BITTER VICTORY
France/US, 1957, 102 minutes, Black and white.
Richard Burton, Curd Jurgens, Ruth Roman, Raymond Pellegrin, Anthony Bushell, Christopher Lee, Nigel Green.
Directed by Nicholas Ray.
Bitter Victory is a very grim war film, set in the Libyan desert. It was made at the time that Britain was making quite a number of war films, memoirs of real experiences during the war: I Was Monty’s Double, Ice Cold in Alex, Sea of Sand…
This film is very continental in its tone although directed by Nicholas Ray. Ray had a strong career in Hollywood in the 1940s to the mid-50s including They Lived By Night, Bigger Than Life. He was to go on to direct several blockbusters for Samuel Bronston including King of Kings and Fifty Five Days at Peking. However, he fell ill and did not make films for another ten years. He was the subject of an autobiographical documentary, Lightning Over Water.
The film recreates the atmosphere of World War Two in the North African desert. Richard Burton is a rather embittered archaeologist who volunteered for military service. Curd Jurgens is a South African who sounds as if he is courageous but in fact is a coward, jealous of his wife, allowing Burton’s character to die in the desert – and ironically being awarded a DSO for leading a successful mission. Ruth Roman portrays Jurgens’ wife – although she had been in love, before the war, with Burton.
The supporting cast is very British, led by Christopher Lee and Nigel Green.
The film is also a psychological drama, a drama of a triangle between Burton, Jurgens and Roman. It plays itself out in the enactment of the mission on which they are sent, the hesitation and cowardice of Jurgens, the initiative and brutality of Burton. However, it has a grim ending.
1.The impact of the film? The 50s and the making of war stories? This film with its difference, pessimism, psychological drama?
2.The North African desert settings? The towns, the ruins, the sands? The sandstorms? Camels and donkeys? Scorpions? The musical score?
3.The title, its irony, Brand and his achievement, the DSO, his being responsible for the deaths?
4.The character of Leith, Richard Burton at his most clipped and bitter? Background of archaeology? Volunteering, his relationship with Mekrane? The clashes with Brand? The possibility of the mission? The rivalry? His meeting Jane, discovering she was married to Brand? Their discussions, his running away, not meeting her in the past? Her marrying? On the mission, his skills, disguised as an Arab, his language? The attack, the getting of the documents, the killing of the Germans? His seeming ruthlessness? In the desert, his confronting Brand, calling him a coward? His being left with the wounded – in order to kill them? His killing of the German, taking the letter? The British man asking him to kill him? With Mekrane, catching up with Brand and the men? The confrontations, the arguments, especially about Jane? The reflections on heroism? His saying that he didn’t have the courage to kill himself? The scorpion, the bite, his illness, the killing of the animal to get the medication? His dying?
5.Brand, from South Africa, bluff? With the officials, General Patterson and the mission? His meeting his wife, love for her? Jealousy? His observing of Leith with her? The confrontation, going on the mission, his hesitations and cowardice? Leaving Leith behind, not wanting directly to kill the wounded? His clashes with the men? His confrontation with Mekrane and shooting him? Leith catching up, the arguments, his seeing the scorpion, allowing it to bite Leith? His behaviour afterwards, allowing him to die? The return, the German burning the documents, sufficient for the success of the mission? His meeting Jane, her reaction to Leith’s death, his getting the award? The men abandoning him? A bitter victory?
6.Jane, marrying Brand, glad to see him? Meeting Leith, the memories, his explanation of not turning up, running away? Her anxiety for him? Seeing her husband return, wanting news of Leith? Her despising her husband?
7.General Patterson and his assistance, the work of the British in North Africa, the confrontation of Rommel? The mission, the orders, the commando raid? The return, the information, the decorations?
8.The men on mission? The officers, the ordinary soldiers? The work, the raid, the disguise? Getting the documents? The wounded, their deaths? On the trek, walking, the clashes with Brand? The personalities, their taunting Brand about Jane? The survivors, the return?
9.The Germans, in North Africa, the attack, the deaths, the captured German, his burning the documents?
10.A war film of the 1950s – with a different angle, psychological dimensions?
