Filmography
Jan. 27th, 2007 09:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_lady_lilyBeing There
So I watched this after watching, over a year ago now, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers and enjoying it tremendously. I was particularly intrigued by the concept of Being There, which is the one film where Sellers is not trying to be a 'comic' in the same way that he is in other films, the pigeonhole into which he got shoved - this was the work that he felt really gave him an opportunity to be an actor.
This isn't to say that there aren't funny points in the film; it's billed as satire, although the feel of the Netflix summary rather misses the point, and indeed the potential fairy-tale aspect of the whole production.
The plot - Chance, a gardener, lives in a house with Louise, a maid, and an old man. He is never allowed outside, his employer gives him televisions (originally radios), he keeps the garden of the house in order. Then the old man dies, Louise leaves, Chance is discovered by the attorneys and told to leave, wanders around Washington looking bemused until the car of Eve Rand backs into his leg. Eve Rand, wife of Ben Rand, a leader in business and political king-maker who is dying from anemia, takes Chance home, misunderstanding his name as Chauncey Gardiner as he is answering her question when choking on a mouth of alcohol. Chance then proceeds to become, through the process of having other people's opinions superimposed on him, suddenly known as an economic whiz with a down-to-earth philosophy, and eventually (it is hinted) becomes the next presidential candidate. All he does is speak about gardening, what he knows and loves, and people bring it round into all sorts of other things - hence the satire.
But the film isn't bitingly funny - rather, it is bittersweet and quite sad. Poor Chance has no idea what's going on, why he is suddenly so important - he just innocently takes these things on as they come without really appreciating what they mean. I can see why the part appealed to Sellers so much, and he makes a marvellous creation - he manages not to make it hysterically funny, but instead quite moving and sad.
There are some moments which are deeply amusing - for instance, we know perfectly well that Chance has essentially been kept out of public life (even in terms of having a doctor or dentist) for whatever reason (never made clear), and the scramble of various people to find out things about him and draw conclusions in the face of nil facts is wonderfully bitter - for instance, the CIA agent saying only a CIA man could have wiped his history that thoroughly, and the FBI man suggesting that an FBI man could have done the same, the newspaper business editor trying to work out what Gardiner's interest in the business side of things is, all that. When Chance escorts Eve to a diplomatic reception is a further example of the stupidity of these people - the Russian ambassador assumes he understands Russian because of strategically placed silence, the rumour eventually goes round that he speaks eight languages and has a law and medical degree... amazing what the power of the social rumour mill can achieve. In that respect, yes, the satire has sharp teeth.
The only man who 'gets' the truth is Ben Rand's doctor, who treated Chance's bruised leg in the first place, who traces down the attorney that Chance mentioned during their first meeting who evicted him, and discovers enough of the truth from him to piece together that Chance really is a gardener, not Chauncey Gardiner. The doctor, however, does not burst the bubble, although the question remains up in the air as to whether he tells his patient or not. Ben Rand dies holding Chance's hand, and it is never clear whether he knows that this man who has cheered him and given him such pleasure in the last few days is a simpleton.
To only look at it as satire/comedy, however, misses the very innocence and fairy-tale quality which made the film particularly special for me. This is brought to a head in the final scene - walking away from Ben Rand's funeral to explore the estate's garden, Chance comes to a pond. He moves a dead branch from where it is stunting a bright vibrant young tree's growth, then sees a fallen branch in the middle of the pool. He walks over the water and starts examining the tree, pausing only to dip his umbrella completely into the pond (as if to check its depth out of interest) on the way. The film closes with Chance walking on water. Messianic subtlty this is not, but if you have been watching the film purely as a comedy, in my opinion you have to reread it in light of that scene. There is more going on here than meets the eye.
My one major problem with the film, and the thing that means it's getting four stars and not five, is the sex. It was made in 1979, yes, but there are two particular moments which - ugh. The first is at this diplomatic dinner thingie. Chance is standing talking to someone apparently called Dennis Watson, who propositions him with the line 'Ah, tell me, Mr. Gardner... have you ever had sex with a man?' Pause. 'No... I don't think so.' Watson suggests going upstairs; Chance misunderstands and asks if there is a television there, clarifying this statement by explaining that he 'likes to watch'. Watson takes this as an indication of voyeuristic tendencies, replying 'You wait right here. I'll go get Warren!'. The point of this exchange was entirely lost on me and felt very out of key with the rest of the film.
A similar misunderstanding occurs with Eve. A woman married to a much older, dying man, when Chance arrives (and Sellers is not bad-looking in this film) who appears to be sensitive, understanding, and a bit sexily withdrawn, obviously she gets a pash. There are a number of scenes where this suppressed passion and affection come to the surface, but obviously Chance has Enosexual interest in Eve whatsoever. The culminating scene, the really cringe-worthy one, culminates in Eve masturbating on a bearskin rug next to the bed, as Chance attempts to emulate the yoga exercises being shown on the television. Completely and utterly - well, ridiculous and uncomfortable, to be honest. The rest of the film is a gem. The sex bits are thoroughly discomforting and spoil it.
Other than that - really quite enjoyable and surprisingly relevant, all things considered.
So I watched this after watching, over a year ago now, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers and enjoying it tremendously. I was particularly intrigued by the concept of Being There, which is the one film where Sellers is not trying to be a 'comic' in the same way that he is in other films, the pigeonhole into which he got shoved - this was the work that he felt really gave him an opportunity to be an actor.
This isn't to say that there aren't funny points in the film; it's billed as satire, although the feel of the Netflix summary rather misses the point, and indeed the potential fairy-tale aspect of the whole production.
The plot - Chance, a gardener, lives in a house with Louise, a maid, and an old man. He is never allowed outside, his employer gives him televisions (originally radios), he keeps the garden of the house in order. Then the old man dies, Louise leaves, Chance is discovered by the attorneys and told to leave, wanders around Washington looking bemused until the car of Eve Rand backs into his leg. Eve Rand, wife of Ben Rand, a leader in business and political king-maker who is dying from anemia, takes Chance home, misunderstanding his name as Chauncey Gardiner as he is answering her question when choking on a mouth of alcohol. Chance then proceeds to become, through the process of having other people's opinions superimposed on him, suddenly known as an economic whiz with a down-to-earth philosophy, and eventually (it is hinted) becomes the next presidential candidate. All he does is speak about gardening, what he knows and loves, and people bring it round into all sorts of other things - hence the satire.
But the film isn't bitingly funny - rather, it is bittersweet and quite sad. Poor Chance has no idea what's going on, why he is suddenly so important - he just innocently takes these things on as they come without really appreciating what they mean. I can see why the part appealed to Sellers so much, and he makes a marvellous creation - he manages not to make it hysterically funny, but instead quite moving and sad.
There are some moments which are deeply amusing - for instance, we know perfectly well that Chance has essentially been kept out of public life (even in terms of having a doctor or dentist) for whatever reason (never made clear), and the scramble of various people to find out things about him and draw conclusions in the face of nil facts is wonderfully bitter - for instance, the CIA agent saying only a CIA man could have wiped his history that thoroughly, and the FBI man suggesting that an FBI man could have done the same, the newspaper business editor trying to work out what Gardiner's interest in the business side of things is, all that. When Chance escorts Eve to a diplomatic reception is a further example of the stupidity of these people - the Russian ambassador assumes he understands Russian because of strategically placed silence, the rumour eventually goes round that he speaks eight languages and has a law and medical degree... amazing what the power of the social rumour mill can achieve. In that respect, yes, the satire has sharp teeth.
The only man who 'gets' the truth is Ben Rand's doctor, who treated Chance's bruised leg in the first place, who traces down the attorney that Chance mentioned during their first meeting who evicted him, and discovers enough of the truth from him to piece together that Chance really is a gardener, not Chauncey Gardiner. The doctor, however, does not burst the bubble, although the question remains up in the air as to whether he tells his patient or not. Ben Rand dies holding Chance's hand, and it is never clear whether he knows that this man who has cheered him and given him such pleasure in the last few days is a simpleton.
To only look at it as satire/comedy, however, misses the very innocence and fairy-tale quality which made the film particularly special for me. This is brought to a head in the final scene - walking away from Ben Rand's funeral to explore the estate's garden, Chance comes to a pond. He moves a dead branch from where it is stunting a bright vibrant young tree's growth, then sees a fallen branch in the middle of the pool. He walks over the water and starts examining the tree, pausing only to dip his umbrella completely into the pond (as if to check its depth out of interest) on the way. The film closes with Chance walking on water. Messianic subtlty this is not, but if you have been watching the film purely as a comedy, in my opinion you have to reread it in light of that scene. There is more going on here than meets the eye.
My one major problem with the film, and the thing that means it's getting four stars and not five, is the sex. It was made in 1979, yes, but there are two particular moments which - ugh. The first is at this diplomatic dinner thingie. Chance is standing talking to someone apparently called Dennis Watson, who propositions him with the line 'Ah, tell me, Mr. Gardner... have you ever had sex with a man?' Pause. 'No... I don't think so.' Watson suggests going upstairs; Chance misunderstands and asks if there is a television there, clarifying this statement by explaining that he 'likes to watch'. Watson takes this as an indication of voyeuristic tendencies, replying 'You wait right here. I'll go get Warren!'. The point of this exchange was entirely lost on me and felt very out of key with the rest of the film.
A similar misunderstanding occurs with Eve. A woman married to a much older, dying man, when Chance arrives (and Sellers is not bad-looking in this film) who appears to be sensitive, understanding, and a bit sexily withdrawn, obviously she gets a pash. There are a number of scenes where this suppressed passion and affection come to the surface, but obviously Chance has Enosexual interest in Eve whatsoever. The culminating scene, the really cringe-worthy one, culminates in Eve masturbating on a bearskin rug next to the bed, as Chance attempts to emulate the yoga exercises being shown on the television. Completely and utterly - well, ridiculous and uncomfortable, to be honest. The rest of the film is a gem. The sex bits are thoroughly discomforting and spoil it.
Other than that - really quite enjoyable and surprisingly relevant, all things considered.
