Runtime: 95 minutes
Directed by: Nicholas Ray
Starring: James Mason, Barbara Rush, Walter Matthau, Robert F. Simon, Christopher Olson
From: 20th Century Fox
Note that I am posting this way earlier than usual for a good reason-I'll be out of town until Friday night. I'll be at the beach about 2 hours away getting to see some family members for the first time in ages. It should be a lot of fun; besides being on the beach itself, deep sea fishing will be done on Friday so that will be a unique experience. Sometime in early May I'll have to watch an aquatic-themed movie and it'd be even better if it had at least a scene involving deep sea fishing.
Anyhow, it was sort of a last minute decision to check this out when it played on TCM last night. Even though it has been released by Criterion it's not on the Criterion Channel... nor is it on any other streaming service. Thus, it was only prudent to see something I heard really strong praise for. As this worked even better for me than expected, thank goodness I made the right decision. It is definitely a 50's melodrama which gets WILD in the final act yet it sadly is quite a bit more relevant today than over 60 years ago. You see, it's about abusing a prescription drug—I don't know about the rest of the world but in the United States that has become a major problem in the 21st century. Millions are abusing pills (usually painkillers) and it's become a national issue.
In this case, James Mason-presumably never better than he was here-is an average man living in the suburbs of a city w/ a doing wife and young son, and is a school teacher. However, he has a rare heart condition which requires the then-new treatment of cortisone to try and extend his life. Things spiral downward for him; hell if I know if it was ever possible to have that sort of reaction, but for him he became more and more psychotic, especially once he starts abusing the drug. Not only does he make outrageous statements and starts treating his pals like trash, but the same goes for his wife and son. The final act becomes quite outrageous, for reasons I dare not spoil. Just note that it includes the phrase “God was wrong!”, which is always a warning sign that someone is not well. It features plot elements that I was shocked were in a major studio release from '56.
As others have speculated, it probably would not be a surprise if David Lynch loved this movie. It's a searing and blunt look that skewers the idea of The American Dream and suburban life... behind the white picket fence and quaint house are troubled people who are so flawed, it seems as if the Sword of Damocles are constantly over their heads. Not only is this an obvious examination of prescription drug abuse but there is plenty of subtext and interpretations that can be made. After all, even before the drug abuse, Mason's character is someone who not only keeps hidden the illness that has affected him for at least half a year, but also him working a second job at a taxicab service. Can it be said that the abuse actually reveals the horrible truths that he has always believed and brought those vicious beliefs to the surface?
There are other nice performances, from the kid actor Christopher Olsen to poor Barbara Rush as the wife who struggles w/ trying to maintain the facade of a happy home, and Walter Matthau as a loyal friend. It was expertly directed by Nicholas Ray; he utilizes the wide aspect ratio of Cinemascope to perfection. It managed to work for a movie mainly shot on sound stages; the house is made to look increasingly claustrophobic and smothering, not to mention Mason more and more terrifying as he deteriorates. I could swear he started to slur his speech but it was a great performance from someone who also produced a movie that flopped at the time but has received its well-due recognition as a great motion picture decades later.
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