must have taken a lot of courage on the film maker’s part to make a Cold War satire, especially when the East-West confrontation was at its peak . The Cuban Missile Crisis was only four years in the past. Given this background, the film is a brilliant satire.
Its that one satire that captures everything that is America’s ordinary citizens – clueless, believing their Government’s propaganda (like most citizens worldwide), a view of “US versus Others”, totally insular, “we are right and everybody else is wrong”, etc. And somewhere in between that “large world view” – the Russians are out to destroy their way of the world – and a local daily life, things turn topsy turvy; at least on screen
Remember that in the mid 1960s, it really seemed that the Soviets were really winning the Cold War with country after country in the Second and Third world succumbing to either hard core Soviet style communism or serious Russian economic and military aid.
In such a climate , as said earlier , to make a satire on the situation is something fraught with risks. However, the brilliant assembly of comic talent, mainly the lead actors Carl Reiner and Alan Arkin, makes it an absolute success. Stripped off the ideological veneer, it is seen that both sides are basically humans with the same feelings and human frailties.
The plot is simple and straight forward. A Soviet submarine runs aground off the East Coast of the USA. Since they are not sure where they are, a shore party is sent to identify the landmarks and to see where they are, while repairs are carried out that will free the submarine. The shore party runs into multiple situations that are a mix of total paranoia and high comedy.
These include the local police chief. A self-styled ‘leader’ who is a “war-veteran”. The usual bunch of hysterical old women. The curious boys and girls. Couple of sane people who argue for common sense over hysteria. The Americans who gradually realize that they are humans – just like the Russians in front of them.
All these and more are told in an absolutely off the wall humor. We can’t help but laugh at the overall hysteria and moments of “come on, Americans can’t be that dumb”. There is even a doomed romance between a local American girl and a Russian sailor (yes – its filmy and that’s what seals the deal) which is done in a simple straight forward manner: young man getting attracted to a young woman ; is she really ‘the main enemy’? (The Russians called America, “The Main Enemy”).
Overall, this is a throwback to a crazy time when some sense prevailed over madness – at least onscreen. Perhaps worth a visit in these crazy times.
Arkin and Reiner’s comic timing is fantastic, especially Arkin with his deadpan delivery. Eva Marie Saint plays the all-American average housewife who argues for common sense and less paranoia and suggest the solution that is adopted by the small town to “protect their Russians” so that they are not harmed by the ‘authorities’.
Yes. It’s Hollywood and not the real world but as the decades would show, ‘common contacts’ and “backdoor diplomacy’ proliferated, showing an unusual common sense among the Powers, who were otherwise bent upon the total destruction of ‘the other’. In these crazy jingoistic times, the movie is even more poignant and true. Maybe we need this ridicule all over the world to really see the human side of things.
Script – 4 out of 5
Story – 4 out of 5
Direction – 4 out of 5
Photography – 4 out of 5
Total – 4 out of 5
Remember seeing it. Fabulous. Alin Arkin was one of the better actors . You got me wanting to see it.
Also “Heart is a Lonely Hunter”. (Have I got that correctly?)
Other day I watched ‘Awakening” and Robin Williams too makes a movie memorial.
A classic film, and a classic review, Rammesh!
I was thinking of this very film last night when reading the below news item:
“The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) departed Naval Weapons Station Yorktown for a scheduled deployment. The ship will operate in U.S. and international waters. USS Gravely’s deployment will contribute to the U.S. Northern Command southern border mission as part of the DOD’s coordinated effort in response to the Presidential Executive Order. Gravely’s sea-going capacity improves our ability to protect the United States’ territorial integrity, sovereignty, and security,” said Gen. Gregory Guillot, Commander, U.S. Northern Command.
In support of U.S. Northern Command’s mission to restore territorial integrity at the U.S. southern border, Gravely reinforces the nation’s commitment to border security by enhancing maritime efforts and supporting interagency collaboration. The ship’s deployment highlights the Department of Defense and Navy’s dedication to national security priorities, contributing to a coordinated and robust response to combating maritime related terrorism, weapons proliferation, transnational crime, piracy, environmental destruction, and illegal seaborne immigration.”
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Well ! I am open to being corrected… but:
1. The only body of water separating the United States from Mexico is the narrow Rio Grande River.
2. On the western side is Baja California, and everyone there is busy vacationing and drinking Pina coladas.
3. On the eastern side, there is just the Gulf of Mexico.. (oops! Gulf of America!) and Elon’s rocket pad on the U.S. side. And the party town of Corpus Christi. (the U.S.S. Lexington is anchored there as a museum, so the town is well-defended from sea-faring hordes wanting to crash into Texas!)
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This is school-boy bravado – “I now command a big, shiny new toy”… let me show you!
Where is Alan Arkin when we need him!
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