|
| • Advanced Search • Help |
The Long Gray Line | Year: 1955 Classification: Drama Directed: - John Ford Actors/Actresses: - Tyrone Power - Maureen O'Hara Inspiring and well-made Highly enjoyable tale of the life of Marty Maher, the Irish immigrant who rose from humble waiter to become West Point's beloved athletic trainer and football coach for more than 50 years. Despite personal tragedies, and through two World Wars, Maher inspired generations of young men who came through the distinguished Army officers' academy, including future legends like Omar Bradley and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Tyrone Power is excellent and compelling as he portrays Maher from young idealist to elderly sage, Irish accent intact all the way. The scenery and West Point pageantry is fun to watch (although some of it looks like it was filmed inside a studio -- but much else looks like it may have been filmed at the Military Academy). Interestingly, there's not really all that much football in this film -- there's a little, but it's mainly the story of Maher and his family, and the young men he came to love like his own sons. With the flame-haired Maureen O'Hara as Maher's Irish wife Mary, giving a radiant performance. Sentimental in that '50s way, of course, but the legendary director John Ford (working with a cast made up of many of his favorites) always puts a bite behind the sweetness. Long Gray Line My wife and I stumbled across this rare gem a few days ago on AMC. It began late in the evening, but we were unable to stop watching. It is a truly wonderful story, based on what I've come to learn is a book entitled BRINGING UP THE BRASS that was based on Technical Sargeant Martin Maher's life. The movie has all of the classical elements of John Ford including humor and poignancy, and I shall heartily recommend this film to my family and friends. It's nice to see patriotism and honor on film, even though it was 45 years ago! Dulce et Decorum...? "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" -- "Proper and sweet it is to die for the Fatherland." These words from Vergil's "Aeneid" apply in spades to "The Long Grey Line." Beneath the film's overt message of patriotism, honour and glory lies one constant, recurring theme: It's a good, grand and glorious thing for young men to be so filled with dreams of militaristic "glory and honour" that they are ready to die for "The Reich." And it's a good, grand and glorious thing as well for the loved ones they leave behind in mourning. Am I being a touch judgemental? Darn right. So why did I give it four stars? First, any film with Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara, Ward Bond and the score of other fine actors (and an actress or two) is already worth at least three stars in my book. Secondly, the film is so over-the-top in its melodramatic depiction of "fantasy patriotism" that I wonder whether its creators didn't mean to suggest the folly of militaristic utopianism through the expedient use of a near lethal overdose of hyper-pious hands-over-hearts whenever Old Glory passes by, the ultra-dramatic portrayals that "my tragic loss is really my strength and glory," and the continuous flag-waving, death-worshipping and militaristic sentimentalising that saturates this film from start to finish. On the one hand, the war-sentimentalisers who have always sent and who continue to send young men to early graves for the sake of political and/or corporate interests will undoubtedly see this film in one light. One that appears to validate their own far-from-honourable interests and agendas. On the other, those who despise the fantasy of militaristic glory may well see a brilliant portrayal of the waste of young lives, a waste that brings the hero of the film to sanctimoniously mark the deaths of his former youthful cadets with a black ribbon in the appropriate yearbook. In either case, the message will be in the eye -- and prompted by the true nature of the heart and soul -- of the viewer. Whatever the case, I recommend that any viewer of this classic film follow up with a sobering shot of "Taps." And that in viewing that rather different presentation of military school cadets special attention be paid to the professional soldier who accuses his own honour-enraptured cadet son of being "in love with death." Buy The Long Gray Line at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on The Long Gray Line Search with the Priority Search Engine on The Long Gray Line This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
|
