"THE GOOD SHEPHERD" (2006) Review

"THE GOOD SHEPHERD" (2006) Review

As far as I know, Academy Award winning actor Robert De Niro has directed at least two movies during his long career. One of them was the 1992 movie, "A BRONX'S TALE", which I have yet to see. The other was the 2006 espionage epic called "THE GOOD SHEPHERD". 

Starring Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie, "THE GOOD SHEPHERD" told the fictionalized story about the birth of the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) and counter-intelligence through the eyes of one man named Edward Wilson. Edward, the product of an East Coast aristocratic family and a C.I.A. official, has received an anonymous package during the spring of 1961. The famous C.I.A operation, the Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba had just failed. Inside the package is a reel-to-reel tape that reveals two unidentifiable people engaged in sex. Suspecting that the tape might reveal leads to the failure behind the Cuban operation, Edward has the tape investigated. The results lead to a possibility that the operation's failure may have originated very close to home. During Edward's investigation of the reel tape and the failure behind the Bay of Pigs, the movie reveals the history of his personal life and his career in both the C.I.A. and the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) during World War II.

Many film critics and historians believe that the Edward Wilson character in "THE GOOD SHEPHERD" is loosely based upon the lives and careers of American intelligence officers, James Jesus Angelton andRichard M. Bissell, Jr.. And there might be some truth in this observation. But if I must be frank, I was never really concerned if the movie was a loose biography of anyone associated with the C.I.A. My concerns mainly focused on whether "THE GOOD SHEPHERD" is a good movie. Mind you, I had a few quibbles with it, but in the end I thought it was an above-average movie that gave moviegoers a peek into the operations of the C.I.A. and this country's history between 1939 and 1961.

It is a pity that "THE GOOD SHEPHERD" was marred by a handful of prominent flaws. It really had the potential to be a well-made and memorable film. One of the problems I had were most of the characters' emotional repression. Are we really supposed to believe that nearly every member of the upper-class in the country's Northeast region are incapable of expressing overt emotion? I am not claiming that the performances were bad. Frankly, I was very impress by the performances featured in the movie. But the idea of nearly every major character - especially those born with a silver spoon - barely speaking above an audible whisper, due to his or her priviledged background, strikes me as more of a cliché than interesting and/or original characterization. I never understood what led Edward to finally realize that the man he believed was the genuine KGB defector Valentin Mironov, was actually a double agent. He should have realized this when the real Mironov had arrived several years earlier. The circumstances that led Edward to seek evidence inside one of the fake defector's struck me as rather vague and far-reaching on screenwriter Eric Roth's part. My main problem with "THE GOOD SHEPHERD" was its pacing. It was simply TOO DAMN SLOW. The movie has an interesting story, but De Niro's snail-like pacing made it difficult for me to maintain my interest in one sitting. Thank goodness for DVDs. I feel that the only way to truly appreciate "THE GOOD SHEPHERD" without falling asleep is to watch a DVD copy in installments.

However, thanks to Eric Roth's screenplay and Robert De Niro's direction, "THE GOOD SHEPHERD"offered plenty of scenes and moments to enjoy. The moment of seduction at a Skull and Bones gathering that led Edward into a loveless marriage with Margaret 'Clover' Russell struck me as fascinating. It was a moment filled with passion and sex. Yet, the circumstances - namely Margaret's pregnancy - forced Edward to give up a college love and marry a woman he did not truly love. I also enjoyed how De Niro and Roth used flashbacks to reveal the incidents in Edward's post-college life and C.I.A. career, while he persisted into his investigation of the mysterious tape in the movie's present day (1961). I was especially impressed by De Niro's smooth ability to handle the transition from the present, to the past and back without missing a beat. 

There were two scenes really stood out for me. One involved the Agency's interrogation of the real Soviet defector, Valentin Mironov. I found it brutal, somewhat bloody and rather tragic in a perverse way. The other scene featured a loud and emotional quarrel between Edward and Margaret over the latter's demand that Edward should convince his son not to join the C.I.A. What made this quarrel interesting is that after twenty years of a quiet and repressive marriage, the two finally revealed their true feelings for each other. But the best aspect of "THE GOOD SHEPHERD" was its depiction of how a decent, yet flawed allowed his work in intelligence and his position of power within the intelligence community warp his character. The higher Edward rose within the ranks of the C.I.A., the more he distanced himself from his family with his lies and secrets, and the more he was willing to corrupt himself in the name of national security . . . even to the extent of disrupting his son's chance for happiness.

"THE GOOD SHEPHERD" must be one of the few large-scale movie productions, whose photography and production designs failed to give the impression of an epic. I found Robert Richardson's photography rather limited, despite the numerous settings featured in the plot. So much of the movie's scenes featured an interior setting. Yet, even most of the exterior scenes seemed to reflect a limited view. In the end, it was up to the movie's 167 minute running time and 22 years time span that gave "THE GOOD SHEPHERD" an epic feel to it.

Robert De Niro and the casting team did a pretty good job in their selection of the cast. The only one I had a problem with was actor Lee Pace, who portrayed a fictionalized version of C.I.A. director Richard Helms named . . . Richard Hayes. I have always viewed Pace as an outstanding actor, but he spent most of his scenes smirking on the sidelines or making slightly insidious comments to the Edward Wilson character. I believe Roth's screenplay had failed to give substance to his role. But there were plenty of other good supporting performances. I was especially impressed by Oleg Shtefanko's subtle, yet insidious portryal of Edward's KGB counterpart, Stas Siyanko aka Ulysses. Director Robert De Niro, John Sessions, Alec Baldwin, William Hurt, Billy Crudup, Joe Pesci and Tammy Blanchard all gave solid performances. Eddie Redmayne held his own with both Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie as the Wilsons' intimidated and resentful son, Edward Wilson, Jr. Michael Gambon was his usual competent self as an MI-6 spymaster named Dr. Fredricks. Gambon was also lucky to give one of the best lines in the movie.

At least three performances impressed me. John Tuturro was very memorable as Edward's tough and ruthless deputy, Ray Brocco. For once, De Niro's insistence upon minimilist acting worked very well in Tuturro's favor. The actor did an excellent job in portraying Brocco's aggression with a very subtle performance, producing an interesting contrast in the character's personality. I realize that Angelina Jolie had won her Oscar for "GIRL, INTERRUPTED", a movie that had been released at least seven years before "THE GOOD SHEPHERD". But I sincerely believe that her portryal of Edward's long suffering wife, Margaret, was the first role in which she truly impressed me. She tossed away her usual habits and little tricks in order to give a very mature and subtle performance as a woman slowly sinking under the weight of a loveless and repressive marriage. And I believe that Jolie has not looked back, since. The task of carrying the 167-minute film fell upon the shoulders of Matt Damon and as usual, he was more than up to the job. And while there were times when his performance seemed a bit too subtle, I cannot deny that he did a superb job of developing the Edward Wilson character from a priviledge, yet inexperienced college student to a mature and emotionally repressed man who was willing to live with the negative aspects of his profession. 

I do not believe that "THE GOOD SHEPHERD" will ever be considered as a great film. It has a small number of flaws, but those flaws were not as minor as they should have been - especially the slow pacing that threatened to put me to sleep. But I cannot deny it is damn good movie, thanks to Robert De Niro's direction, Eric Roth's screenplay and a talented cast led by Matt Damon. Five years have passed since its release. It seems a pity that De Niro has not directed a movie since.

"THE GOOD SHEPHERD" (2006) Photo Gallery

Below are photos from Robert DeNiro's 2006 espionage saga about the rise and personal fall of a C.I.A. official between the 1940s and the early 1960s. Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie starred: 


"THE GOOD SHEPHERD" (2006) Photo Gallery

"HALF SLAVE, HALF FREE: SOLOMON NORTHUP'S ODYSSEY" (1984) Review

Seven months ago, I had posted a gallery featuring screencaps from the 1984 television movie, "HALF SLAVE, HALF FREE: SOLOMON NORTHUP'S ODYSSEY". Below is my review of that movie:


"HALF SLAVE, HALF FREE: SOLOMON NORTHUP'S ODYSSEY" (1984) Review

Years ago, I had come across a television movie, at my local video store, about a 19th African-American who found himself kidnapped into slavery. Being a history nut about 19th century America, I decided to check it out. The movie turned out to be 1984's "HALF SLAVE, HALF FREE: SOLOMON NORTHUP'S ODYSSEY".

Directed by photographer Gordon Parks, "SOLOMON NORTHRUP'S ODYSSEY" told the story of an African-American carpenter and musician from Saratoga Springs, New York named Solomon Northrup. Because of his reputation as a skilled violinist, he attracts the attention of two men calling themselves Merrill Brown and Abram Hamilton. They claimed that they wanted to hire Solomon to play his fiddle in a circus in Washington, D.C., for the rate of one dollar per day and three dollars per musical performance. This was considered a good wage in 1841 Believing the trip to be short, Solomon decides not to notify his wife, Anne. Unfortunately, not long after his arrival in the nation's capital, Solomon is drugged and sold to a slave dealer named Jim Birch. At Birch's slave market, Solomon is beaten by Birch in an attempt to coerce the former into accepting his new name of Platt. He also meets a Virginia-born slave named Jenny, with whom he strikes up an immediate friendship. And during the sea journey to Louisiana, he meets another female slave named Eliza and her children during a stopover in Norfolk. Upon their arrival in New Orleans, all three are sold to a planter named Thomas Ford. After two years at Ford's plantation, Solomon has a violent encounter with one of the planter's white employees and is sold to a second owner, a self-made planter named Edward Epps. Solomon spends another nine-and-a-half years at Epps' plantation until his meeting with a Canadian-born carpenter named Bass allows him to send a letter to Anne of his whereabouts. With the help of a childhood friend and son of his father's former owner, Henry Northup, Solomon is free and returns to his family in Saratoga Springs.

I really did not know how I would react to "SOLOMON NORTHRUP'S ODYSSEY" when I first saw it so many years ago. After all, the movie had not been directed by someone from the established Hollywood community or from any of the film industries overseas. Gordon Parks was a well-established photographer who had worked for "LIFE" magazine and a documentary director, before turning his attention to directing films. And before "SOLOMON NORTHRUP'S ODYSSEY", he had only directed eight films, his most successful being the 1971 movie "SHAFT". I must admit that Parks did a first-rate job in his direction of the movie, but I would not go as far to say that it was perfect.

First of all, I wish that Parks had managed to curtail some of leading man Avery Brooks’ penchant for theatrical acting. I realize that "SOLOMON NORTHRUP'S ODYSSEY" was the actor’s first job in screen acting, but traces of hammy acting – a leftover from years of success on the stage – remained in his performance. Come to think of it, I could say the same about a handful of cast members in minor roles, including Janet League as Eliza, the slave mother who ended up losing her children during the journey to Louisiana and eventually, her mind. I had no problems with the movie's slow pacing, which I felt perfectly reflected its setting of antebellum Louisiana circa 1841-53. But there were times when the pacing threatened to slow down to a halt, especially in scenes that featured montages of Solomon's duties on the Epps plantation.

Fortunately, the good outweighed the bad. Between Parks' direction and Hiro Narita's photography, "SOLOMON NORTHRUP'S ODYSSEY" reeked with the semi-tropical setting of central Louisiana. The Southern Georgia locations that stood in for the area surrounding the Ford and Epps plantations radiated with a natural beauty and a lush green that nearly took my breath away. Yet, the photography also conveyed how the setting served as a physical prison for the outsider from New York. I noticed that Parks was billed as the composer for the movie's score. Quite frankly, I did not find it memorable. However, I did enjoy Parks' use of 19th century music throughout the movie and especially in the opening scene that featured a social dance in Saratoga Springs. Most importantly, Parks did an excellent job in guiding television viewers into the world of antebellum United States and Solomon Northup's journey from freedom in New York, to the slave marts of Washington D.C. and New Orleans, and eventually the slave plantations of Louisiana.

I was also impressed by the screenplay written by Lou Potter and Samm-Art Williams. I have never read Solomon Northup's 1853 autobiography. But it would not be difficult for me to assume that the movie was an exact adaptation of his memoirs. After all, we are dealing with a movie based upon historical facts, not a documentary. However, Potter and Williams did an excellent job in capturing the shock, despair and eventual resignation of Solomon's experiences and situation. They also captured the conflicting and chaotic nature that had an impact upon all of those who participated in American slavery - willingly or not.

One aspect of Potter and Williams' script that I found especially fascinating was how they pointed out how slavery enabled those trapped in the system to use others as scapegoats for their frustrations and anger. A good example of this is the strange relationship between Solomon's second master and the latter's wife, Mr. and Mrs. Epps, the Virginia-born slave Jenny and Solomon. Mr. Epps was a self-made man from the working class, who married a woman from the old planter aristocracy. However, this marriage failed to lessen his insecurities about his origins and his fears that his wife might view him as inferior being. Because of his inferiority complex, he preferred the company of Jenny, the Virginia-born slave with whom Solomon had a brief romance during their time on the Ford plantation. His preference for Jenny (who yearned for Solomon) made him jealous of the New Yorker. However, Mrs. Epps genuinely loved her husband and harbored jealousy toward Jenny. And Solomon harbored jealousy and frustration toward Jenny's relationship with their master. The interesting thing about this love triangle/quadrangle was that Mr. Epps vented his jealousy upon Solomon; and both Mrs. Epps and Solomon used Jenny as a scapegoat for their anger toward Mr. Epps. And poor Jenny ended up as a sexual victim of Mr. Epps, and a scapegoat of both Solomon and Mrs. Epps' anger and frustration.

Despite Avery Brooks' occasional forays into theatrical acting, I must admit that I found his movie/television debut to be very impressive. He did a great job in conveying his character's emotional journey in what must have been a traumatic period and end in the end, earned well-deserved praise from the critics. I was also impressed by Rhetta Greene's complex portrayal of Jenny, the slave caught between her love for Solomon and her master's desire. Both John Saxon and Lee Bryant were excellent as Mr. and Mrs. Epps, who added a great deal of ambiguity into roles that could have easily been a portrait of one-dimensional villainy - especially Saxon's role. Joe Seneca gave an interesting role as Noah, the elderly slave who tried to guide Solomon into establishing relationship with their fellow slaves and remind the latter of the difficulties in escaping from central Louisiana. Art Evans provided amusing comic relief as Harry, a slave and Solomon's fawning close friend. Petronia Paley gave a solid performance as Solomon's wife, Anne, who was beset with worry and frustration over her missing husband. And Mason Adams' portrayal of Mr. Ford, Solomon's first master, was an interesting contrast between a genuinely decent man, and a no-nonsense slave master was not above issuing veiled threats whenever he felt they were needed.

Yes, "HALF SLAVE, HALF FREE: SOLOMON NORTHUP'S ODYSSEY" had a few flaws that include the occasional slow pacing and hammy acting from a few members of the cast (including the leading man). But the movie is a well made and fascinating look into the experiences of a free man who found himself trapped into the institution of 19th century slavery. Director Gordon Parks and star Avery Brooks proved to be the driving force in a first-rate movie that was at times entertaining, horrifying, educational and especially poignant. "SOLOMON NORTHUP'S ODYSSEY" might prove to be hard to find. I would recommend Netflix or Amazon. But in the end, the movie is worth the search. I assure you.

"HALF SLAVE, HALF FREE: SOLOMON NORTHUP'S ODYSSEY" (1984) Screenshots Gallery

Below are images from the 1984 PBS television movie, "HALF SLAVE, HALF FREE: SOLOMON NORTHUP'S ODYSSEY". Based upon Solomon Northrup's 1853 autobiography, "Twelve Years a Slave" and directed by Gordon Parks, the movie starred Avery Brooks: 


"HALF SLAVE, HALF FREE: SOLOMON NORTHUP'S ODYSSEY" (1984) Image Gallery