What Did Dresden Have To Do With Revlon

soldier in the rain

Soldier in the Rain (1963), dir. Ralph Nelson

This is not a remarkable film, but it's worth it to see at least five reasons. First is one of the few films in which Steve McQueen's talent for comedy shows. Second great roles they played in it already somewhat forgotten Jackie Gleason and Tuesday Weld. Thirdly, it is characterized lightness and energy, for which responsibility was probably a writer and producer Blake Edwards (director of Pink Panther series ), composed the music and his constant collaborator Henry Mancini. Fourth is an intelligent and brilliant combination of farce, drama, does not cause a loud laugh (maybe only in a few scenes), humor is often bitter and sometimes surprising behavior of the characters and leaves the viewer in a daze. Fifth film is not very well known and is not very encouraging title - all the more worth it to recommend it.

story invented by writer William Goldman (Marathon Man of the ) shows the fate of soldiers who did not think about the war. Experienced sergeant after 40-ties, Maxwell Slaughter, and the energetic and imaginative young soldier, Eustis Clay, are two different personalities, which are bound together by friendship. Want to start a business together, away from the army and iron discipline, which will not have to do kretyńskich orders. But even if both characters are charismatic and awaken sympathy of their life would be boring without women. And this film I started to really like before, when she appeared on the screen beauty of Tuesday Weld as a stupid blonde. There is in this film, however trivial topics such as' two men fighting for the same woman. "

In films about friendship are often the heroes of friendship is put to severe test, for example, because of the woman. Here, the heroes do not fight among themselves, and although it is not boring. Both soldiers are a perfectly matched team, mutually reinforcing and complementary, and when you do not avoid fight (a great scene barroom brawl.) Certainly few would have achieved separately. Probably not everyone will like this humble black-and-white movie, but I see no harm. As stated by one critic, "this film offers a lot in a small package," and I agree with that.