Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 240: Banged Up Abroad

So far during this 1970s portion of the Oscar Challenge, a lot of films have felt that they dwell on quite bleak subjects. A case in point is 1979 nominee Midnight Express which was adapted from the book by Billy Hayes by a young Oliver Stone, who went on to win an Oscar for the film's screenplay. The story involves Hayes' arrest in Turkey for possession of two hasish blocks and his eventual incarceration for the crime. Along the way Billy is promised to stay in the prison for only a few years before his case is overturned and he is forced to stay in the prison for at least thirty years. Director Alan Parker presents the prison as a harsh and desolate place where even children are beaten on a daily basis. The Turkish guards essentially come off as sadistic and have no compassion for those who have been locked up. Billy is initially kept sane thanks to his friendship with a number of Western prisoners namely heroin addict Max and loudmouth American Jimmy. As time passes, the group attempt to escape but are gradually worn down by the brutal regime that is enforced within the prison. Eventually Billy loses his sanity and is only revived by a visit from his girlfriend who pleads with him to escape the confines of the institution before he loses himself completely. The final scenes of the film that play out apparently have little to do with what actually happened to Hayes himself, and that has definitely been a bone of contention ever since.

Despite this being an excellently directed Alan Parker film, to me Midnight Express has all the hallmarks of a Stone movie. The incredibly graphic scenes of violence and sexual activity coupled with a sense of despair would be go-to storytelling devices for Stone in his later films. Indeed, after reading the disparity between the film and Hayes' actual journey, it appears as if Stone had to liven up the ending to the story as what really happened was fairly dull. I have to say, at certain points, the film was pretty heavy-going especially in the latter scenes of the film. Thankfully there were several elements of the movie that worked quite well namely the set pieces, which provided the films major highlights. The opening scene in particular, from Billy's strapping the drugs to his chest to his eventual arrest, was well-orchestrated and vividly filmed. Despite being heavily fictionalised, the scenes in the prison's mental wing were similarly well-written and completely harrowing. The film was also boosted by an excellent and stark score courtesy of Oscar winner Giorgio Moroder which really complemented the awkward nature of the plot. I was personally surprised that Brad Davis didn't receive a nomination for Best Actor as he perfectly anchored the film as Billy Hayes. In fact the only acting nod the film garnered was in the Supporting Actor category as John Hurt was nominated for his turn as the drug addict Max. Hurt's scenes were indeed memorable, but I personally wanted to see more of him and especially his cat. Ultimately, I don't think you can really enjoy a film like Midnight Express but you can certainly admire it, as I did, for its bleak narrative and stark visuals.

Next time we leave the hate behind and concentrate on the love.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 220: Hard-Working Folk

The biopic has long been a favourite of Oscar and barely a year goes by without at least one true life story being nominated for Best Picture. Though this tradition started early, with Disraeli at the 3rd Oscar ceremony, I'd say that the 1970s really ushered in the generation of biopics which we'd recognise today. This is true of Bound for Glory which follows the journey of American folk singer Woody Guthrie from his humble beginnings in Oklahoma to his fight for equality in the workforce. I don't believe that Guthrie is as big a name in the UK as he is in the States and therefore I don't feel that the film evokes the same sort of feelings as it would for an American audience. The story itself sees Woody leave his family and go on the road to California to find a better life for himself, however he doesn't get off to a particularly good start when he stows away on a train only to be kicked off. Eventually he ends up in California and works as a fruit-picker and sign painter until his talent for singing and song writing is picked up by renowned local singer Ozark Bule. Bule secures Guthrie a gig at a local radio station in which his stirring anthems inspire low-paid workers to join unions, but at the same time Woody winds up the bosses who pay their workers very little. Woody's wife eventually joins him in California but is unhappy when he won't tow the line and regularly leaves her to spread the word elsewhere. Woody also irritates his boss when he continues to sing his protest songs which aren't loved by the new sponsors of the station. Eventually, Woody is recruited by a national station but he decides in the end to go out on his own and spread the word himself.

I really struggled to get into Bound for Glory and it took me a good 45 minutes before I was fully immersed in the story. The first half of the film, concerning Woody's life in Oklahoma and his journey to California, was meandering at best and was saved by some excellent cinematography. Indeed, cinematographer Haskell Wexler won the Oscar for Cinematography, partly due to the fact that was the first film ever to use Steadicam. This new invention was probably best utilised during the scenes on the train as Woody is forced to become a stowaway due to the fact he has no money. The second half of the film features the majority of the plot, including Woody's recruitment by the radio station and his attempts to rally the workforce to campaign for better money. The film's score, which also won an Oscar, and songs were its other big strength and some are still stuck in my head several days after watching the movie. I personally found David Carradine to be captivating in the lead role and he really carried the film during some of its slower moments. The rest of the cast did their jobs well with Ronny Cox being the perfect mentor to Carradine's wide-eyed novice. Overall this really is a film of two halves - one a meandering road trip and the other a biopic of a singer that really is a lot more famous in America than he is in the UK. But I can't say I didn't learn a lot from watching the film and I think that the biopic element of Bound for Glory definitely did its job.

Next time we have two films from a director who has been heavily influenced by his work in the theatre.