FROM HERE TO ETERNITY

US, 1953, 118 minutes, Black and white.
Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra, Donna Reed, Ernest Borgnine, Montgomery Clift, Philip Ober, Mickey Shaughnessy.
Directed by Fred Zinnemann.

From Here To Eternity was a winner of eight Academy Awards for 1953. It was Best Film and had Best Direction by Fred Zinnemann. Zinnemann has often been nominated for this award and won it again in 1966 for A Man For All Seasons. His range of successful films includes High Noon, Oklahoma, The Nun's Story, The Day Of The Jackal, Julia. The acting awards were won by Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed in the supporting roles.

The film is carried, however, by Montgomery Clift in the central role - an excellent sensitive performance. Burt Lancaster is also strong in the other major role. The setting is Hawaii prior to the attack on Pearl Harbour, with which the film culminates. It was based on a rather sensational best-seller of the early '50s by James Jones. The Oscar-winning screenplay by Daniel Taradash kept the essence of the film while making it acceptable to an audience of the early '50s. Comparisons can be made with a mini-series, starring Natalie Wood and William Devane, made in the late '70s for television. The film was notable also for an early role by Ernest Borgnine and features early performances by such actors as Jack Warden, Robert Webber, Claude Akins. The film has quite a deal to say about men in war, brutality, human nature. In many ways the story is ugly and is critical of the United States

1. The classic status of this film? Its Oscars, awards in its time? The impact in the '50s ? post-war era, reserve and anti-permissiveness? The impact now? The comparison with the television mini-series?

2. The film emerging in the '50s ? American morale, the adaptation of a sensational best-seller to the screen, the eye on the censors with situation and dialogue? A blend of ugly realism with acceptable standards of the '50s?

3. The technical aspects of the film and the awards ? direction, black and white photography, the atmosphere of Pearl Harbour, the military, the nightclubs and brothels of Pearl Harbour?

4. How well did the film re-create the atmosphere of Pearl Harbour before the war? The Americans in Hawaii, the way of life of the Army, the lack of anticipation of war? Soldiers away from home and their behaviour, standards? The atmosphere of the Army barracks and the need for recreation, visits to the city? How well did the film highlight the contrasts between Americans away from home and Americans at home, the conflicts? An American critique?

5. The focus of the film on Pruitt? As an American everyman? The audience arriving at the barracks with him? His intensity, casual style? His initial encounter with Warden? The background of his Army career, joining, giving his life to the Army, prospects? The story about the boxing and the injury and its repercussions on him? Warden and his alertness to him, protectiveness under a steel surface? The friendship with Maggio? His skill as a bugler? His answer to the Commanding officer and his refusal to go in the boxing team? His motivation? The details of the intense impositions on him? The collage of punishments and exercise, work, humiliations during training? His reaction to these? The change of atmosphere in his visits to the nightclub., the talking with Alma? Finding out her real name? His drinking, the initial talk, his saving Maggio, her going away, his return? The repercussions for the crisis? The encounter with Fatso Judson? The hostility, the defence of Maggio after his escape? The drinking? The Last Post and its emotional impact and the portrayal of those listening, especially Warden? The fight, the killing of Judson? His escape? Warden's covering it over? Alma and her helping him? The possibilities of escape and a future in the United States? The repercussions of Pearl Harbour and his going back to the Army? The futility of his death? The final comments about him? The quality of Montgomery Clift's presence and interpretation?

6. Frank Sinatra's award-winning performance as Maggio? Friendly, doing work around the Barracks, echoing Pruitt? The light touch, comic? His helping Pruitt and having to bear the punishments with him? The man about town, going to the club, drinking? The bar? His being put on duty and his going into town? The drunk scene and his arrest? The humiliation by Judson ? and the reaction to Maggio's insulting him while he played the piano? The sadism and the beating? The death? A portrait of an ordinary American soldier?

7. Burt Lancaster's presence as Warden? As a second-in-charge, professional soldier, his control and manipulation of the Commanding Officer? His letting himself out by drinking? His powers of observation, control of the office staff? His justice towards Pruitt? His fascination with the Commanding Officer's wife, his visiting her when her husband was away, his knowing all her background? The sequence on the beach and the famous love scene? His discovering sow truth about her affairs with other officers? His breaking with her? Inability to offer her any future? His promises and then his breaking them? His observations on Pruitt and preserving him, especially after the killing? Warden as a type of objective measure of Army life?

8. The portrait of the two women - their lack of similarity, similarities? The various stories of their backgrounds? Both seen as 'princess' types? The American puritanical background and their breaking away from it? Warden and the Commanding Officer's wife, the visit, the seduction, her passion, the beach, humiliation? Her story of the loveless marriage, her losing her child and the responsibility of her husband, her promiscuity? Her hope in Warden and losing it? Alma and her small town background, away from home, her work in Hawaii, hoping to save up sufficient money, the hopes with Pruitt? The two women speaking on the ship and the end? Dreams, reality and unreality?

9. The Commanding Officer and his attitude towards the men, the boxing, using Pruitt, building up atmosphere and turning the men against him? His being used by Warden? The final accountability and his disgrace? The dismissal from the Army? His resignation?

10. The presentation of the ordinary fighting men - their skill as soldiers, life in the barracks together, its artificiality, training, drill? The men attacking Pruitt? Persecuting him, especially the boxing team? The sympathetic officers? e.g. the man accompanying Pruitt on the uphill run? The portrait of Judson and the focusing on the sadistic bullying type?

11. The picture of the Army, preparation for war? drill and training? The atmosphere of Pearl Harbour, the clubs and the joints, the drinking, the women? A predominantly men's world?

12. The re-creation of Pearl Harbour morning - the planes, the attacks, the unexpectedness, the lack of preparation, Warden as hero, Pruitt as dying? The war coming and the beginning of the new era?

13. A study of humanity, of Americans away from home, appearances and reality? Ugly Americans and insight into them?