Intro.
Despite being a huge Frank Sinatra fan, I haven't seen all of his films yet. Sure, I've seen quite a few, including the awful ones like The Kissing Bandit and The Pride and the Passion. But I've missed some of his most well-respected or well-known, like Kings Go Forth. Not only is it a good war story, but a good romance and a good reflection of human character.Overview
Lt. Sam Loggins (Frank Sinatra) is the leader of a group of men who have marched through Italy and into France during World War II. As they fight for a small valley occupied by the Germans, he gets a group of recruits including the suave, smooth-talking standout Britt (Tony Curtis). Then on a pass in Nice, Sam meets beautiful Monique (Natalie Wood) who is American but has lived her whole life in France. He falls hopelessly in love with her, but she does not fall for him. She instead tells him that her father, two years deceased, was a Negro, which is why her family moved to France when she was born. Sam takes it a bit hard, coming from a prejudiced background as was pretty common in the forties (American troops weren't even desegregated until 1948). However, he decides to come back to Monique, but as happy as she is to see him, she soon takes interest in Britt, whom they run into while at a nightclub. It's clear that Britt and Monique are infatuated with each other and each time the three meet, Sam becomes the third wheel. He bows out one night to allow them to be together, only to realize that they are out all night. Confronting Britt the next morning, he discovers that, with Monique's mother's insistence, the two are now engaged. Sam remains friends with them both - that is until he discovers that Britt purposefully did not submit the marriage paperwork to the Army. Furious, he makes Britt admit that he had no intention of marrying a half-black woman and a distraught Monique runs out of the house. Sam follows her, but is too late because she gets hit by a car. But the story doesn't end there! Sam and Britt go out on a dangerous mission. The only problem is, Sam has told Britt he will kill him for what he did to Monique. The resulting battle is a harrowing night for both men that will change both of them forever.Highlights
Not all of the cinematography was outstanding in this film, but there were a few shots that just took my breath away. If you watch, keep an eye out for some unique angles along the streets of the French Riviera and again during some of the battle scenes. And Natalie Wood looks amazing (of course). Frank Sinatra and Tony Curtis are well cast in this film and each one delivers a great performance. Frank's acting is pitch-perfect too. When he confronts Curtis and learns that he's engaged, we aren't sure if Frank is going to smile or punch Curtis. In fact, Tony Curtis and I both jumped when Frank stuck out his hand and growled "Congratulations." I also really enjoyed watching Leora Dana as Monique's mother - she has a great presence and really gives her story a lot of heart. Frank Sinatra also narrates the film. At first I was confused, as his narrator tone was a lot softer, more reflective and sentimental than his brash speaking voice. It makes sense though, because he is looking back on all of this as he tells the story - we can imagine he is telling it after the war is over and after he has changed. I think that's a pretty important storytelling technique and well done. It's hard to show two sides of a character and explain how one changed into another.
Finally, there's the heart of the matter - whether or not such a thing as race and background can change the basis of love. That's what we, along with Sam, discover: Love is more enduring than prejudice and the human spirit is resilient even in tragedy.
Review
Okay, I loved this movie. It reminded me at times of From Here to Eternity in its depth and sometimes melodramatic tone. There's also a great scene where Frank is seated at an outdoor cafe table watching Britt and Monique dance and I swear, I thought he was going to start humming "What Makes the Sunset." But enough fan girl movie allusions - this film stands on its own two feet. It has many layers and some great talents. Definitely a movie worth seeing.
*"What Makes the Sunset" is from Anchors Aweigh. Frank sings it when his girl (Kathryn Grayson) starts to dance with and fall for Frank's best pal, Gene Kelly. Sound familiar?
