SOFT BEDS, HARD BATTLES
UK, 1974, 107 minutes, Colour.
Peter Sellers, Lila Kedrova, Curd Jurgens, Beatrice Romand, Thorley Walters, Timothy West.
Directed by Roy Boulting.
Soft Beds, Hard Battles is not as funny as audiences would hope for. While Peter Sellers plays six different roles, he does not dominate the film with any of the particular characters. These include a British major who actually hides away in a Parisian brothel, the madam played by Lila Kedrova. He also plays a Gestapo agent investigating. He is a French general of the Resistance. He also is the Japanese imperial prince who is targeted by the Resistance – and he is going to visit Hitler. Sellers also plays Hitler. Finally he is the French president.
The Boulting Brothers, Roy and George, had made strong vehicles for Peter Sellers in the 50s and 60s with I’m All Right Jack and Heavens Above. This time the vehicle is only moderate in its entertainment – and Sellers had fallen on hard times with his reputation and Blake Edwards was reviving his roles as Inspector Clouseau.
However, as a British comedy of the 70s and an opportunity to see Sellers doing his variety of impersonations, it is worth a look.
1, Was this a good comedy? How strong was the humour in situations and dialoguel, characterization? How weak a comedy was it? How dated does it seem? How entertaining was it?
2. The implications of the title with war as ugly and sex as humane? The presentation of old world attitudes crushed by war in the new world? How throughly was this followed through? How successfully?
3. Was the film meant to be taken seriously? Its full word about the nature of history and myth? Yet its realistic presentation of resistance motivation and the presuppositions in the audience that it demanded for a response to war and resistance? Did the film combine satisfactorily its serious tone and its comic tones?
4. How much did the film rely on Peter Sellers’ personality and his impersonations? Which were his most successful impersonations here? Which were less satisfactory? Why is Peter Sellers a good impersonator? What qualities does he bring to his characterizations?
5. The Madame? how interesting and real a character? How entertaining? How seriously involved in the resistance? The presentation of the brothel and its way of life and values? Its style?
6. Were the other characters in the film more than one dimensional? Why? The German girl? Marie Claude? The American girls? The Chaplain? The Nuns? Did it matter if the characters were not fully drawn?
7. What attitudes towards the French and Germans were evident in the film?
8, Was the film successful in its presentation of detail of decor and costume, of re-creation of Paris 1940, the details of the war and the time, the outwitting of the Germans?
9. What is the value of comedy going over its old material?
