HELL AND HIGH WATER
US, 1954, 103 minutes, Colour.
Richard Widmark, Bella Darvi, Victor Francen, David Wayne, Cameron Mitchell, Gene Evans.
Directed by Samuel Fuller.
Hell and High Water is one of the earliest of the Cinemascope actioners. It takes the cold war situation of the early '50s for its plot and for its nuclear warnings.
Writer-director Samuel Fuller, a journalist who began with action films, developed a reputation in the '60s and into the 70s with French and European critics for his tight storytelling and action sequences. His semi-autobiographical war film was The Big Red One (1979).
The film takes as its hypothesis that there was a nuclear explosion in the Arctic in 1953 ... this is its story. Richard Widmark is a stern hero. Bella Darvi (The Egyptian) was a flash-in-the-pan starlet of the time. The supporting cast, except for Cameron Mitchell, have stereotyped roles. Of interest in later decades because of nuclear questions.
1. A 50s actioner, in its time, now? Action entertainment?
2. Cinemascope, international locations, sea sequences, submarines? Special effects?
3. The director and his reputation, journalistic background, action director? His belief in the United States?
4. The 50s and nuclear fears? The film as 'prophetic'? Reality, hypothesis? Insight in retrospect?
5. The introduction, the dates of the nuclear explosion, the visuals, mystery, developing the theme and puzzle, the revelation of the international plot? The climax, the repercussions for China, Russia, the United States?
6. The quality of the film as action thriller: the basic situation, the stereotyped characters, the group, submarine life, action sequences, human interaction, crisis, heroics? For the popular audience?
7. The '50s and its atmosphere, the nuclear scientists, cold war tensions, disappearance of scientists, the international group, a kind of United Nations dealing with nuclear fears, secrecy, outside the law, idealists? Fuller's belief in the United States and its saving the world?
8. Jones as hero: Richard Widmark's sardonic style. World War Two reputation, mercenary, taking the money, loyalties, experiences in the war and his reminiscences of going against orders to save men, his story and feelings, his decisions, his photographer colleague being killed, recruiting the men, control over the crew? The professor and his collaboration, friendship with Denise - developing into love relationship? The tensions of the trip, being shadowed by the Chinese, the torpedoes and the firing back, hiding at the bottom of the ocean, scouting the island, the discovery of the truth, the final decisions, the death of the professor, the explosion and saving the world? Comforting Denise?
9. Professor Mantel and the focus on his disappearance, reputation, nuclear investigations, the international scientist, Denise as his daughter, then working together, his high-handedness in intercepting messages, his obeying Jones, the closing of the hatch and the cutting of his thumb, his orders to go north and holding Jones' contrnut over him, attitude towards the bomb, his hcro-ics in giving his life, the significance of the scientist dying?
10. Denise: glamour, feminine presence on the submarine, French, the shower sequences - and the joking with the crew? Credibility of her academic record? Going ashore with Jones? Killing the Chinese? Grief for her father's death?
11. The sketch of the crew: the various types, anti-women, loyal, Brodski and his making passes? The others not particularly individualised?
12. American confidence, attitude towards the 'Reds'? To the Chinese? Credibility of the plot? The Chinese dropping the bomb disguised in an American plane and creating a war situation? The moral of the film?
