Amazon.com essential video

Light on story, this 1966 spectacle directed by John Frankenheimer was shot in 70 millimeter, with a cinematically enthralling emphasis on unique, visceral new ways of capturing the sensations of a car race. James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, and Toshiro Mifune are part of the stellar, international cast whose characters plod through assorted relationship and business conflicts. But the film's real hook is the thrilling and inventive means by which Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) brings an urgency to the drama happening on the racetrack. A true master of the plastic techniques of obtaining and cutting kinetic footage, Frankenheimer offers more than a joyride to viewers: he makes action part of the compelling language of stories. Cameras are strapped to vehicles as they round the track, shots are taken from a helicopter, the screen is split between angles for maximum impact--even if Grand Prix doesn't rank among the director's best character-driven stories, it is certainly driven on its own terms. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (53)

a classic and a must for race fans
John Frankenheimer broke new ground when he filmed "Grand Prix", putting cameras on single-seater cars and thus creating some of the most amazing footage ever shot of cars from that era. The movie is on the light side as far as the story development goes, and while James Garner is very convincing as an American grand prix ace, one has a harder time buying this sort of act from Yves Montand who plays the aging Ferrari driver. Eva Marie Saint is cast as a magazine journalist following the grand prix circus around Europe, trying to get a story - a storyline that was recently successfully resurrected in "Driven". Her lovestory with Montand is not exactly hot, but the highly dramatic race action in Monte Carlo, Spa, and Monza (they still used the famous banking of the autodromo in those days!)more than makes up for that. The film features cameo appearances of some of the era's greatest drivers like Graham Hill. Letter-boxed on a larger screen is the only decent way to completely enjoy the breath-taking cinematography of this classic.

Grand Prix starring James Garner
Grand Prix, the film, is an amazing documentary portraying grand prix racing in the late 1960's. James Garner plays an outstanding role as American driver Pete Aaron. With little dialogue and plenty of authentic race footage, Grand Prix can eaisly be quoted to be the best racing movie ever produced. John Frankenheimer took the racing fans image of early grand prix racing to it's greatest extreme and and made it into one of the first auto racing films ever to be produced. A production of this quality will never be recreated because of the manner in which it was made. The footage is real racing, not acting. Helicopters were flown down the straightways 15-20 feet above the cars during races. The FIA these days wouldn't let an aircraft within miles of the circuit, making a film with the action of Grand Prix impossible to duplicate.

Grand Prix
Having recently rediscovered Formula 1 racing on the Speed Channel, I went looking for the finest movie ever made concerning the Grand Prix, the movie of the same name. I was fortunate to have seen it in Cinemascope in a theater especially designed for just such movies - humongous curved screen, as fine a sound system as then available. I've watched the movie several times on the little box but it's never duplicated the original experience. I CANNOT BELIVE it is not yet available on DVD. If ever a movie deserved the DVD treatment this is it. The very finest movie of its kind - it accurately captures the essence of Formula 1 racing and is every bit as timely and viable a viewing experience as it was 38 years ago. If we pull together it will soon be available - I have no doubt.

Grand Prix, Grand indeed!
It has been said that this is the best racing movie ever made. It is.

No movie before or since has been able to capture the feeling and essence of racing in the 60's or any other era.

What director Frankenheimer does in this movie is still exciting even by today's standards.

Even though I am a huge Steve McQueen fan, Le Mans definitely takes second place to Grand Prix.

I was really excited to see the movie Driven with Stallone, until I saw it. All I kept saying to myself was "This is not even close to Grand Prix". Grand Prix has not only raised the bar, but has set it as well.

Do yourself a favor, don't rent, but rather buy this film and get ready for an education on how great movies were made and should be made.

Beware: Pan and Scan
Be aware that this is a Pan and Scan version of the film, a fact that is omitted in the product description. As a result, many scenes that were thrilling in Cinemascope and awkward here. Nonetheless, I fully concur with other reviewers - this is a must have film for car buffs and racing fans. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

The Laughs are coming, the Laughs are coming !
I have watched this movie more times than I can count, and each time I find myself laughing until I cry. When a Russian submarine accidentally runs aground of a sleepy little island summer town, the people literally go nuts. Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner, Brian Keith and Jonathan Winters are just a few of the many fine actors who make this movie a laugh a minute. When the bumbling Russians tie up and gag the elderly Post-Mistress "Muriel Everitt" and sit her on top of the refrigerator - you will laugh until your sides ache when her nearly deaf husband eats breakfast 2 feet from her and never realizes she's behind him struggling to get his attention. The sight of Carl Reiner tied up face to face with the hefty town operator and their efforts to hop down a steep flight of steps, (ending, naturally, with the heavy woman falling on top of Carl Reiner and passing out ) is more than I could take with out laughing until I cried. Please rent this movie and have the entire family watch it with you. It's in the genre of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" and you will enjoy every moment !

Everybody to get from street...and buy this video!
I also agree that this has to be one of the best comedies from the 1960's. With Norman Jewison directing, this isn't your average flick, quite polished for a comedy, with excellent editing and cinematography and a strong script adapted from Benchley's novel. Jewison's creation of place captures just the right amount of sleepyness for this small island, and is perfect. Many of the performances are also exceptional, highlighted by Brian Keith as the long-suffering Glouscester Island sheriff; Jonathan Winters, of course, as one of his deputies; Carl Reiner as the vacationing writer; Eva Marie Saint as his long-suffering wife; their son (whose name escapes me, but who almost steals the movie with his antics); and Alan Arkin, as the long-suffering Soviet submarine lieutenant who must somehow get his sub off the reef. But first he must venture on-shore with his men and into the lives of the feared Americans. For its time, this movie must have been quite subversive given how the Russians are portrayed, which is truthful, normal and with affection. These aren't killers, just sailors, and right off the bat we're rooting for them to succeed. Arkin gives one of his best performances ever; it's a pleasure to watch him swing from drama to comedy and back. His rendition of the Reiner character's name as "Whitaker Walt" is a classic and a family favorite. He does it all here, and very movingly. The same can be said for Keith, who also shows great range and appeal. This movie also has one of the best endings of any film. A great comedy with a great message.

Excellent Anti-War Comedy
A Russian submarine runs aground on an island near New England. The Russian skipper (Theodore Bikel) sends a landing party ashore to find a boat to tow the stranded sub. The landing party is headed by Alan Arkin. The winter residents of the island have a police department of sorts which is headed by Brian Keith and his assistant is Jonathan Winters. Paul Ford heads a small band of mostly unarmed volunteers. Carl Reiner and Eva Marie Saint are taken captive by the hapless Russians. In response to the "invasion" Ford rallies his group with slogans which remind us of the battles of Concord and Lexington and also Bunker Hill. Two old ladies ride through the village on a motorcycle doing their own imitation of Paul Revere.

The movie is an anti-war comedy made after the Cuban Missile Crisis and during the period of escalation in Vietnam. It is also a time when private bomb shelters are being built by Americans.

THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING, THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Actor (Alan Arkin), Adapted Screenplay and Editing. The main competition for Oscars in 1966 came from A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS.

Norman Jewison also directed FIDDLER ON THE ROOF and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.

One of the funniest ever
I'm old enough that I first saw this classic at the theatre, yep, upwards of 40 years ago. I laughed then, and haven't stopped.

I have a habit of collecting films that are a must for my library when they come out in different formats. So, while I already had this in VCR, it's now necessary to get it for DVD. It hasn't lost even a little of its humorous effect.

Where does one start? Alan Arkin was brilliant, deserved an academy award. Carl Reiner was fabulous. Perhaps my favorite of all, even to this day, was Paul Ford. (Oh, and Jonothan Winter's part is incredible.)

But the DVD is even better than the others. You see, there's an interview with producer/director Norman Jewison that's worth its weight in gold. He goes on about how well the actors worked together. And I remember that the film, even in my much younger days, gave me some hope: Maybe we CAN live together despite Cold War rhetoric and the like. It seems the Russians felt the same way!

This is a film that should be part of everyone's collection. It's hysterial, satirical, some of the finest acting I've ever seen--and a collection of one liners to make the Marx Bros. jealous. Get it and relish it.

HILARIOUS!
This movie is really funny! It is a light-hearted comedy. The chocolate cake scene is the funniest and "Mr. Whitaker, Walt" does a great job! Although this was a highly stressful time for the USA with a pending threat from the USSR, it is funny to see how the people ultimately react. ... Read more

Reviews (52)

See Exodus
The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo differs from the book but captured the essence of the story of Exodus. A close obsever and listner will learn much of the climate and environment of the time, noted scene, the broadcasting of news to refugees aboard the Exodus while declaring a hunger strike in a harbor on the island of Cyprus. Paul Newman is not particularly strong as Ari Ben Cannon. The character in the book was a bit more masculine. Eva Marie Saint and Sal Mineo are great, and Sir Ralph Richardson. Sal Mineo desrved an oscar. Otto Priminger was atypical for the day, choosing to film outside of a sound stage on location as much as possible. There are mistakes, shadows of the camera on the faces of actors at times but his unique style of direction is the film's power. Ernest Gold's score is stirring and powerful and beautiful. Some may find the story telling a bit slow by today's standards. If patient, a complex, historical and significant drama will unfold. This is an excellent film. See Schindler's List first and then Exodus. Actually, the sequence here should go somthing like this: Lawrence of Arabia, Schindler's List, and Exodus. What a history lession of the Middle East. Enjoyable, too. The widescreen format is the only way to thoroughly enjoy this film.

Where are the pompadours?
Remember the gladiator movies from the 1950's where all the men wore pompadour hairstyles? If this movie had been made five years earlier we would have seen Paul Newman with puffy hair. Sadly, we missed it. Suffice it to say this movie is really quite bad. It is filmed as if the actors were all on holiday and there just happened to be cameras around. In several spots the sound quality is really quite poor. If you are a Paul Newman fan you should give this movie a miss.

Beautiful and tragic
This tale of the subjugation of the Palestinian people will appeal to hard-core Israelites, but will seem amazingly brutal to those of us who still harbor questions about the Zionist Cleansing Experiment.

Right up there with "Bonnie and Clyde" in making you cheer for the bad guys -- and feel badly thereafter.

A Slice of History!!!
This is one of the best films of all time. With Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, and Lee J. Cobb, and Sal Mineo, among the ensemble cast, it doesn't get any better than this. The movie tracks the crew of a ship which ultimately wants to go to Israel- they are Jews from Europe who want to repatriate, and Paul Newman is highlighted as the son of Lee J. Cobb, who represents Ben Gurion.

There's lots of action in this movie, and the additional casting of Peter Lawford as an American attache is real interesting as well. There's intrigue, a prison break, romance, a great soundtrack, and an ending which points to the headlines of today.

A marvelous film, and highly recommended!!

How the Movie Exodus Influenced My Life
The movie 'Exodus' has been a very big influence in my life. The first time I viewed it was when I was 10 years old, right after it was first released back in 1960. My older sister explained to me that it was the true story of the rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948 in fulfillment of bible prophecy ("...shall a nation be born in a day?" Isaiah 66:8). I didn't fully understand it back then, but it made a big impression on me and became a seed in my heart that continued to grow for another 38 years. During that period of time I never forgot the movie or what it represented. The seed came to fruition in 1998, the 50th anniversary of the State of Israel, when I was blessed to be able to visit Israel for the first time. A few days prior to my departure I obtained a copy of the movie and viewed it again. The memories flooded back, but with a much more enlightened understanding of the miracle of Israel and the return of the Hebrews to their ancient covenant land after 2000 years of dispersion ("...I [God] will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel" Ezekiel 11:17). How could anyone not see that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has proven He keeps His word and continues to watch over His word to perform it??!! Why is He doing this? "I [God] do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake... I will sanctify My Great name...and the nations shall know that I am the LORD" Ezekiel Chapter 36. In other words, God keeps His word and this proves it. And if God can redeem Israel and the Hebrews He can redeem anybody from any nation if they will repent and acknowledge Him as Lord. I recommend the movie, it will help you relive the miraculous moment, and give you a taste for that which is yet to come. The epic musical score is unforgettable... if only it were still available. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Marlon Brando's famous "I coulda been a contenda" speech is such a warhorse by now that a lot of people probably feel they've seen this picture already, even if they haven't. And many of those who have seen it may have forgotten how flat-out thrilling it is. For all its great dramatic and cinematic qualities, and its fiery social criticism, Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront is also one of the most gripping melodramas of political corruption and individual heroism ever made in the United States, a five-star gut-grabber. Shot on location around the docks of Hoboken, New Jersey, in the mid-1950s, it tells the fact-based story of a longshoreman (Brando's Terry Malloy) who is blackballed and savagely beaten for informing against the mobsters who have taken over his union and sold it out to the bosses. (Karl Malden has a more conventional stalwart-hero role, as an idealistic priest who nurtures Terry's pangs of conscience.) Lee J. Cobb, who created the role of Willy Loman in Death of Salesman under Kazan's direction on Broadway, makes a formidable foe as a greedy union leader. --David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (106)

AFI top 100-8 Oscars -Best Picture 1954-Best Actor Brando!!
With the famous quote: "I could-ha been a contend-ha. I could have been somebody!!"
AFI (American Film Institute) voted "On the Waterfront" into the top 100 films in the last 100 years. Winner of 8 Oscars including the "BIG 3" - Picture, Director-Elia Kazan and Actor-Marlon Brando. This Remastered Sight and Sound DVD gives us an outstanding Full-Screen Black & White Classic presentation. Fantastic cast - Marlon Brando, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Karl Malden And Eva Marie Saint (first starring role).
Shot on location "On the Waterfront" in New York / New Jersey during the winter time. Actually done outside on location!! This added to the realism of the rough neighborhoods surrounding the waterfront.
In Summary: Terry Malloy (Brando) an ex boxer tries to fit into the longshoreman union "On the Waterfront". Treated as a patsy by Union Leader crook (Cobb) and protected by his brother (Steiger) Union strong arm. He is set up in a union troublemakers death. The sister (Saint)of the slain troublemaker and Priest (Malden) try to befriend Terry (Brando) into betraying the corrupt union boss and turning states evidence.
A brilliant cast performs flawlessly (especially the famous "Contender Scene between Brando & Steiger")and shows us the rough, crude world of the waterfront of the 1950's. This DVD is a remastered Black & White picture and sound presented in a Full Screen format. Many extras including "Contender" explain and reveal many background facts regarding this Classic Film.
This movie shows us what was happening "ON THE WATERFRONT".

The quintessential Brando performance...
Marlon Brando's performance alone justifies watching this movie. Without mentioning any of On the Waterfront's other merits, it could be given 5 stars simply because of his brilliant interpretation of his role as Terry Malloy, the confused and inarticulate former prize-fighter. In addition to Brando's performance, On the Waterfront features great performances from the other actors, a compelling and realitic situation, and some really moving scenes and speeches.

In On the Waterfront, Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) moves from an apathetic, cynical bum to a fighter who stands up for what he believes in. At first, in order to get work, Malloy cooperates with the corrupt union (it really is more like a gang) that runs things in the waterfront area. Although the union has murdered several people, the police cannot break it up because nobody has the courage to stand up and testify against it. But by the end, through the guidance of a passionate priest and the beautiful, idealistic daughter of his murdered friend (Eva Marie Saint, who gives an excellent, Oscar winning performance in her first movie), Malloy finds the courage to testify against the union's boss, Johnny Friendly.

Admittedly, the film does have its faults - the soundtrack, for instance, is overdone, and sometimes the director, Elia Kazan, gives the impression that he is trying to make certain scenes very deep (which strangely enough takes away from them). Overall, however, On the Waterfront is a great film - a classic in the true meaning of the word. Again, it is worth seeing for Brando's performance alone!

I LOVE THIS FILM
It is unfortunate that it took Brando's death for me to realize the acting genuis he was. In this movie he brought forth such a vulnerability that you wanted to root for him. His acting is brilliant, I can understand why he won an Oscar for this performance. I now know what true acting genius is, it was Brando. Highly recommend this movie.

Somewhat dated but still compelling classic drama
I recently re-watched Elia Kazan's ON THE WATERFRONT in honor of its late star, Marlon Brando. His performance as Terry Malloy is often considered one of his greatest (and he won an Oscar for it to back it up), and there is no doubt that this is a performance of spontaneity and great emotional realism that must have awed a generation of filmgoers who watched him. He truly brings his character---a former boxing champ tortured by pangs of conscience as well as disappointment---to authentic life in a way that is somewhat heightened yet always convincingly down-to-earth.

As for the film surrounding this great performance, it has inevitably lost some of its power since it made a splash in the '50s (during the height of McCarthyism, and during which Kazan testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee and named names), but it still offers an emotionally compelling experience overall. If sometimes Budd Schulberg's screenplay seems a tad too overwrought (particularly in the final scene, too overtly symbolic), Kazan and his cast never allow it disintegrate into tiresome preachiness. If Brando's performance can be said to be "extraordinary" (and it is certainly something to watch), the other actors are hardly upstaged. I don't know if Eva Marie Saint really deserved an Oscar for her performance here, but perhaps that has more to do with her more conventional character than with her performance, which is good enough. Karl Malden, as the activist Father Barry, fares better: he is convincingly noble and impassioned in his role as, arguably, Malloy's conscience. And Lee J. Cobb is also good as the corrupt Johnny Friendly: while the script does not necessarily develop human sides to the character, Cobb admirably makes him convincing nevertheless rather than merely a one-note snarling villain.

Despite its topical origins---this film is often seen as Kazan's justification for testifying at the HUAC---the plot still resonates pretty strongly today. I mean, who wouldn't feel the same internal dilemma in the same kind of situations that Malloy gets into in this film? Feeling like you should do your duty as a citizen in the face of great corruption, and yet afraid of what might happen to you if you do? I think everyone can at least understand Malloy's tortured conscience in this movie---maybe, other than Kazan himself, Marlon Brando understood it most of all---and perhaps that is why, despite some of its more dated elements, this film continues to endure. Notwithstanding its political background, ON THE WATERFRONT remains a gripping drama to this day.

Greatness Never Flags
When director Elia Kazan unveiled ON THE WATERFRONT in 1954, both critics and the public agreed that this was a special film. This is a rare enough phenomenom and repeated viewings over the decades indicate that this film truly deserves to be labeled with that often overused 'great' tagline. Part of the reason why the audiences of the 50s loved OTW was not just the superlative acting of Marlon Brando as Terry Molloy, Eva Marie Saint as Edie or Rod Steiger as Terry's conflicted brother Charley, but rather the very feel and sound of the Hoboken waterfront were faifthfully recreated to the extent that they formed a tonal subtext. Have you noticed that OTW is not a quiet movie? In nearly every scene, one can hear the raucus shriek of railroad cars and ship clanghorns dolefully reminding us that sound can be used to place the actors both spatially and aurally. Remember the scene when Terry tries to explain to Edie his own role in the murder of her brother? As soon as he opens his mouth, a ship's whistle begins to shriek so his words are drowned out. We may not be able to hear, but the look of Edie's face tells us that she heard.

It is too easy to toss around memorable quotes of which OTW abounds: the "I coulda been a contenda" speech, for example. But this film is not great because of them. Rather, OTW is great because it does what all great movies manage to do: to engage us in the fate of its stars. When Brando is beaten to a pulp by Johnny Friendly's (Lee J. Cobb) thugs and has to stagger to reach the warf to report to work and thus break the stranglehold of the crooked union boss on the workers, we can feel each agonized step that Brando takes. It is only the great movies that allow us to feel pain like that. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Beatty on Beatty!!
This is one of the small group of films Mr Beatty made after
" Splendor in the Grass" and before " Bonnie and Clyde"

I think its important to appreciate that after " Splendor...when Mr Beatty was very much in demmand..he did not make programmer types of films. In my opinion he choose very carefully and came up with a thought provoking group of films that live on today as " what might have been"

" Lillith" and " All Fall Down" are two of these films.
" All Fall Down" written by William Inge( Splendor,,,Picnic etc)
is an artistically unique film about people and their needs and detachments.

Berry Berry( Beatty) and Brandon De Wilde play off each other very well as two brothers totally different( where have we seen that before). The film is well acted from all that include Karl Malden, Ms. Lansbury who turns in another fine tectured performance as the mother..and a very fragile and hopeless Eva Marie Saint

John Frankenheimer's direction and editing is put to good use when there is so much to say visually and very little time to do so. A Real Gem!

An Overlooked Dramatic Gem
Why is this film always overlooked? Frankenheimer made it in that same incredible year (1962) as "The Birdman of Alcatraz" and "The Manchurian Candidate". With those two terrific movies, it seems to form a trilogy of "monster mother" tales. Thelma Ritter (controlling and guilt-tripping in Birdman) and Lansbury (the ultimate monster mother in Manchurian). Perhaps this was a theme for the director at the time.

In "All Fall Down", Lansbury, as always, stands out among several other fine performers. Karl Malden is perfectly cast as her foil, a seemingly passive husband reaching the boiling point. De Wilde and Saint are both excellent. Watch for the underrated Barbara Baxley as a lonely school teacher and Evans Evans (Mrs. Frankenheimer) as a prostitute at the very beginning of the picture. (By the way, what was the story on Madame Spivy? "Out! O-A-T!!" she yells to the De Wilde character in the bar.) This film is an over-the-top dysfunctional family drama to the max. There's something unforgettable about Berry Berry (Warren Beatty) and his tortured interactions with Anabelle. Based on a wonderful novel by J. L. Herlihy (Midnight Cowboy).See this film, you won't regret it ... Read more

Reviews (224)

Hitchcock and Grant: An Unbeatable Combination
"North by Northwest" (1959) was the fourth and final collaboration between director Alfred Hitchcock and actor Cary Grant -- and it's easily the best. Both men were at their artistic zenith when they made this superb comic thriller, which screenwriter Ernest Lehman promised would be "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures." Lehman's script incorporates some brilliant setpieces that the Master of Suspense was unable to work into his previous films, such as the famous crop-dusting chase and the surreal Mount Rushmore climax. However, the highlight remains the Chicago auction sequence. Grant's screwball humor and dark charm make him the ideal Hitchcock leading man -- complemented by excellent performances from Eva Marie Saint, James Mason and Martin Landau. "North by Northwest" was Hitchcock's sole effort for MGM and he makes the most of the studio gloss. It's a top-notch production in terms of set design and matte work. In fact, author Ian Fleming considered "North by Northwest" to be the stylistic prototype for the James Bond series and wanted Hitchcock to direct the first 007 production (he turned down the offer). To fully appreciate this classic film, it should be seen in the letterbox format that Hitchcock intended. One of the all-time greats.

I'M AN ADVERTISING MAN, NOT A RED HERRING...
I won't bore you with the summary as I'm sure who ever is on this page has seen other reviews with the synopsis of North by Northwest. In my opinion, this and Psycho represent Alfred Hithcock at his apex and definitely NBNW is one of the greatest films of all time (it's in the AFI Top 100 Movies of all time). Sure maybe there are errors in it but no movie is perfect, nonetheless it comes close to perfection. It moves along, solid storyline, legendary actors and actresses (the always debonair Cary Grant; the beautiful Eva Marie Saint; the cool, calm, evil that James Mason exudes and the dark, sinister presence of Martin Landau) performing their parts to perfection. Hitchcock didn't need to use special effects, loud explosions or graphic violence to keep the viewers entertained. The characters and the storyline keep the viewers glued to the screen and the underlying espionage story was appropriate given the era of the Cold War. This was the template for future action/adventure/spy thrillers and I am even tempted to say that this could be a 1959 version of The Fugitive, ordinary man accused of a crime he didn't commit and has to exonerate himself! You forget this movie is over 2 hours long the way it moves briskly along. A perfect melange of comedy, action and suspense. See it if you haven't and buy it if you can, you WILL NOT regret it. A timeless classic!

HIS BEST CHASER...
It seems 2 me that Hitchcock sort of stole many elements from his pre-chaser-films and said: "Good-eeeeevening..... You think you have seen my best efforts, but I must unfortunately dissappoint you.....!"

Indeed this is a neurotic and clastraphobic chaser and suspenser - maybe the BEST EVER - thanks 2 the talents of Ernest Lehman, Hitchcock himself, his crew and the entire cast. There are numerous highlights from this film; I prefer NOT 2 single out any of them in favour of others. This film belongs IN EVERY HOME:-)

I LOVE this movie!
This movie is not only Hitchcock's best (just a tad behind 'Vertigo', in my opinion), but is one of the best movies ever made. Movies rarely have it all (story, acting, visuals, music, wit, action, suspense, 'hipness', and sexiness), but this movie has it all in spades.

Some of my favorite things about this movie:

1. Eva Marie Saint - Stunning...absolutely stunning. Everybody always thinks about Grace Kelly or Kim Novak in association with Hitchcock, but, for my money, Eva Marie Saint is the most drop-dead gorgeous of any leading lady.

2. The settings - The United Nations interior scenes are mouth wateringly rich. It really makes you want to go back in time to when everything 'modern' was new and exciting. We take so much for granted these days. The Cropduster scene is exciting and vastly more inventive than action movies being made today. Van Damm's House is the epitome of the promise that modern organic architecture once held. The scenes at Van Damm's house are even more amazing when you consider that the exterior settings are entirely fabricated, in a pre-CGI effects sort of way. They are more convincing than CGI scenes of today. Amazing.

This is one movie I never get tired of. Buy it and you won't be sorry.

One of the Greatest Thrillers of All Time
This is arguably Cary Grants best film. Couple that with a terrific cast, dynamite story, immortal one-liners, some great scenes in actual locations, and classic Hitchcock editing and you have a shoe-in on any "best of all time list". This movie was made in 1958 and although it was current in it's day, it now is just as current as a period film set in 1958, keeping in mind of the political climate and cold war attitudes of the time. The costumes are very natural, having been bought in actual New York stores, and the set designs are beautifully designed. The set decoration is also first rate.

This DVD is a superb transfer. The color looks perfectly natural, the sound is full, low noise stereo and the widescreen is anamorphic. There is hardly any flaw in the print. Amazing. The menu is also animated to match the Saul Bass opening title and is wonderful. The "making of" film (30 minutes long) is superb and hosted by beautiful leading lady "Eve Marie Saint".

Finally, the score by Bernard Hermann adds to the high tension of the action. The orchestration and performance on this film is one of the very best of all time. I can't recommend this film enough for action, solid story and terrific action besides just being completely entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Fatal Vision: Movie Suggests Doctor Guilty of Murder
The murder of the wife and children of Green Beret doctor Jeffrey MacDonald was the basis of a book, FATAL VISION, by Joe McGinnis. When Dr. MacDonald was accused of the murder, McGinnis at first believed in his innocence, but later changed his mind, so it is no surprise that his book reflects that belief. The movie version is a faithful rendering of the book and also reflects the same belief. Director David Greene presents MacDonald as a man who is totally narcissistic and capable of violence. Gary Cole, who plays Dr. MacDonald, is presented as exactly the sort of man who could kill his family, and then go on television to revel in the publicity. The first half of the movie is on MacDonald, and the audience is set up to first accept, then reject his claim to innocence. The second half belongs to Karl Malden, who plays Freddy Kassab, the father of the slain wife. He becomes enraged at what he sees as the obvious lack of remorse on MacDonald's part. He pushes the authorities for years to re-open the case. Dr. MacDonald is brought to trial and found guilty. He is now incarcerated for life, and is busy seeking a retrial. Both the movie and book suggest that an overwhelming mountain of circumstantial evidence is the proof of his guilt. The problem that I have with this is McGinnis and Greene present a case just as if they were sure of MacDonald's guilt. Especially reprehensible was the scene in which the prosecutor is describing the moments after MacDonald allegedly slaughtered his family. The camera shows him in the bathroom as he uses a scalpel to self-inflict minor wounds that he would later claim were inflicted by intruders. The impression on the viewer is that this scene is gospel truth. Doctor MacDonald did not help his cause by acting like an arrogant jerk in court. The prosecution got great mileage out of showing his opulent life style with an assortment of bimbos. MacDonald seemed the very picture of a cold-blooded wife killer. The first time I saw the movie, I thought that maybe MacDonald did kill his wife and maybe he didn't, and in the American system of justice, that translates to a verdict of not guilty. The movie was a stacked deck. As an afterthought, I learned in the media of a wave of evidence that could have exonerated MacDonald had the prosecution presented it. Further, key members of the prosecution staff themselves were later charged with perjury in other cases not related to this one and they went to jail. When films like FATAL VISION purport to show a true-life trial, there can never be a 'finished product.' The concluding comments that mention his current status ought to be updated periodically to include the generally unknown facts that point out that MacDonald could be innocent. FATAL VISION is a well-done movie and the court scenes are quite gripping, but the bias against MacDonald intrudes to make the consequences of a real life case seem as inconsequential as any found in a movie of pure fiction.

Superior made-for-TV movie
Although director David Greene is known almost exclusively for his work in television, this movie is several notches above most TV fare. Running a full three hours and twenty minutes in two parts, Fatal Vision is just about as riveting as the book of the same name from which it was adapted. The screenplay by long time Hollywood pro John Gay amounts to an indictment of army Captain Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, but then again so did the book.

Gary Cole gives a convincing performance as the former Green Beret army officer who was accused, and then some nine years after the fact, convicted of the murder of his pregnant wife Collette and two young daughters. Karl Malden plays Freddy Kassab, Collette's father, with his usual skill, while Eva Marie Saint plays Kassab's wife.

Since it is still being debated to this day whether Jeffrey MacDonald really was guilty of this horrendous crime (as he continues to serve his prison sentence), perhaps we should appreciate this movie strictly as a study in sociopathology.

The story begins February 17, 1970 with MacDonald phoning the police to report that his wife and two daughters had been brutally murdered by a marauding gang of hippies who broke into his home shouting "Kill the pigs, acid is groovy." He claims he tried to fight them off and was injured and knocked unconscious.

In contrast, the story presented by the prosecution and detailed in McGinniss's book, portrays MacDonald as having, in a fit of temper injured or killed a member of his family, and then to cover up that crime killed all of them, and then fabricated a crime scene to support his story including the infliction of superficial wounds upon himself.

The question most people would like answered is WHY would a previously upstanding member of the community, a successful doctor as well as a decorated army Captain, go to such a horrendous extreme to cover up a crime no worse than manslaughter, if that?

The answer is in the character of Jeffrey MacDonald himself who is depicted as a psychopath possibly under the influence of amphetamines, a man so callous and unfeeling about the pain and suffering of anyone except himself, that he would murder his own family in an attempt to divert the blame from himself. This was the answer that McGinniss came up with after spending a lot of time with MacDonald and after initially believing him to be innocent. This is the answer that the jury believed, and this is the answer given in the character that Gary Cole so vividly portrays.

There are many kinds of truth--legal truth decided by a jury, scientific truth decided by experiment and confirmation, spiritual truth, etc. And there is cinematic artistic truth, decided by the viewer. I think the business-like direction from Greene and his adherence to McGinniss's "vision," along with the fine performance by Gary Cole make us aware of the reality that there are sociopaths among us who can charm and kill with equal ease.

Regardless of the true facts of the case (which we will never know for certain) it is this singular truth that makes this movie worth seeing.

Not Even Safe With The Military
The Manson family murders that occurred in August of 1969 were bad enough, but now this murder provided no safe haven for Middle Class America to run to; the world was falling further and further apart. For Green Beret Doctor Jeffery McDonald it had as he lost his family his wife and 2 little girls to murder. The world mourned with this man, and then came the accusations, and the fact that McDonald himself finds that he's leading the top of the list. His father in law defends him all the way, but then McDonald's behavior, and attitudes begin to make him wonder could McDonald have killed his whole family, and he sets out to find the truth. McDonald still claims that a bunch of hippies killed his family because McDonald wouldn't give out drugs for them. My honest opinion is that McDonald may very well be completely innocent of this crime, but his psychological state makes me have doubts. First of all the appearance on the Dick Cavett show in which he slams the U.S. Army during the investigation, and causing the audience to laugh. Then the fact he alienated his in-laws, and finally moving away makes me feel that he just was moving on way too fast, and not showing any signs of trying to find who killed his family. His psychological state is also showing that McDonald is a paranoid man who loves himself, and anything pertaining to him. I know that if anyone didn't like, or agree with him he's a controlling sort, and will snap at you. I know the one scene where they argued about a piece of evidence McDonald screamed "Warheidi's a Nazi". I feel that he may have been raised that way by his mother. I Can't look at it any other way. McDonald was found guilty, and will not be elligabe for parole for awhile. I found this to be a impressive movies.

This true story shows The Injustice Criminal Justice System
I have to totally agree with Dr. Charles T. Kelly, Jr from the first book review and the review on the second book to do with the McDonald case. With the information from the Freedom of Information Act there is enough evidence to at least be able to give Dr.McDonald a right to a second Trial and not go against his constitutional rights. In Fatal Vision there were mistakes that were made by the Military and our Government seemed to have decided to ignore other evidence and just decide to go after Dr. Mcdonald for the Murders of his Family.

Fatal Injustice
I watched this movie when it first came out. Since that time, I have read both books, Fatal Vision and Fatal Justice: Reinvestigating the MacDonald Murders. It appears as though this movie lacks sound, objective, logical reasoning based on the final product. Also, since many years have now passed, it may be a very profitable endeavour for someone to take all of the Freedom of Information documentation and court transcripts and write the TRUE story of what really took place. Additionally, a movement should be initiated to secure the release of or pressure applied on the government to force a reopening of this Fatal Injustice. Also, certain members of the governments team during the CID investigation and Justice Department investigation should be investigated and charges brought. Their actions, inaction, and damage caused to the criminal justice system must be reversed. As a professor of Criminal Justice and Criminal Investigations, I intend to have every student read both books and watch the movie. There is also a academic journal article written on these two books that is very good.

Most respectfully,
Dr. Charles T. Kelly, Jr. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A strong candidate for the most sheerly entertaining and enjoyable movie ever made by a Hollywood studio (with Citizen Kane, Only Angels Have Wings and Trouble in Paradise running neck and neck). Positioned between the much heavier and more profoundly disturbing Vertigo (1958) and the stark horror of Psycho (1960), North by Northwest (1959) is Alfred Hitchcock at his most effervescent in a romantic comedy-thriller that also features one of the definitive Cary Grant performances. Which is not to say that this is just "Hitchcock Lite"; seminal Hitchcock critic Robin Wood (in his book Hitchcock's Films Revisited) makes an airtight case for this glossy MGM production as one of The Master's "unbroken series of masterpieces from Vertigo to Marnie." It's a classic Hitchcock Wrong Man scenario: Grant is Roger O. Thornhill (initials ROT), an advertising executive who is mistaken by enemy spies for a U.S. undercover agent named George Kaplan. Convinced these sinister fellows (James Mason as the boss, and Martin Landau as his henchman) are trying to kill him, Roger flees and meets a sexy Stranger on a Train (Eva Marie Saint), with whom he engages in one of the longest, most convolutedly choreographed kisses in screen history. And, of course, there are the famous set pieces: the stabbing at the United Nations, the crop-duster plane attack in the cornfield (where a pedestrian has no place to hide), and the cliffhanger finale atop the stone faces of Mount Rushmore. Plus a sparkling Ernest Lehman script and that pulse-quickening Bernard Herrmann score. What more could a moviegoer possibly desire? --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (224)

Hitchcock and Grant: An Unbeatable Combination
"North by Northwest" (1959) was the fourth and final collaboration between director Alfred Hitchcock and actor Cary Grant -- and it's easily the best. Both men were at their artistic zenith when they made this superb comic thriller, which screenwriter Ernest Lehman promised would be "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures." Lehman's script incorporates some brilliant setpieces that the Master of Suspense was unable to work into his previous films, such as the famous crop-dusting chase and the surreal Mount Rushmore climax. However, the highlight remains the Chicago auction sequence. Grant's screwball humor and dark charm make him the ideal Hitchcock leading man -- complemented by excellent performances from Eva Marie Saint, James Mason and Martin Landau. "North by Northwest" was Hitchcock's sole effort for MGM and he makes the most of the studio gloss. It's a top-notch production in terms of set design and matte work. In fact, author Ian Fleming considered "North by Northwest" to be the stylistic prototype for the James Bond series and wanted Hitchcock to direct the first 007 production (he turned down the offer). To fully appreciate this classic film, it should be seen in the letterbox format that Hitchcock intended. One of the all-time greats.

I'M AN ADVERTISING MAN, NOT A RED HERRING...
I won't bore you with the summary as I'm sure who ever is on this page has seen other reviews with the synopsis of North by Northwest. In my opinion, this and Psycho represent Alfred Hithcock at his apex and definitely NBNW is one of the greatest films of all time (it's in the AFI Top 100 Movies of all time). Sure maybe there are errors in it but no movie is perfect, nonetheless it comes close to perfection. It moves along, solid storyline, legendary actors and actresses (the always debonair Cary Grant; the beautiful Eva Marie Saint; the cool, calm, evil that James Mason exudes and the dark, sinister presence of Martin Landau) performing their parts to perfection. Hitchcock didn't need to use special effects, loud explosions or graphic violence to keep the viewers entertained. The characters and the storyline keep the viewers glued to the screen and the underlying espionage story was appropriate given the era of the Cold War. This was the template for future action/adventure/spy thrillers and I am even tempted to say that this could be a 1959 version of The Fugitive, ordinary man accused of a crime he didn't commit and has to exonerate himself! You forget this movie is over 2 hours long the way it moves briskly along. A perfect melange of comedy, action and suspense. See it if you haven't and buy it if you can, you WILL NOT regret it. A timeless classic!

HIS BEST CHASER...
It seems 2 me that Hitchcock sort of stole many elements from his pre-chaser-films and said: "Good-eeeeevening..... You think you have seen my best efforts, but I must unfortunately dissappoint you.....!"

Indeed this is a neurotic and clastraphobic chaser and suspenser - maybe the BEST EVER - thanks 2 the talents of Ernest Lehman, Hitchcock himself, his crew and the entire cast. There are numerous highlights from this film; I prefer NOT 2 single out any of them in favour of others. This film belongs IN EVERY HOME:-)

I LOVE this movie!
This movie is not only Hitchcock's best (just a tad behind 'Vertigo', in my opinion), but is one of the best movies ever made. Movies rarely have it all (story, acting, visuals, music, wit, action, suspense, 'hipness', and sexiness), but this movie has it all in spades.

Some of my favorite things about this movie:

1. Eva Marie Saint - Stunning...absolutely stunning. Everybody always thinks about Grace Kelly or Kim Novak in association with Hitchcock, but, for my money, Eva Marie Saint is the most drop-dead gorgeous of any leading lady.

2. The settings - The United Nations interior scenes are mouth wateringly rich. It really makes you want to go back in time to when everything 'modern' was new and exciting. We take so much for granted these days. The Cropduster scene is exciting and vastly more inventive than action movies being made today. Van Damm's House is the epitome of the promise that modern organic architecture once held. The scenes at Van Damm's house are even more amazing when you consider that the exterior settings are entirely fabricated, in a pre-CGI effects sort of way. They are more convincing than CGI scenes of today. Amazing.

This is one movie I never get tired of. Buy it and you won't be sorry.

One of the Greatest Thrillers of All Time
This is arguably Cary Grants best film. Couple that with a terrific cast, dynamite story, immortal one-liners, some great scenes in actual locations, and classic Hitchcock editing and you have a shoe-in on any "best of all time list". This movie was made in 1958 and although it was current in it's day, it now is just as current as a period film set in 1958, keeping in mind of the political climate and cold war attitudes of the time. The costumes are very natural, having been bought in actual New York stores, and the set designs are beautifully designed. The set decoration is also first rate.

This DVD is a superb transfer. The color looks perfectly natural, the sound is full, low noise stereo and the widescreen is anamorphic. There is hardly any flaw in the print. Amazing. The menu is also animated to match the Saul Bass opening title and is wonderful. The "making of" film (30 minutes long) is superb and hosted by beautiful leading lady "Eve Marie Saint".

Finally, the score by Bernard Hermann adds to the high tension of the action. The orchestration and performance on this film is one of the very best of all time. I can't recommend this film enough for action, solid story and terrific action besides just being completely entertaining. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A scout in the old Southwest (Gregory Peck) undertakes to protect a white woman (Eva Marie Saint) and her half-breed son from the Apache warrior--the woman's captor-husband of 10 years--who wants them back. The scout is a man of estimable courage and resources (again, Gregory Peck), but the mostly unseen Apache is a veritable monster of determination, cunning, and bloodthirstiness: Peck and his two charges doom entire communities to extermination just by passing through the neighborhood. This fierce amalgam of Western and horror movie was the last of seven collaborations between director Robert Mulligan and producer Alan J. Pakula, of which To Kill a Mockingbird was the peak. The Stalking Moon isn't peak material, but it's a demonically effective palm-sweater, and fascinating as a prelude to Pakula's own breakout as director of the great paranoid trilogy Klute, The Parallax View, and All the President's Men. Robert Forster has an early role as a fellow, part-Indian scout.--Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A WESTERN OF HITCHCOCKIAN PROPORTIONS
What would a western directed by Alfred Hitchcock have looked like? Odds are that THE STALKING MOON, starring Gregory Peck, would come close.

Peck plays Sam Varner, a scout in the Southwest working to round up the last vestiges of the fierce Apache tribe. Reluctantly he succumbs to the insistent appeals of a white woman (Eva Marie Saint), whom he has rescued from ten years of captivity among the Apaches, to take her and her half-breed son away from their makeshift camp. The one detail that she withholds is that her husband and the father of the boy is the notorious, bloodthirsty and diabolical Apache warrior Salvaje. And you don't have to be historian to recognize that Salvaje is patterned after the real-life Apache warrior Geronimo.

Without knowing of the carnage that Salvaje is reaping in the wake of his wife and son being taken from him, Varner takes the woman and child with him to New Mexico. It isn't until Nick Tana (Robert Forster), Varner's friend and protégé, shows up and recounts all that has happened that Varner realizes that Salvaje is coming from the child, the woman and for him.

The movie masterfully masks the warrior until the very end, increasing the intensity of its plot and suspense with every discordant strum of the guitars in the soundtrack.

THE STALKING MOON is a must-see western. Gregory Peck is wonderful and defines Varner as only he could. Robert Forster and Eve Marie Saint are also terrific. Wish this one were on DVD!

worth a look
This film is a little slow, and we don't see the indian until near the end..but this makes it real..they could hide themselves so well. I liked the fight at the end...

Gregory Peck goes mano e mano with the warrior Salvaje
I have read only two Western novels in my life. The second was Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove," after seeing the televison mini-series, and the first was Theodore V. Olsen's "The Stalking Moon," after seeing this 1968 film. I have tried to think of whether there is really a common denominator between the two and while they share fine performances by Oscar winning actors and an attention to psychological conflicts, they are still rather different stories.

Gregory Peck plays San Varner, a scout for the U.S. cavalry on his last mission, which is to round up some Apaches to take to the reservation. This particular group follows Salvaje (Nathaniel Narcisco), the famed warrior who likes to hunt his enemies alone, using a Sharps buffalo rifle for long distance killing and a knife for up close and personal. Salvaje is not among the group, but they do find Sarah Carver (Eva Marie Saint), a while woman who has been living with the tribe for some time, and her boy (Noland Clay), who happens to be the son of Salvaje. After this final mission Varner is going to retire to his ranch in the mountains of New Mexico, while Sarah and her son are supposed to go East to find relatives. But they both know that the pair will never find acceptance back there and Varner ends up taking them to New Mexico.

After they settle Varner gets a visit from his protégé, the half-breed scout Nick Tana (Robert Forster) to report that Salvaje has learned about what happened to his woman and child, and is leaving a trail of corpses across the Southwest making his way to the ranch. The stage is then set for the deadly two-sided game of cat and mouse between these men. Varner and Salvaje seem to be evenly matched, and one of the strengths of the film is that Salvaje is not portrayed as a typical villain: after all, he is coming to fetch his son. Varner has to defned Sarah and the boy, even though it is not clear where their true loyalties lie in this conflict to the death.

"The Stalking Moon" is a rather intimate western, with sparse dialogue; I think the longest speech in the film is when Nick shows up to deliver the exposition that sets up the rest of the film and Salvaje never says a word. As the title implies, the action is based on intelligence and skill rather than just bigger and better guns. The pacing is a tad slow, but that is rather appropriate to the story being told. Of course it is hard to reconcile that this Peck and director Robert Mulligan working again after their great success with "To Kill a Mockingbird," which earned Peck his only Oscar and Mulligan his only Academy Award nomination. Peck is once again playing a strong man forced to act alone, but this was never intended to be a literate script. Actually, you might be reminded in Spielberg's strategy for "Jaws," because Salvaje is more suggested than seen for most of the film, just like the great white shark. "The Stalking Moon" is a solid Western rather than a great one, but that makes it pretty good all things considered.

Final Note: I was surprised to learn my memory was faulty on this film and that Charles Bronson did not play Nick. You can see why he would have been great in that role, but Bronson was busy that same year making my all time favorite Western, "Once Upon a Time in the West." So a tip of the cowboy hat to Robert Forster for his nice supporting role (when saloon keeper declared they did not serve half-breeds Nick would smile one of those killer smiles and suggest they serve the white half).

Eminently Worthy of Greater Appreciation
One of my several diversions is to compile different kinds of lists of films. For example, one is of under appreciated and probably seldom-seen westerns. This one is on the list. Directed by Robert Mulligan (who received an Academy Award for his brilliant directing of To Kill a Mockingbird), The Stalking Moon follows a classic plot line: good guys flee from one or more bad guys who pursue them until the final, inevitable confrontation. (Sound familiar?) In this instance, retired U.S. cavalry scout Sam Varner (Gregory Peck) agrees to assist with the rescue of prisoners from their Apache captors in Arizona Territory. For reasons which are indicated in the movie, Varner assumes responsibility for Sarah Carver (Eva Marie Saint) and her 9-year son whose natural father is Salvaje (Nathaniel Narcsisco), an Apache warrior chief. They are accompanied by Nick Tana (Robert Forster), another cavalry scout who is half-breed and (in effect) Varner's adopted son. Unseen by us until the final confrontation (Mulligan's use of stealth is brilliant), Salvaje pursues them with rage and precision, killing everyone he encounters along the way. In the role of Varner, Peck demonstrates many of the same qualities we associate with him off screen as well as with his portrayal of Atticus Finch: dignified, intelligent, sensitive, practical, and decent. Of course, after a ten-year association with Salvaje, Sarah Carver fully understands what they are all up against. Meanwhile, their son's loyalty is obviously to his father. The final scenes are set in and near Varner's cabin in New Mexico to which he was in the process of retiring, intending to live his remaining years in peace and tranquility.

Again, I want to comment briefly on the fact that Salvaje is unseen by us until near the end of the film. This strategy increases substantially the increasing sense of terror we as well as Peck and his companions (except the boy) feel. On occasion, the power of suggestion is far greater than anything we can sense in one or more ways. Hence the prevalence of darkness in most horror films as well as the use of sounds (e.g. a child's scream, a gunshot, the release of a trap door on a scaffold during a public hanging) with which we associate rather than actually see a physical object. As we watch The Stalking Moon, we JUST KNOW that Salvaje is nearby. His skills at stealth are even more impressive, given the fact that both Varner and Tana were cavalry scouts. Special; credit is also due to Charles B. Lang for the cinematography, to Aaron Stell for editing (in collaboration with Mulligan), and to the three art directors. Their talents are seamlessly integrated. For these and other reasons, I obviously think highly of this film. It has modest objectives and fully achieves them. Gregory Peck once confided that this was one of his favorite films. Once having seen it, we understand why.

Where have all the westerns gone?
"The Stalking Moon" is one of the finest westerns I have ever seen. In fact it is just a great film. The suspense is magnetic as the plot unfolds. Gregory Peck plays a retiring army scout who tries to help a woman and her Indian son. The woman, played stoically and well by Eva Marie Saint, has just been rescued from years of enforced captivity and life with her kidnappers. As she and Peck leave they are stalked by the Indian father of her son.

The ending could be considered a bit predictable but you are captivated anyway incident after incident. Who will hear who?
Who will live? Who will die? We do care.

I don't think any western since "The Searchers" havs pleased me this much. I ordered my used video just recently. Sure it's an older film when Peck and St. Marie were then less than young, but, indeed, a keeper. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Fatal Vision: Movie Suggests Doctor Guilty of Murder
The murder of the wife and children of Green Beret doctor Jeffrey MacDonald was the basis of a book, FATAL VISION, by Joe McGinnis. When Dr. MacDonald was accused of the murder, McGinnis at first believed in his innocence, but later changed his mind, so it is no surprise that his book reflects that belief. The movie version is a faithful rendering of the book and also reflects the same belief. Director David Greene presents MacDonald as a man who is totally narcissistic and capable of violence. Gary Cole, who plays Dr. MacDonald, is presented as exactly the sort of man who could kill his family, and then go on television to revel in the publicity. The first half of the movie is on MacDonald, and the audience is set up to first accept, then reject his claim to innocence. The second half belongs to Karl Malden, who plays Freddy Kassab, the father of the slain wife. He becomes enraged at what he sees as the obvious lack of remorse on MacDonald's part. He pushes the authorities for years to re-open the case. Dr. MacDonald is brought to trial and found guilty. He is now incarcerated for life, and is busy seeking a retrial. Both the movie and book suggest that an overwhelming mountain of circumstantial evidence is the proof of his guilt. The problem that I have with this is McGinnis and Greene present a case just as if they were sure of MacDonald's guilt. Especially reprehensible was the scene in which the prosecutor is describing the moments after MacDonald allegedly slaughtered his family. The camera shows him in the bathroom as he uses a scalpel to self-inflict minor wounds that he would later claim were inflicted by intruders. The impression on the viewer is that this scene is gospel truth. Doctor MacDonald did not help his cause by acting like an arrogant jerk in court. The prosecution got great mileage out of showing his opulent life style with an assortment of bimbos. MacDonald seemed the very picture of a cold-blooded wife killer. The first time I saw the movie, I thought that maybe MacDonald did kill his wife and maybe he didn't, and in the American system of justice, that translates to a verdict of not guilty. The movie was a stacked deck. As an afterthought, I learned in the media of a wave of evidence that could have exonerated MacDonald had the prosecution presented it. Further, key members of the prosecution staff themselves were later charged with perjury in other cases not related to this one and they went to jail. When films like FATAL VISION purport to show a true-life trial, there can never be a 'finished product.' The concluding comments that mention his current status ought to be updated periodically to include the generally unknown facts that point out that MacDonald could be innocent. FATAL VISION is a well-done movie and the court scenes are quite gripping, but the bias against MacDonald intrudes to make the consequences of a real life case seem as inconsequential as any found in a movie of pure fiction.

Superior made-for-TV movie
Although director David Greene is known almost exclusively for his work in television, this movie is several notches above most TV fare. Running a full three hours and twenty minutes in two parts, Fatal Vision is just about as riveting as the book of the same name from which it was adapted. The screenplay by long time Hollywood pro John Gay amounts to an indictment of army Captain Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, but then again so did the book.

Gary Cole gives a convincing performance as the former Green Beret army officer who was accused, and then some nine years after the fact, convicted of the murder of his pregnant wife Collette and two young daughters. Karl Malden plays Freddy Kassab, Collette's father, with his usual skill, while Eva Marie Saint plays Kassab's wife.

Since it is still being debated to this day whether Jeffrey MacDonald really was guilty of this horrendous crime (as he continues to serve his prison sentence), perhaps we should appreciate this movie strictly as a study in sociopathology.

The story begins February 17, 1970 with MacDonald phoning the police to report that his wife and two daughters had been brutally murdered by a marauding gang of hippies who broke into his home shouting "Kill the pigs, acid is groovy." He claims he tried to fight them off and was injured and knocked unconscious.

In contrast, the story presented by the prosecution and detailed in McGinniss's book, portrays MacDonald as having, in a fit of temper injured or killed a member of his family, and then to cover up that crime killed all of them, and then fabricated a crime scene to support his story including the infliction of superficial wounds upon himself.

The question most people would like answered is WHY would a previously upstanding member of the community, a successful doctor as well as a decorated army Captain, go to such a horrendous extreme to cover up a crime no worse than manslaughter, if that?

The answer is in the character of Jeffrey MacDonald himself who is depicted as a psychopath possibly under the influence of amphetamines, a man so callous and unfeeling about the pain and suffering of anyone except himself, that he would murder his own family in an attempt to divert the blame from himself. This was the answer that McGinniss came up with after spending a lot of time with MacDonald and after initially believing him to be innocent. This is the answer that the jury believed, and this is the answer given in the character that Gary Cole so vividly portrays.

There are many kinds of truth--legal truth decided by a jury, scientific truth decided by experiment and confirmation, spiritual truth, etc. And there is cinematic artistic truth, decided by the viewer. I think the business-like direction from Greene and his adherence to McGinniss's "vision," along with the fine performance by Gary Cole make us aware of the reality that there are sociopaths among us who can charm and kill with equal ease.

Regardless of the true facts of the case (which we will never know for certain) it is this singular truth that makes this movie worth seeing.

Not Even Safe With The Military
The Manson family murders that occurred in August of 1969 were bad enough, but now this murder provided no safe haven for Middle Class America to run to; the world was falling further and further apart. For Green Beret Doctor Jeffery McDonald it had as he lost his family his wife and 2 little girls to murder. The world mourned with this man, and then came the accusations, and the fact that McDonald himself finds that he's leading the top of the list. His father in law defends him all the way, but then McDonald's behavior, and attitudes begin to make him wonder could McDonald have killed his whole family, and he sets out to find the truth. McDonald still claims that a bunch of hippies killed his family because McDonald wouldn't give out drugs for them. My honest opinion is that McDonald may very well be completely innocent of this crime, but his psychological state makes me have doubts. First of all the appearance on the Dick Cavett show in which he slams the U.S. Army during the investigation, and causing the audience to laugh. Then the fact he alienated his in-laws, and finally moving away makes me feel that he just was moving on way too fast, and not showing any signs of trying to find who killed his family. His psychological state is also showing that McDonald is a paranoid man who loves himself, and anything pertaining to him. I know that if anyone didn't like, or agree with him he's a controlling sort, and will snap at you. I know the one scene where they argued about a piece of evidence McDonald screamed "Warheidi's a Nazi". I feel that he may have been raised that way by his mother. I Can't look at it any other way. McDonald was found guilty, and will not be elligabe for parole for awhile. I found this to be a impressive movies.

This true story shows The Injustice Criminal Justice System
I have to totally agree with Dr. Charles T. Kelly, Jr from the first book review and the review on the second book to do with the McDonald case. With the information from the Freedom of Information Act there is enough evidence to at least be able to give Dr.McDonald a right to a second Trial and not go against his constitutional rights. In Fatal Vision there were mistakes that were made by the Military and our Government seemed to have decided to ignore other evidence and just decide to go after Dr. Mcdonald for the Murders of his Family.

Fatal Injustice
I watched this movie when it first came out. Since that time, I have read both books, Fatal Vision and Fatal Justice: Reinvestigating the MacDonald Murders. It appears as though this movie lacks sound, objective, logical reasoning based on the final product. Also, since many years have now passed, it may be a very profitable endeavour for someone to take all of the Freedom of Information documentation and court transcripts and write the TRUE story of what really took place. Additionally, a movement should be initiated to secure the release of or pressure applied on the government to force a reopening of this Fatal Injustice. Also, certain members of the governments team during the CID investigation and Justice Department investigation should be investigated and charges brought. Their actions, inaction, and damage caused to the criminal justice system must be reversed. As a professor of Criminal Justice and Criminal Investigations, I intend to have every student read both books and watch the movie. There is also a academic journal article written on these two books that is very good.

Most respectfully,
Dr. Charles T. Kelly, Jr. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

a hugely entertaining film
MGM tried to outdo themselves here, touting the film as the next GONE WITH THE WIND (and what could ever be?), and instead they gave Elizabeth Taylor the acting role that would land her her first Oscar nomination.

She is wonderful as the simpy Southern belle Sussanna, who traps her reluctant beau (Montgomery Clift) into marriage by saying she is pregnant, forcing him to abandon his childhood sweetheart (Eva Marie Saint), and his chance to be truly happy.

Sussanna is mentally unstable, however, and when the Civil War breaks out, she flees to Georgia, and her husband enlists in order to find her.

A very good story, based on the novel by Ross Lockridge Jr, and featuring Lee Marvin, Agnes Moorehead, Rod Taylor, Walter Abel, Jarma Lewis and Tom Drake.

THIS COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT
The best thing about Raintree is Elizabeth Taylor. Her Susannah is sexy, fragile and tormented. Montgomery Clift as her husband was miscast. Monty seems to be half asleep in his role and is too old to be playing a wide eyed lad. Eva Marie Saint as his righteous ex girlfriend who spends her life hovering around him has a thankless job playing an annoying woman. In fact a lot of Raintree is annoying. I kept waiting for John Shawnessy to grow up, tell off his small minded family and to take his wife and child away somewhere to start over. The battlefield scenes are great. The scenes with Elizabeth before she goes mad are gorgeous but the whole film seems off somehow. While watching it I kept thinking that this movie, with a beter script, casting and director could have been great.

ross lockridge never knew what they did to his book
Esquire magazine used to have a feature called "Wretched Excess" and I believe "Raintree County" would easily fall into that category.
As for the one reviewer stating that Ross Lockridge probably didn't like the screenplay, well---unfortunately he never knew about the screenplay as he killed himself shortly after the book became a best selling novel in 1948 and the film was released in 1957.

A Gorgeous Historic Film "a la" Gone With The Wind
Raintree County was a thousand plus novel written by Ross Lockbridge Jr. published in 1948. At its time, it was regarded as the Great American Novel second only to Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind and in some ways, both Raintree County and Gone With The Wind are a bit alike, although everyone generally considers Gone With The Wind to be the superior work of historic fiction. And it is. Gone With The Wind, as we all know, became a highly successful film in 1939, even winning Best Picture. It must have dawned on Hollywood producers that the novel would make a breathtaking movie. It was the 50's, the new invention of television had just entered people's homes and the movie industry was threatened. It was the time of the "epic films" (The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur). In 1957, "Raintree County" was released in theatres. The appeal to the film was its Cival War Era drama and Elizabeth Taylor.

It's no Gone With The Wind, but Raintree County is a beautiful film to look at visually. The master shots of the scenic countryside in Raintree County are incredibly lovely, the costumes look authentic to the period, the music is enjoyable but subtle, and Elizabeth Taylor is always interesting to watch on film. Elizabeth Taylor plays Susanna Drake, a vibrant Southern belle with a troubled past (her plantation home caught on fire and she had issues with her mother). Although she seems to be almost a near replica of Scarlett O'Hara in many of the scenes, she lacks Scarlett O'Hara's strength and willful nature. While Scarlett could survive anything, Susanna Drake weakens out at the end of the film, becomes mentally disturbed (she has a strong attachment to a scary looking Chucky doll) and dies a pathetic death when she seeks out the Raintree. This is not Elizabeth's finest performance. A tragic heroine is still acceptable, but this particular heroine is not as satisfying as Vivien Leigh's performance as Scarlett. Also, her "rival" and John Shawnessy's first love and childhood friend Nelle is an easily replaceable role. I was thinking she was the equivalent of Melanie Hamilton in Gone With The Wind and a role that could have been played by Olivia De Havilland once again. The women in this film are not portrayed as strongly as the men are. And even the men are not as substantial. It's just Yankee versus Rebels. The relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift's characters is not that well developed. It's not enough that they are from opposite sides of the Civil War conflict- she's at heart a Southerner and he's a Yankee. I was even disappointed in one scene in which Elizabeth says to Montgomery after an argument "You hate me because I'm Southern!". This film could have used some polishing. I'm very certain that even author Ross Lockbridge Jr. was not entirely satisfied with what they did to his book in screenplay form.

Montgomery Clift has done other worthwhile movies but in this film, his performance as John Shawnessy is wooden and lacks some substance. Although he is supposed to be portrayed as an idealist poet and writer (much like Doctor Zhivago), we never see him write anything. All we get is his desire to seek out the elusive and magic, all-healing legendary Raintree, supposedly planted by Johny Appleseed and a quest he gives up at the end of the film. Professor Jerusalem is a funny and amusing character but a bit too shallow. Again, this film is rather interesting to look at if you want to get some insight on Civil War Era America (1850's and 1860's) and the mention of such things as abolitionism, Uncle Tom's Cabin, copperheads, Abraham Lincoln, Fort Sumter and Gettysburg to the later Republican politics of the Reconstruction are very historically accurate.

This "Roadshow" version is beautiful to look at nevertheless. Out of curiosity for Civil War history, this would make a great film to watch as a history project in high school or college courses. This film is also worth watching if you're a hardcore fan of Elizabeth Taylor and don't care what role she plays or what movie she is in, whether it's "Little Women" "National Velvet", whehter she plays the tragic Susanna Drake, Cleopatra or the other Southern heroine in Tenesee William's "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" or the incredibly nasty character in "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf ?".

Read the book instead
This movie is not the best and the sets are awful!I would recommend the book though. However, it does have an interesting behind the scenes story. Like, did you know that this was the beginning of the end of Montgomery's career. During the middle of the film he was in a horrible car crash that destroyed his face and took away his gorgeous looks. In which Elizabeth Taylor saved his life. They tried to cover up Montgomery's appearance after the accident but the film suffers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This movie needs more attention!
Just finished watching Papa's Angels and rushed to Amazon.com to read all the reviews for this excellent, poignant, made-for-TV movie. Imagine my disappointment when I only found one other review!
Scott Bakula and Cynthia Nixon give moving performances as Grins and Sharon Jenkins, a depression-era family living in deep Appalachia with their 4 children. Nixon expecially is ethereal as the dying wife and mother. She makes you really believe in her character.
Veteran-actor Eva Marie Saint does a tremendous job with her supporting portrayal of the mother of Grins. Her "granny" is tough, resilient and gruffly tender. She also has the "sight"- which plays a role in the movie.
The children were all well-cast, especially the mute daughter, and the oldest son, who tries hard to be the man of the family when he feels his father is letting go of his responsibilities to the family.
This story had me alternately weeping and smiling, although it was in no way saccharine sweet or maudlin.
The only thing I felt kept it from being more of a "family" movie was the degree of mild profanity sprinkled throughout. It was totally unnecessary and a disappointment in what was otherwise a wonderful holiday movie.
It's also a beautifully filmed movie, with the log cabin and surrounding mountain vistas giving warmth and character to the storyline as much as the actors themselves. The music was very appropriate for the time period and location, and I enjoyed hearing the old folksongs.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys movies of love, suffering and courage. It's on my wish-list already!

Papa's Angels - you'll laugh and cry
If there ever was a movie to make you believe in miracles, then this is your movie. Scott Bakula is very believable father who goes from carefree and funloving to serious and depressed - with such ease that you forget he is the Captain in Enterprise. ... Read more