A MAD GENERATION... Spawned In Lust... Consumed By Hate!' - tag line til filmen Verboten. En temmelig fabelagtig film af Samuel Fuller. Den foregår i Tyskland under og efter anden verdenskrig. En amerikansk soldat bliver reddet af en tysk kvinde der bor i en udbombet by med sin bror og mor (moren spiller i øvrigt næsten ingen rolle, hun ligger i sin seng og lover os en tåreperser som aldrig kommer, det er næsten altid fedt med film, der afmontere deres egen form ved meget klassisk, at indføre personer, antyde et fremtidigt payoff som så aldrig rigtig kommer).
Filmen handler om opgøret med Nazismen på flere niveauer. Kvinden redder amerikaneren for at vise måske mest over for sig selv, at ikke alle tyskere er nazister. Samtidigt skal hun overleve, det er lige før krigens afslutning, hun er alene med sin søn og gamle mor og filmen udelukker bestemt ikke bagtanker, især ikke efter at krigen af afsluttet. Det er til enhver en tid, Fullers styrke, at han ikke siger enten eller, der er ingen nem løsning, kvinden kan godt både elske og udnytte soldaten og lige så omvendt.
Senere kommer Nürenberg retsagerne med og det er klart at et tema i filmen er tyskernes eget opgør med det som nu er deres historie. Sult temaet bruges også på dette niveau, til at fremmane hvordan nazismen, det åndelige armod gennemsyre hele det tyske samfund, hvordan enhver dårligdom (kan blive) bliver til nazisme i tyskland. Det er et ganske fænomenalt filmisk trick, fordi Fuller næsten formår, at give (et noget letkøbt iøvrigt) billede af situationen før krigen. Hvis jeg må være så fri, vil jeg gerne kalde det en ret spøjs montage, som fungere ganske godt.
Den amerikanske soldat har også problemer med accepten, han vil gifte sig med kvinden, men ser sine venner dø i flashbacks. Og et af de mest bevægende øjeblikke er da han opdager hendes bedrag, som aldrig for os har fremstået som et rent bedrag (igen, her er filmen perfekt, for der findes ingen rene bedrag, man kan godt sige det ene et sted, mene det ret meget og samtidgt mene noget andet, et andet sted.) og siger, at han er syg og træt af at blive løjet overfor, sick and tired of deceit (tror jeg)... dvs. i det hele taget spillet (også det spil, at han måske ikke kan elske hende fordi hun måske er nazist, hans egne oplevelser bedrager ham... han kan ikke bare elske, menneskekærligheden er blevet inficeret.)
Jeg har efterhånden set en del Fuller film. Mange af dem tager hvad vi kunne kalde moralske temaer op. Det er ikke nødvendigvis særlig originale problemstillinger, nogen gange er hans gennemgang af feltet, dvs. hvad der overhoved udgør problemstillingerne inden for et felt, overfladiske og hans meninger kan være letkøbte og billige og alligevel er filmene præget af mod og et ret vildt klarsyn. En film som Verboteten er næsten en perfekt film. Den holder sig inden for genren, den spørger om noget der interesserede alle på den tid, den spørger ind til hvordan det kunne ske, den spørger ind til hvordan tyskerne, de pæne og gode af dem, kan leve videre bagefter. Kan de stille sig uden for, eller bliver deres forhold også inficeret (er de blevet det). Inde i dette tema florere to andre temaer, krigen (og dermed hadets) og en tendensen til at nedbryde lette påstande. Der er ingen morale, hvis der er helte er de ikke entydige, forholdene mellem mennesker er aldrig entydige, heller ikke efter en krig. Det bedste er, at det reflekteres i hvor smadret filmen selv er, fuld af gammelt arkiv materiale, fuld af mange forskellige temaer, af ufærdige personer, som alligevel på trods af det hele fungere...
Her er et link til en artikel om Fuller og filmen http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article.jsp?cid=74666&mainArticleId=145416
Lidt citater fra Sam Fullers biograf i- A Third Face: My Tale of Writing, Fighting, and Filmmaking.
"If there's one reason to recount my personal history, something inspirational that I'd like my life experiences to offer you, the reader, be you young or young at heart, then it would be to encourage you to persist with all your heart and energy in what you want to achieve - no matter how crazy your dreams seems to others. Believe me, you will prevail over all the naysayers (...) who are telling you it can't be done!"
A dialogue between Sam Fuller and Hank Wales: " 'Let's you and I write a movie together!' said Hank. 'Got any good stories?'
We both laughed. With all his amazing experiences, Hank Wales was asking me for a yarn. I was thrilled that such a remarkable guy wanted to collaborate with me. But I had a book to finish.
'Look, Hank,' I said, 'I'm writing the great American novel!'
'Everyone is writing the great American novel, Sammy. Forget about greatness. Let's have some fun.' "
"One guy I couldn't forget was Griff, who'd barely survived a land mine explosion. When I first got back to the States, I went down to Washington, D.C., and visited Griff at a veterans' hospital there. He was a basket case, no legs, no arms. Only mumbled words came out of his lips. Believe it or not, we had a wonderful reunion. Griff's eyes sparkled when he saw me. He laughed when I recalled some of the funny shit we'd gone through together in the war. I put my arm around his neck and kissed him, happy to find him alive. I couldn't keep the tears back. Griff didn't want me feeling sorry for him. He was born optimist and refused to accept my pity. Or anyone's. I was trembling when I left the hospital that day.
Griff's invincible spirit would always be an inspiration. I will take his optimism with me to my grave. Life is too precious and far too short to get hooked on negativity. In my scripts and stories, you'll find a helluva lot of characters named Griff. It was my way of saying thanks for his will to survive."
"Young writers and directors, seize your audience (...) as soon as the credits hit the screen and hang on to them! Smack people right in the face with the passion of your story! Make the public love your characters of hate them, but (...) never - never! - leave them indifferent!"
"You young people sitting around watching the (...) television! (...) Go see the world! Throw yourselves into different cultures! You will be always be wealthy if you count your riches, as I do, in adventures, full of life-changing experiences."
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En andmeldelse af shock corridor --- fra http://sbccfilmreviews.org/?p=6434
I was very surprised that Shock Corridor, a mostly black & white film made in 1963 was actually quite scandalous to my insensitive and technology ridden 21st century mind. It it by no surprise, however, that such a movie was directed by Samuel Fuller (1912-1997), one of the most influential filmmakers who made a point to delve into the uncomfortable areas of politics and culture.
The movie centers around John Barrett (Peter Breck), an undercover journalist doubling as an incestuous lunatic in an asylum to solve a murder mystery. Now that’s a Freudian dilemma if I’ve ever heard one! Especially since his wife, Cathy (Constance Towers), an erotic dancer is forced to play along as his sister and file charges to have him committed. He intermingles with the likes of a man who thinks he’s a confederate soldier, and Trent (Hari Rhodes) a stern African American schitzophrenic who preaches the gospel of the Klu Klux Klan. The main hallway of the building is referred to by the doctors as the “street”, Barret thinks of it as a “magical highway to the Pulitzer Prize.” His roommate, Pagliacci (Larry Tucker) , is a large bearded man with the voice and figure of Pavarotti who gives him his first set of clues . The psychological aspects of this film are truly impelling. Barret has nightmares regarding his wife, but so ambitiously wants to be recognized that he puts everything , including his sanity on the line. ”When you’re asleep” , Pagliacci, tells him “no one can tell a sane man from an insane man.”
Shock Corridor is a great example of a film shot on a low budget with heart and style. Fuller utilized sound and image in unconventional ways. When members of the Asylum begin to have vivid memories, the footage suddenly shifts to color.. a very jarring effect. Also, Fuller utilized voice over and music as counterpoint between the insanity of a given person’s mind and the reality surrounding them. When Barrett’s large roommate begins singing in the middle of the night, the music switches to booming operatic music for Pagliacci’s close ups, and returns to ambient sound within seconds as it cuts back to wide. Peter Breck does an incredible job of acting by the standards of the time. His gradual turn to seeming insanity is a treat to see. It is a guilty pleasure of many movie goers to see a character go crazy. The film doesn’t skim lightly over the topic of race or sexuality either. In one scene, Trent gives an incredibly emotional monologue and really stabs directly into the heart of the issue. “And the irony of it is that many Negroes are mulatto” says Trent ”and integration is well established down south.” These to me were the most shocking moments.. the moments of pure reality.
This movie is easily comparable to One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and The Shining. And there is hardly a doubt in my mind that both drew inspiration from Corridor. But with all the gritty psychological aspects of the film, there are also well balanced lighter moments. For example there is a scene where Barret accidentally stumbles into a room full of attractive nympho’s who impulsively attack him with immense sexual vigor whilst singing “My Bonie”. It is definitely a must see.
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