"HOPSCOTCH" (1980) Review

 

"HOPSCOTCH" (1980) Review

Back in the 1970s, author Brian Garfield wrote a novel about an aging C.I.A. field agent who walked away from the Agency before being forced to retire called "Hopscotch". Published in 1975, Garfield's novel won the 1976 Edgar Award for Best Novel. Four years later, producers Edie and Ely A. Landau produced a screen adaptation of the novel that starred Walter Matthau.

Garfield's novel had been published during the period of the Church Committee Congressional investigations of the Intelligence community. Even before the novel had been published, the C.I.A.'s reputation had been under attack for alleged abuses and blunders. "Hopscotch" proved to be one of several novels published during the 1970s that used the Agency's blunders and abuses as the theme for their narratives.

The movie "HOPSCOTCH", released in 1980, began with C.I.A. Agent Miles Kendig leading a team to foil a microfilm transfer between KGB agents in Munich, West Germany. However, Kendig did not bother to arrest the KGB agents' leader, one Mikhail Yaskov (a longtime adversary and old friend), knowing it would take years for the Agency to become familiar with Yaskov's replacement. Unfortunately, Kendig's aggressive boss, G.P. Myerson, took umbrage at Kendig's lack of action and explanation. He reassigns Kendig to a desk job and assigns the latter's friend and protégé, Joe Cutter, to replace him in the field. Instead of accepting a transfer that was sure to lead to early retirement, Kendig decides to quit the Agency and write and publish a memoir exposing the dirty tricks and general incompetence of the C.I.A. - especially those operations connected to Myerson. The latter, enraged and fearful of Kendig's goal, orders Cutter to stop the veteran agent. And Yaskov, not wanting the K.G.B.'s follies exposed, also pursues his old adversary.

The Wikipedia page for Brian Garfield's novel had described it as possessing a "a dark, cynical tone". When I read that particular passage, I found myself wondering if the film adaptation had changed the novel's narrative. But according to Wikipedia, movie had followed the novel's plot pretty closely. Only the 1980 film had been made as a comedy. Although "HOPSCOTCH" lacked the novel's dark tone, I believe it did retain the latter's cynicism. At least three characters seemed to convey the novel's cynicism - Miles Kendig, his old love and former agent Isobel von Schönenberg and Joe Cutter. Both Kendig and Cutter seemed to view the Cold War they had been raging on behalf of the C.I.A. with cynical eyes, along with Myerson's hardcore and rigid attitude as a Cold War "warrior". Kendig also seemed to view his former boss as incompetent. This cynical humor - mainly directed at Kendig's boss - proved to be one aspect that made this film very enjoyable to watch. But there were other aspects of "HOPSCOTCH" that I had enjoyed.

One, I really enjoyed how Kendig managed to make a fool out of Myerson throughout the film. For me, watching Myerson act as Wile E. Coyote to Kendig's Roadrunner seemed like the backbone of Bryan Forbes and director Garfield's screenplay and the film's humor. The latter also seemed to be dominated by witty one-liners, especially from Kendig and von Schönenberg's characters. However, Cutter and even Myerson managed to occasionally display some wit. Thanks to Ronald Neame's direction, "HOPSCOTCH" seemed to give the impression of a charming film with a leisurely pace. Yet, both Neame and film editor Carl Kress managed to inject the right amount of energy in the film's pacing to prevent me from getting bored. Also, I believe Kendig's situation had allowed him and his pursuers to travel to different parts of the American South and Western Europe - Georgia, the Washington D.C. area, Bermuda, Germany (West Germany then), Austria, France and Great Britain. I also enjoyed Arthur Ibbetson and Brian W. Roy's cinematography. I thought the pair brought a good deal of sharp photography and color for the film's locations.

But aside from Garfield and Forbes' screenplay, I believe the film's best asset proved to be its cast. "HOPSCOTCH" featured some solid performances from the likes of David Matthau, George Baker, Ivor Roberts, Severn Darden, Lucy Saroyan, Allan Cuthbertson, and Herbert Lom as Kendig's professional adversary and good friend, Mikhail Yaskov. For me, the best performances came from leading man Walter Matthau, Ned Beatty, Glenda Jackson and Sam Waterston. The latter gave a relaxed, yet sardonic portrayal of Joe Cutter, a veteran C.I.A. operative who seemed at least a decade or two away from becoming the experienced, yet disenchanted agent that Kendig had become. I thought Waterston did an excellent job of conveying Cutter's position at this crossroad in his life and profession. Glenda Jackson was gloriously witty and sharp as Kendig's old love, Isobel von Schönenberg. She managed to convey Fraulein von Schönenberg's own cynicism with her former profession and at the same time enjoy her current life as the widow of a wealthy Austrian aristocrat. Unlike Kendig, Jackson's von Schönenberg had learned to move on. Ned Beatty's portrayal of the ruthless and petty C.I.A. boss G.P. Myerson could have easily spiraled into one-dimensional villainy. But thanks to Beatty's skillful performance, he managed to convey Myerson's ugly adherence to the Cold War ideology and at the same time his humanity. Walter Matthau seemed in top form as the wily, yet very likeable Miles Kendig. Matthau did a great job in conveying his character's professional demeanor, wisdom and cunning in the latter's conflict with Myerson. At the same time, Matthau managed to hint some of Kendig's less admirable qualities - his vindictive response to be demoted by Myerson, his stubborn inability to walk away and make a new life as Isobel had done, as the film's final scene managed to indicate. In Miles Kendig, Matthau had created a spy never seen before or since. Pity.

By this point, one would think I have no complaints against "HOPSCOTCH". Well . . . perhaps I have one or two minor complaints. One, I noticed that two-thirds into the movie I nearly found myself falling asleep. I believe the movie's pacing had briefly lost its beat at this point. Which makes me wonder if "HOPSCOTCH" could have benefitted from a slightly shorter running time. I also noticed that "HOPSCOTCH" seemed in danger of becoming one long "Road Runner" cartoon, especially since Kendig always seemed to be one step ahead of Myerson and the C.I.A. with very little effort or danger. Fortunately, Kendig's plans finally seemed to be in danger of falling apart and the movie acquired a bit of edge during during the last twenty minutes.

Although over forty years old, "HOPSCOTCH" managed to hold up very well after so long. The story's criticism of the intelligence community and "cold-war" style politics remain relevant, even to this day. And I have to say it, between the colorful travelogue, Kendig's schemes against Myerson and an excellent cast led by Walter Matthau, "HOPSCOTCH" managed to remain a very entertaining movie.





R.I.P. Glenda Jackson (1936-2023)

"HOPSCOTCH" (1980) Photo Gallery

 

Below are images from "HOPSCOTCH", the 1980 adaptation of Brian Garfield's 1975 novel about a veteran CIA field officer who walks away from the Agency in order to keep from being retired and placed behind a desk. Directed by Ronald Neame, the movie starred Walter Matthau:

"HOPSCOTCH" (1980) Photo Gallery

"FLAME OVER INDIA" (1959) Review

"FLAME OVER INDIA" (1959) Review

I have seen my share of movie and television productions set during the heyday of the British Empire over the years. They have featured narratives that range from being rabidly pro-Imperial to being highly critical of British Imperial policies and society. Recently, I re-discovered an old movie that seemed to straddle between the two styles of this genre, the 1959 adventure film, "FLAME OVER INDIA aka NORTH WEST FRONTIER".

Directed by J. Lee Thompson, "FLAME OVER INDIA" began in the North West Frontier of 1905 British India, when a Hindu Maharajah asks British Army Captain William Scott to take his young son and heir, Prince Kishan, to the safety of the British Governor's residence in Haserabad, due to a Muslim uprising in his province. Accompanying them is the prince's nanny/governess, an American widow named Mrs. Catherine Wyatt. They leave shortly before the rebels storm the palace and kill the Maharajah. Upon their arrival in Haserabad, Captain Scott and Mrs. Wyatt learn that Muslim rebels threaten to overrun the Residency, due to knowledge of the young prince's arrival. The Residency's Governor, Sir John Wyndham, informs Captain Scott that he must take Prince Kishan to the safety of Kalapur. Scott discovers an old train, the Empress of India, and decides to use it to get Kishan and Mrs. Wyatt to safety. Because of the danger of developing siege in Haserabad, other passengers join Scott, Mrs. Wyatt and Kishan on the journey:

*Gupta - the Empress of India's driver
*Lady Wyndham - Sir John's wife
*Peter van Leyden - a Dutch biracial anti-Imperialist journalist
*Mr. Bridie - one of Sir John's government aides
*Mr. Peters - an arms dealer who does business with all sides
*Two Indian sergeants acting as Captain Scott's aides

There are some aspects of "FLAME OVER INDIA" that did not particularly impress me. Actually, I can only think of two. In one scene, the Empress of India's passengers had come across a train that had departed Haserabad earlier in the film. Apparently, the rebels had massacred all of the train's passengers, leaving behind one infant still alive. Now, I realize that this scene is supposed to be some kind of allegory of the religious strife that marred Britain's partition from India in 1947 and its role in that strife. The problem is that this scene would have been more suited for a story set during that period, instead of a movie set in 1905. I also had a problem with the film's final action sequence. It is not terrible, but it struck me as a bit anti-climatic. Especially since it ended with the Empress of India's passengers evading capture by the train's entrance into a two-mile long hillside tunnel that led to the safety of Kalapur.

Overall, I thought "FLAME OVER INDIA" was a first-rate movie that seamlessly combined the elements of two genres - action and drama. At first glance, it seemed Captain Scott using a train to convey young Kishan to the safety of Kalapur offered no real challenges - especially against pursuers on horseback. Scott and Gupta had initially planned to sneak the passengers out of Haserabad by freewheeling the Empress of India down a gradient and out of the rail yard, but the train's whistle unexpectedly blows, alerting the rebels to their departure. The screenwriters ensure that the Empress and its passengers encounter other obstacles to make it difficult to evade their pursuers - including torn up tracks, the train's nearly empty water tank, the train full of massacred passengers, a bomb-damaged viaduct/bridge and a spy in their midst. If I had a choice for my favorite action sequence, it would be the one in which the Empress of India passengers attempt to fix the sabotaged tracks in the middle of a gun battle. It is a pity that this incident occurred midway in the film.

More importantly, "FLAME OVER INDIA" is an excellent drama in which the political situation - the rebellion within Kishan's province - served as a reflection of the divisions in British India around the turn of the 20th century and the Britons' role in its origin. In fact, this topic manifested in a tense scene featuring an argument between Captain Scott and Peter van Leyden following the passengers' discovery of the train massacre. Earlier, I had commented that "FLAME OVER INDIA" seemed to straddle between those rabidly pro-Imperial movies to those highly critical of British Empire. The quarrel between Captain Scott and van Leyden over the train massacre and British Imperial policy seemed to personify this "no Man's Land" between the genre's two styles. But the movie also featured other characters who seemed to represent not only these two positions on Imperial policies, but also that middle ground. Even Captain Scott's characters seemed to be on the verge of that middle ground by the film's end.

I have seen "FLAME OVER INDIA" on many occasions, but it finally occurred to me that it reminded me of another film. I noticed that one of the screenwriters was Frank Nugent, who had written the screenplays for several of John Ford's movies between 1948 and 1963. Although Nugent never worked on one of Ford's best films, "STAGECOACH", I realized that "FLAME OVER INDIA" bore a strong resemblance to the Oscar winning 1939 film. Like "STAGECOACH", this film is about a group of people who undertake a long-distance journey through dangerous territory. And like the 1939 movie, it is also a strong character study of people from different backgrounds, personalities and philosophies. Whereas "STAGECOACH" seemed more like an exploration of class (and regional) differences between late 19th century Americans, "FLAME OVER INDIA" is more of an exploration of the impact of the British Empire upon the movie's main characters - the Europeans, one American, one Eurasian and two Asians. The ironic aspect of the film's theme is that even young Kishan, who served mainly as the movie's catalyst, had the last word about the British presence in India, near the end.

"FLAME OVER INDIA" struck me as a colorful looking film, thanks to its technical crew. The movie was shot at Pinewood Studios, and also on location in India and Spain. And I must say that cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth did a beautiful job with his photography for both locations. And I must admit that I really admired how he balanced his close-up, far-shots and zooming . . . especially during the film's opening sequence that depicted the Muslim rebels overrunning the palace of Kishan's father. I was also impressed by Frederick Wilson's editing of J. Lee Thompson's direction of the action sequences - especially the opening sequence and that featuring the repair of the damaged tracks. Between Thompson and Wilson, they managed to fill the movie with a great deal of action, suspense and drama. I also enjoyed Yvonne Caffin's Edwardian costumes for the film. But like her work for the 1958 movie, "A NIGHT TO REMEMBER", they did not strike me as particularly mind-blowing, but they certainly did not look cheap or straight out of a costume warehouse.

The 1959 movie did not exactly have a large cast . . . unless one would consider the number of extras. But I have to say that I did not have anything negative to say about the performances in "FLAME OVER INDIA". The movie featured solid performances from the likes of Ian Hunter, Jack Gwillim, and Basil Hoskins. Both S.M. Asgaralli and Sam Chowdhary, who portrayed the two sepoys under Scott's command, had spoken at least two or three lines between them and still managed to effectively convey the idea of competent soldiers. And Govind Raja Ross gave a very charming performance as the young Prince Kishan. He was not the best child actor I have ever seen, but I found him charming.

However, the film's best performances came the major supporting cast members and the two leads. I cannot say that Ursula Jeans gave a complex performance. After all, I could never regard her character, Lady Windham, as flexible. But Jeans did an excellent job in conveying the conservative, yet ladylike "memsahib" of the British Empire. Eugene Deckers gave a very entertaining performance as the witty and cynical arms dealer, Mr. Peters. In fact, I would say that Deckers gave the most entertaining performance in the film. Wilfrid Hyde-White gave a charming, yet poignant performance as the mild-mannered, yet very open-minded government aide, Mr. Bridie. Hyde-White did such a good job in conveying his character's likability that even a hostile character like Peter van Leyden recognized him for the tolerant person he was. While checking I.S. Johar's filmography on the IMDB site, I noticed that he made very few English-speaking films, one of them being the 1978 Agatha Christie movie, "DEATH ON THE NILE". Personally, I believe his role as the effervescent, yet skilled train engineer/driver, Gupta, to be a breath of fresh air, in compare to his role in the 1978 murder mystery. Johar not only gave a first-rate performance, he managed to create a crackling screen chemistry with leading man Kenneth More.

If I had my choice for the best performance in "FLAME OVER INDIA", I would choose Herbert Lom's portrayal of the biracial journalist, Peter van Leyden. Lom did an excellent job in conveying his character's intelligence, penchant for confrontations and complex anger toward the British presence in India and European colonialism in general. Lom's Peter van Leyden may have been an unpleasant character, but what he had to say about colonialism and the British attitude toward the subcontinent's natives resonated with a great deal of truth. The producers of "FLAME OVER INDIA" had originally considered Olivia de Havilland for the role of Prince Kishan's widowed governess, Mrs. Catherine Wyatt. However, the former was unavailable and they turned to American actress Lauren Bacall to portray the role. One would not expect an American character in a film set in British India. And yet . . . Bacall gave such a first-rate performance as the forthright, yet slightly cynical Mrs. Wyatt that I never gave it another thought. More importantly, she also managed to create a strong, yet natural screen chemistry with More, which took me by surprise. Speaking of Kenneth More, he gave a strong and intelligent performance as the movie's leading character, Captain William Scott. In a way, More's portrayal of Scott struck me as rather odd. Superficially, his Scott seemed like the typical British Army officer who believed in the righteousness of the British Empire and regarded its Indian subjects as children. And yet, Scott seemed to be a bit more complicated. He preached like a typically bigoted colonial and behaved like a more tolerant man who had a tight friendship with the likes of Gupta and treated the two sepoys (soldiers) under him as competent fighting men, instead of children who needed to be constantly supervised. Like I had said, More's Scott proved to be something different from the usual military character in a British Imperial film. Then again, the movie had been made over a decade after India's independence.

I may have a few quibbles about "FLAME OVER INDIA", but overall I really enjoyed the film. It might be one of the few British Empire movies that I truly enjoyed before the more ambiguous Imperial films of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The film's screenwriters also created a first-rate adventure film that also proved to be a complex drama and character study. "FLAME OVER INDIA" also benefited from first-rate cinematography from the legendary Geoffrey Unsworth, excellent acting from a cast led by Kenneth More and Lauren Bacall, and superb direction from J. Lee Thompson. I believe there is nothing further for me to say.

"FLAME OVER INDIA" (1959) Photo Gallery

Below are images from the 1959 adventure film, "FLAME OVER INDIA (AKA "North West Frontier"). Directed by J. Lee Thompson, the movie starred Kenneth More and Lauren Bacall: 



"FLAME OVER INDIA" (1959) Photo Gallery

"THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE" (2004) Review

"THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE" (2004) Review

I have another of my many confessions to make . . . I have never been a big fan of Agatha Christie's 1930 novel, "The Murder at the Vicarage". Never mind that it featured the first appearance of elderly sleuth, Miss Jane Marple, in a feature-length novel. I am just not a big fan. 

One could assume that the novel's setting - in the small village of St. Mary Mead - could be the reason why this particular tale has never rocked my boat. Not particularly. I can think of numerous Christie tales set in a small village - including St. Mary Mead - that really impressed me. The problem with "The Murder in the Vicarage" is that I never found it to be a particularly thought provoking tale. Nor did it include any special circumstances that made it unique. And my borderline apathy toward the 1930 novel even extended to the television movie adaptation that aired in 1986. Some eighteen years later, another adaptation of the novel aired on television. This particular version starred Geraldine McEwan as Miss Marple. And its running time was at least eight minutes shorter.

In "THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE", the citizens of St. Mary Mead are rocked by the murder of Colonel Protheroe, the local churchwarden and magistrate, whose body was found inside the study of the vicar, Reverend Len Clement. The man was disliked by many; including the vicar, the vicarage's curate, Protheroe's second wife Anne, her lover Lawrence Redding, Protheroe's daughter from his first marriage Lettice, the vicar's wife Grieselda Clement, and a mysterious new resident named Mrs. Lester who seemed to have produced a strange reaction from Protheroe. Not long after the vicar discovers the body, Lawrence Redding, who is a painter, confesses to the murder. Although he has been clashing with Colonel Protheroe over his painting of Lettice, it turns out that he has been Anne Protheroe's lover for quite some time. Upon learning about his confession, Anne confesses as well. Miss Marple eventually points out to Inspector Slack that it was impossible for either to commit the murder and suggests that the latter search for the killer among other St. Mary's Mead citizens.

As I had pointed earlier, I am not a big fan of Christie's novel or its 1986 adaptation. But for some reason, I enjoyed this adaptation. For example, it is a bit more colorful than the previous version. I am aware that all of the Miss Marple television adaptations of the 1980s and early 1990s tend to look rather faded. But there are more reasons why I find this 2004 version more colorful. I realize that many tend to demand that a movie or television adaptation is faithful to its source novel. But I thought the changes made by Stephen Churchett made the production somewhat more lively for me. One, Churchett changed two characters (one of them an archeologist) by giving them a World War II connection to Protheroe and a reason to want him dead. And two, Churchett included World War I flashbacks of a brief love affair between Miss Marple and a married Army officer. At first glance, these flashback seemed irrelevant to the main story. In the end, they served as a tool in which Miss Marple managed to ascertain the murderer's identity. But the best thing I can say about "THE MURDER IN THE VICARAGE" is its pacing. This is a well-paced film, thanks to Charlie Palmer's direction. For me, this is an important element for a low-key mystery like "THE MURDER IN THE VICARAGE".

But there are other aspects of the movie that I enjoyed. I was really impressed by Nigel Walters' cinematography. It was sharp, colorful and perfect for the movie's setting. The photography also enhanced Jeff Tessler's production designs, which struck me as a perfect reflection of an English village in 1951. He also had the task of re-creating a London railway station circa 1915-1917. And he did a pretty good job. But I really enjoyed Phoebe De Gaye's costume designs. I found them colorful and very spot-on for each particular character, based upon age, class, personality, etc. By the way, Ms. De Gaye had also served one of the two costume designers for the BBC's "THE MUSKETEERS" and the 2002-2003 miniseries, "THE FORSYTE SAGA". 

The performances were first-class. I tried to think of one that seemed somewhat off. But . . . I thought they were all well-done. "THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE"marked Geraldine McEwan's second time at the bat as Miss Jane Marple. I feel this particular performance might be one of her better ones. I found her performance intelligent, sharp and particularly poignant. Other performances that impressed me came from Janet McTeer and Jason Flemyng, the adulterous couple, who found themselves at the center of village gossip and police inquiries following Protheroe's murder. On paper, television viewers should have been outraged at their infidelity. But both McTeer and Flemyng gave such poignant and passionate performances that they managed to allow viewers to care about their fate. 

Rachael Stirling gave an exuberant performance as the vicar's outgoing wife, Grisielda Clements. At first glance, it seemed as if Derek Jacobi's portrayal of the victim, Colonel Protheroe, would come off as a one-note blustering idiot. Thankfully, there were moments when Jacobi infused a good deal of humanity into his performance - especially in scenes involving the mysterious Mrs. Lester. Mark Gatiss' portrayal of the vicarage's curate Ronald Hawes, who seemed torn over his past actions involving the embezzling of funds at his previous assignment struck me as rather emotional and a bit sad. I also have to commend Stephen Tompkinson for his complex performance as the irascible Detective Inspector Slack. I enjoyed how he slowly allowed Slack's character to develop an admiration for Miss Marple's detective skills. The television movie also featured solid performances from Tim McInnerny, Herbert Lom, Christina Cole, Jane Asher, Robert Powell, Angela Pleasance, Miriam Margolyes and especially, Julie Cox and Marc Warren, who gave affecting performances as the younger Jane Marple and her World War I lover.

I may not be a fan of Agatha Christie's 1930 novel. But I cannot deny that I rather enjoyed its 2004 television adaptation. Thanks to director Charlie Palmer and screenwriter Stephen Churchett, "THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE" proved to be a colorful, yet emotional tale about love, passion and ghosts from the past. The production was also enhanced by some eye-catching behind-the-scenes artistry and excellent performances from a cast led by the incomparable Geraldine McEwan.

"THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE" (2004) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE", the 2004 adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1930 novel. The movie starred Geraldine McEwan as Miss Jane Marple: 


"THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE" (2004) Photo Gallery