Wednesday 28 November 2012

Green Man
(1956)

RATING:60%
FORMAT:DVD

Amusing black comedy about a professional hitman, played by the ever-excellent and hangdog Alastair SIM. Not one of his greatest achievements but still good, clean fun. He is ably supported by the oleaginous Terry THOMAS and the impulsive George COLE. The understated sexiness of Jill ADAMS is also well in evidence, for which we have much to be truly grateful.

A problem with this movie is that it betrays its stage origins and makes not enough use of the cinema's full potential. Its real problem however is that unlike an Ealing comedy it simply lacks the courage of its own convictions. It leavens the dark humor with broad sex farce that does not really fit. The two genres are not natural bedfellows and tend to distract one form the other. The farce is also there to take our attentions away from the plot's more incredible elements. However, the ending is first-rate and straight out of Fawlty Towers.

Copyright © 2012 Frank TALKER. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute it in any format; provided that mention of the author’s Weblog (http://franktalker5.blogspot.com) is included: E-mail notification requested. All other rights reserved.
Posted by Frank TALKER™ at 17:42
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Science:



No science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power.



Jacob Bronowski… (1908 - 74), British scientist, author. Encounter (London, July 1971).


Sleep of Reason:



The dream of reason produces monsters. Imagination deserted by reason creates impossible, useless thoughts. United with reason, imagination is the mother of all art and the source of all its beauty.



Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes… (1746-1828), Spanish painter. Caption to Caprichos, number 43, a series of eighty etchings completed in 1798, satirical and grotesque in form.


Humans & Aliens:



I am human and let nothing human be alien to me.



Terence… (circa 190-159 BC), Roman dramatist. Chremes, in The Self-Tormentor [Heauton Timorumenos], act 1, scene 1.


Führerprinzip:



One leader, one people, signifies one master and millions of slaves… There is no organ of conciliation or mediation interposed between the leader and the people, nothing in fact but the apparatus - in other words, the party - which is the emanation of the leader and the tool of his will to oppress. In this way the first and sole principle of this degraded form of mysticism is born, the Führerprinzip, which restores idolatry and a debased deity to the world of nihilism.



Albert Camus… (1913-60), French-Algerian writer & philosopher. The Rebel: An Essay on Man in Revolt: New York: Vintage Books, (1984; page 182.)