Friday, December 30, 2011

He writes a compelling chase narrative

The American Civil-War era remains captivating to many people.  I have met few people who show little interest.  No person commands the field in this area more than our 16th President.  Released in 2011, author James L. Swanson's Bloody Crimes: The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln and the Chase for Jefferson Davis, narrates two disparate journeys, doing so in a well-written, fast-paced, manner.  The facts and theories surrounding Lincoln's assassination are well-known.  Less so is the story of his funeral procession on a designated train from Washington, D.C., to his hometown of Springfield, Illinois.  The description of the stops en route and the respect and reverence exhibited along the way support Swanson's central thesis that this uniquely American period of national mourning transformed Lincoln from a President who was loathed by some, underestimated and underappreciated by many, and grudgingly accepted by most, into a national icon and, perhaps, our greatest leader.  Far less well-known is the dogged effort of Jefferson Davis to keep the Confederate States of America alive to fight another day after the surrender of General Lee and the evacuation of its capitol, Richmond, Virginia.  Swanson humanizes Davis in the narrative.  In so doing, support is found for General Lee's post-war assessment that Davis was the best person to serve as the President of the Confederacy at the time, and that no other person could have done as good or better as he did in this role.  Davis is in charge of a lost cause, on a train bound for his eventual capture and trial.  Side-by-side, these twin narratives tell very different, if interconnected, stories making for a quick read.  For an excellent account of the flight and capture of Lincoln's assassin, read Swanson's CManhunt: The 12 Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, published in 2009.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Not exactly a Christmas movie

You will need to look for it and either buy or rent it, but once found, Seven Times Lucky (2004), will not disappoint.  Written and directed by Gary Yates, with one of my favorite actors, Kevin Pollak, in a leading role, this gem, clocking in at 83 fast-paced minutes, will leave you smirking.  Filmed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, it is a tale of small-time con-artists crossing and double-crossing their way through the pecking order of local organized crime.  The plot moves so quickly, a second or third viewing will enhance the experience.  It has a great look to it, with the bleak winter drudgery backdropping the dismal lives of its characters.  Labels oversimplify, but fans of film noir and the Coen brothers will appreciate this film.

I found this film several years ago on the Independent Film Channel.  It is set during the Christmas season, and the soundtrack adds quirky elements.  Hearing a cheerful, familiar tune while dark and desperate events are portrayed put me in the fan club.   Great Christmas movies abound this time of year, and everyone has their favorites. 'Tis the season for holiday movies, but you will not find this movie on the Hallmark Channel. 
Go find it or ask to borrow mine.

Friday, December 23, 2011

He found his destiny

But for the fact that the movie has been around for decades before Charlton Heston became the public voice of the NRA, I would need to issue a spoiler alert.  "Planet of the Apes" (1968) contains one of the most visually shocking endings in film history.  Taylor, the astronaut played by Heston, leaves The Forbidden Zone on horseback with the lovely Nova after learning that the planet upon which his craft has landed was once ruled by an ancient human civilization pre-dating ape dominance.  Meandering along an ocean beach, clues appear until the scorched remains of the Statute of Liberty fill the screen. Buried in the sand, protruding in silent protest, Lady Liberty bears witness to the cataclysmic self-destruction of the human race.  Welcome home, Mr. Taylor.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

World War

Historians posit that an understanding of World War II cannot be grasped without a comprehension of the aftermath of what World War I ("The Great War" initially) wrought.  Into this breach, thrust by events, opportunity, and political terrorism, the Austrian Corporal ascended.  "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich:  A History of Nazi Germany," written by journalist and war correspondent William L. Shirer, was a fixture in our house when I was growing up, but I did not read it until all these years later.  Checking in at nearly 1200
pages (1990 paperback edition) probably had something to do with that, and the extensive footnotes and small-type quotations from captured documents, diaries, and testimony from the Nuremburg Trials make it a much longer read.  It is invaluable, however, for its contribution to the above-described understanding.  It is not a history of the war, and surprisingly little is written therein about its battles and leaders.  Rather, it is a chronological treatment of the Nazi regime and its capacity for bloodlust that unleashed genocide, mass murder, global war and destruction that would be incomprehensible if untrue.  The iconic stories of World War II are indelibly stored in our collective consciousness.  Yet, I still found it hard to believe that Nazi Germany, a relatively recent clear and present evil, did, in fact, exist.  Shirer's monumental work documents the undeniable and horrible truth.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Philip got it down cold.

I remember Truman Capote from his appearances on "The Tonight Show" back in the 70's.  He was an exotic character, meaning he was unlike anyone I knew back then.  He was effortlessly funny, savagely witty and cleverly sarcastic.  Sadly, that is what he was known for at the time of his frequent talk show appearances.  He had been a promising writer, first achieving notoriety as the author of "Breakfast at Tiffany's."  He truly broke with the publication of "In Cold Blood," a true crime novel about the murder of all four members of the Clutter family in Eisenhower-era Kansas.  This book won many awards and established
Capote's place among the great writers and their works.

In his portrayal of the man in "Capote" (2005), Philip Seymour Hoffman is brilliant.  I like Hoffman in all roles
(e.g. "The Big Lebowski," and the emotionally wrenching, little known, must-see "Love Liza").  "Capote" is a great film with a dual focus on the author and his relationships, as well as his research and immersion into the irredeemably brutal quadruple murders.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Odds? What odds?

Tales of dumb courage in a hopeless cause get me every time.  In Southern Illinois, notorious gangster and bootlegger Charlie Birger was publicly executed in 1928.  It is said that his death was the last public hanging in the state.  From the gallows, Birger smiled and uttered his last words: "It's a beautiful world."  By all indications, Birger bore his condemnation with resigned bravery from the dates of sentencing to hanging.
Whether the real desperadoes Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid bore up as well in the fleeting moments before their demise at the hands of Bolivian soldiers is pure speculation.  However, it makes for a memorable final scene in the movie as portrayed by Paul Newman and Robert Redford.   Butch and Sundance are surrounded by soldiers who have the high ground on all sides of a walled plaza.  After a penultimate shootout, Butch and Sundance retreat into a small room.  The only way out is through the open plaza, a hail of bullets, and certain death.  Pausing to reload their guns, exhausted, bleeding, and doomed, Butch asks Sundance if he saw Joe Lefors among their pursuers.  Lefors is the incorruptible and indefatigable lawman who led the posse trailing Butch and Sundance in the long chase sequence that culminates in the famous leap from the rocky ledge into a whitewater river.  'No,' Sundance replies, and no such leap is an option for Butch and Sundance now.  Butch's reaction is the stuff of movie legend: "Oh good.  For a moment there I thought we were in trouble."  With that, Butch and Sundance run from the room, out into the plaza, six-shooters blazing from each hand, leaving the rest to the imagination.