The following is Chapter Eleven of my story about a pair of free black siblings making the journey to California in 1849: Chapter Eleven – Crossing the RiverMay 10, 1849The wagon company came upon the Kanzas River. Mr. James took one look at the body of water and decided that our wagons would not be able to ford it. I could see why. The clear water seemed to gush from a cluster of rocks at a breakneck speed. And it flowed above the banks. Spring flood.Mr. Robbins suggested that we wait for the river’s current to die down. But Mr. James naysayed the notion. “There’s no telling how long it would take for the water to go down. And we can’t afford to wait.” In other words – the company had to find a way to ferry across the river.In the end, we did it with the help of a band of Indians that operated a ferry service. We came across their landing, just a little upriver. According to Mr. Wendell, they were Osage. “They came here nearly two hundred years ago from the Ohio Valley.” We stood near the riverbank, while we watched two Osage braves ferry the Robbins and Palmer wagons across the river on a flat, wooden raft. I asked about the other Indians, who also lived in this region. “Oh, you mean the Kansa and the Pawnee? They’ve been pushed a little further west. To the Platte River.”I saw that the Osage were a handsome, bronze-skinned bunch whose clothes were decorated with colorful beads, cloths and feathers. They seemed to have established a brisk business as ferrymen and traders. For us emigrants, they were our last chance to purchase goods, until Fort Laramie – 600 miles from here. To our dismay, we discovered that the Osage charged steep prices. For all services.“This is downright robbery,” Ben complained. “Why doesn’t the Army do something about them?” Typical Ben. Grumpy as usual. A dark suspicion began to enter in the back of my mind that he might be harboring regrets about this journey. What had he expected? A picnic on the Plains?When our turn came to cross the Kanzas River, Ben parked our wagon between two others – the one belonging to our fellow emigrants from Indiana and the wagon belonging to the Gibson family – on what looked like a flimsy piece of wood. This was our raft? This was going to carry three wagons across the river?The river crossing turned out to be the longest twenty minutes I have ever experienced. My anxiety increased when the water began to rise above the raft in the middle of the river. Just as I had feared, three wagons on one raft was turning out to be one wagon too many. Yet, before I could catch my breath again, we had finally reached the other side.Mrs. Robbins commented on my expression. She declared that I looked ”a little drawn in the gills”. When I told her about the water rising above the raft, she revealed that the same had happened during her crossing. “Them Injuns sure know how to make a sturdy raft with a pile of flimsy sticks.”Those of us who were safely on the river’s north bank, watched the other crossings. It was not long before it was time for the Crosses and our flashy New Orleans friends to cross the river. Everything seemed to proceed smoothly . . . until Mr. Wendell cried out loud. The lines holding Mr. Anderson’s wagon had loosened.The river’s current surged upward, causing the raft to lurch. Because it had been loosely tied, the Anderson wagon slowly began to slide . . . toward the Crosses’ wagon. Fortunately, the latter wagon had been firmly secured, or both wagons would have slipped into the river. Despite this, a tragedy nearly occurred. Marcus Cross, a chestnut-haired fellow with a long, solemn face, had been sitting on the wagon seat, when Mr. Anderson’s wagon had begun to slide toward him. When the two wagons collided, Mr. Cross fell from his wagon seat and toward the river. His cousin grabbed him in time to prevent him from falling into the fast-moving river. A very close call.After the raft completed its crossing, the two wagons rolled onto the north bank. Marcus Cross jumped from his wagon seat and angrily accosted Mr. Anderson for failing to secure his wagon. It was not before the two men became engaged in a fist fight. Thankfully, Mr. Robbins and Mr. Gibson pulled the two men apart. Judging by the looks the two men exchanged during the rest of the day, I fear that a feud has commenced between the Crosses and Mr. Anderson.End of Chapter Eleven
"FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD" (2015) ReviewI have never seen "FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD", the 2015 adaptation of Thomas Hardy's 1874 novel. And yet . . . my knowledge of this film led me to view two previous adaptations. And finally, I found the chance to view this adaptation, directed by Thomas Vinterberg. "FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD" told the story of a young 19th century rural English woman named Bathsheba Everdeene and the three men in her life - a sheep farmer-turned-shepherd named Gabriel Oak; her neighbor and owner of the neighborhood's largest farm, William Boldwood; and an illegitimate Army sergeant named Frank Troy. Bathsheba first met Gabriel Oak, a former shepherd who had leased and stocked a sheep farm. Gabriel proposed marriage, but Bathsheba rejected his proposal even though she liked him. She valued her independence more. Later, Bathsheba inherited her uncle's prosperous farm, while Gabriel's fortune disappeared when his inexperienced sheep dog drove his flock over a cliff. When the pair's paths crossed again, Bathsheba ended up hiring Gabriel as her new shepherd. Meanwhile, Bathsheba became acquainted with her new neighbor, a wealthy farmer named William Boldwood. He became romantically obsessed with her after she sent him a Valentine's Day card as a joke. But before she could consider Mr. Boldwood as a potential husband, Sergeant Frank Troy entered her life and she immediately fell in love and married him. Eventually, Bathsheba came to realize that Frank was the wrong man for her. A good number of people compared this adaptation of Hardy's novel to the 1967 movie adapted by John Schlesinger. Personally, I did not. As much as I enjoyed the 1967 movie, I have never regarded it as the gold-standard for any movie or television adaptation of the 1874 novel. But like the other two version, Thomas Vinterberg's recent adaptation had its flaws. Looking back on "FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD", I can honestly say that I had at least a few problems with it.I wish the running time for "FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD" had been a bit longer than 119 minutes. I believe a longer running time would have given the film's narrative more time to explore the downfall of Bathsheba and Frank's marriage. Unfortunately, it seemed as if Vinterberg and screenwriter David Nicholls had rushed through this entire story arc. I was surprised when Bathesheba admitted to Gabriel that her marriage to Frank had been a mistake on the very night of hers and Frank's harvest/wedding party, when an upcoming storm threatened to ruin her ricks. I realize that this conversation also occurred during the night of the harvest/wedding party in the novel. But from a narrative point-of-view, I believe this conversation between Bathsheba and Gabriel would have worked later in the story . . . when it has become very obvious that her marriage to Frank has failed. In fact, Frank Troy's entire character arc seemed to be rushed in this film. Many have complained that Tom Sturridge's portrayal of Frank was flawed. I do not agree. I did not have a problem with the actor's performance. I had a problem with Vinterberg and Nicholls' portrayal of Frank. In my review of the 1967 adaptation, I had complained about the overexposure of Frank's character in that film. In this version of "FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD", Frank's character seemed to be underexposed. Aside from a few scenes that included Bathsheba and Frank's first meeting, his display of swordsmanship, his revelation about his true feelings for Bathsheba and Boldwood's Christmas party; I do not think that this movie explored Frank's character as much as it could have. Another aspect of Frank Troy's arc that suffered in this film was the character of Fanny Robin. Anyone familiar with Hardy's novel should know that Fanny was a local girl who worked at the Everdene farm. Before Gabriel's arrival, she had left to become Frank's wife. Unfortunately, the wedding never happened because Fanny went to the wrong church. Frustrated angry, Frank prematurely ended their relationship. If Frank was underexposed in "FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD", poor Fanny was barely developed. I could solely blame Thomas Hardy for this poor use of Fanny's character, since he was also guilty of the character's underdevelopment. But I have to blame Vinterberg and Nicholls as well. They could have easily added a bit more to Fanny's character, which is what the 1998 miniseries adaptation did. Alas . . . audiences barely got to know poor Fanny Robin."FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD" may not have been perfect, but I still found it to be a first-rate film. One, it is a beautiful movie to watch. "FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD" may have lacked the sweeping cinematography featured in the 1967 movie, but I must admit that I enjoyed Charlotte Bruus Christensen's elegant, yet colorful photography. I can also say the same about the Art Design team of Julia Castle, Tim Blake and Hannah Moseley; and Kave Quinn's production designs, which did a stupendous job of re-creating a part of rural England in the late 19th century. But I really enjoyed Janet Patterson's costume designs, as shown in the images below:
Although the novel was published in 1874, Patterson's costumes made it apparent to me that Vinterberg had decided to set this adaptation during the late 1870s or early 1880s. Did this bother me? No. I was too distracted by Patterson's elegant, yet simple costumes to care.Yes, I had a problem with the film's limited portrayal of Frank Troy and especially Fanny Robin. But I still enjoyed this adaptation very much. The reason I enjoyed it so much is that Vinterberg and Nicholls did an excellent job of staying true to the narrative's main theme - namely the character development of Bathsheba Everdene. From that first moment when Gabriel Oak spotted the spirited Bathsheba riding bareback on her horse, to her early months as moderately wealthy farmer, to the infatuated bride of an unsuitable man, to the emotionally battered but not bowed woman who learned to appreciate and love the right man in her life; "FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD" allowed filmgoers share Bathsheba's emotional journey during an important period in her life. The ironic thing is that Bathsheba's story arc is not the only one featured in this film. Both Vinterberg and Nicholls also explored Gabriel Oak's personal journey, as well. Superficially, Gabriel seemed to be the same man throughout the film. And yet, I noticed that Gabriel seemed a bit too sure of himself in the film's opening sequence. He seemed sure of his possible success with a sheep farm and his efforts to woo Bathsheba. And yet, between the loss of his herd and Bathsheba's rejection, Gabriel found himself forced to start all over again with his life. Although he remained constant in his love for Bathsheba and his moral compass, it was interesting to watch him struggle with his personal frustrations and setbacks - especially in regard to his feelings for Bathsheba. Whereas audiences watch Bathsheba and Gabriel develop, they watch both John Boldwood and Francis Troy regress to their tragic fates. The strange thing about Frank was that he had a chance for a happier life with Fanny Robin. I still remember that wonderful sequence in which Frank waited for Fanny to appear at the church for their wedding. It was interesting to watch his emotions change from mild fear, hope and joy to outright anger and contempt toward Fanny for leaving him at the altar, all because she went to the wrong church. I still find it interesting that Frank allowed his pride and anger to get the best of him and reject the only woman that he truly loved. Boldwood . . . wow! Every time I watch an adaptation of Hardy's story, I cannot help but feel a mixture of pity, annoyance and some contempt. He truly was a pathetic man in the end. Perhaps he was always that pathetic . . . even from the beginning when he seemed imperious to Bathsheba's presence. After all, it only took a Valentine's card - given to him as some kind of joke - to send him on a path of obsessive love and murder.The performances in "FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD" certainly added to the film's excellent quality. The movie featured some pretty first-rate performances from the supporting cast. This was apparent in Juno Temple's charming and poignant portrayal of the doomed Fanny Robin. I was also impressed by Jessica Barden for giving a very lively performance as Liddy, Bathsheba's extroverted boon companion. The movie also featured solid performances from Sam Phillips, who portrayed Frank's friend, Sergeant Doggett; Victor McGuire as the corrupt Bailiff Pennyways; and Tilly Vosburgh, who portrayed Bathsheba's aunt, Mrs. Hurst.As I had earlier pointed out, many have criticized Tom Sturridge's portrayal of Frank Troy. I do not disagree with this criticism. If I must be honest, I was very impressed with Sturridge's performance. I thought he conveyed the very aspect of Frank's nature - both the good and the bad. This was especially apparent in three scenes - Frank's aborted wedding to Fanny, his initial seduction of Bathsheba, and his emotional revelation of his true feelings for Fanny. It really is a pity that Vinterberg did not give Sturridge more screen time to shine. Thankfully, Michael Sheen was given plenty of screen time for his portrayal of Bathsheba's possessive neighbor, John Boldwood. I must confess . . . I have never seen Sheen portray any other character like Boldwood. It was a revelation watching the actor beautifully embody this emotionally stunted man, who allowed a silly Valentine's Day joke to lead him to desperately grasped at at prospect for love.I had never heard of Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts until I saw this film. This is understandable, considering that "FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD" was the first English-speaking movie in which I had seen him. Vinterberg must have been a major fan of Schoenaerts to be willing to cast him as the obviously 19th century English shepherd, Gabriel Oak. I am certainly a fan of his portrayal of the stalwart Gabriel. Schoenaerts did a superb job in conveying Gabriel's emotional journey - especially in regard to the ups and downs in the character's relationship with Bathsheba. I am still amazed by how the actor managed to convey Gabriel's emotional state, while maintaining the character's reserve nature. I believe Carey Mulligan may have been at least 28 or 29 years old, when "FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD", making her the second oldest actress to portray Bathsheba Everdene. Some have complained that Mulligan seemed a bit too old to be portraying the early 20s Bathsheba. I can honestly say that I do not agree. During the film's first 20 minutes or so, Mulligan's Bathsheba did come off as a bit sophisticated and all knowing. It eventually occurred to me that the actress was merely conveying the character's youthful arrogance. And yet, Mulligan skillfully the character's personal chinks in that arrogance throughout the movie - whether expressing Bathsheba's insistence that Gabriel regard her solely as an employer, the character's embarrassment over being pursued by the obsessive Boldwood or Frank's overt sexual attention to her, or her desperation and humiliation from his emotional abuse. Mulligan gave an excellent and memorable performance.I cannot say that the 2015 movie, "FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD" is perfect. Come to think of it, none of the adaptations I have seen are. Despite its flaws, I can honestly say that it is another excellent adaptation of Thomas Hardy's 1874 novel, thanks to Thomas Vinterberg's direction, David Nicholls' screenplay and a superb cast led by Carey Mulligan.
"THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JALOPIES" (1969) ReviewBack in 1965, filmmaker Ken Annakin and 20th Century Fox studio chief released a all-star comedy about an international air race between London and Paris in 1910. "THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES" not only proved to be a major hit, it also received numerous movie award nominations in both the United States and Great Britain. Four years later, Ken Annakin created a sequel to the 1965 movie called "THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JALOPIES" (aka "MONTE CARLO OR BUST"). "THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JALOPIES" told the story about a group of international racing car drivers who participate in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1929. Superficially, one would not view this movie as a sequel to "FLYING MACHINES", since it is about a road race, not an air race. But the movie was made by the same producer/writer/director as the first film, Ken Annakin. It possessed its own jaunty theme song - "Monte Carlo or Bust", which was performed by Jimmy Durante. The movie also featured three actors from the 1965 movie - Terry-Thomas, Eric Sykes and Gert Fröbe. More importantly, Thomas' character, Sir Cuthbert Ware-Armitage, proved to be the son of Thomas' character from "FLYING MACHINES", namely Sir Percival Cuthbert Ware-Armitage. In fact, Sir Cuthbert's reason for participating in the Monte Carlo Rally stemmed from a mistake committed by his late father. So, yes . . . "JAUNTY JALOPIES" is a sequel to the 1965 film.The Monte Carlo Rally began as an endurance test for many drivers and the vehicles they drove. The competitors would set off from different locations in Europe and meet in Monaco. The day after the competitors reach Monte Carlo, they would end up racing each other via a road that threads through the Maritime Alps and back to Monte Carlo and the finish line. Although "JAUNTY JALOPIES" indicated that the race began at five different European locations, the movie featured competitors starting at three:*From John O'Groats, Scotland - Wealthy American automobile magnate Chester Scofield won half of the Ware-Armitages' automobile factory in a poker game with Sir Percival Armitage-Ware. Following the latter's death, his son Sir Cuthbert challenges Chester to enter the Monte Carlo Rally. Whoever crosses the finish line first - officially - wins as sole owner of the company. Sir Cuthbert blackmails his company foreman Perkins into serving as his co-driver. And Chester, who began the race alone, acquires a co-driver in the form of an English aristocratic beauty named Betty (surname unknown). *From Stockholm, Sweden - Eccentric British Army officer Major Digby Dawlish and his aide Lieutenant Kit Barrington enter the Rally to advertise Dawlish's odd inventions for his car. Both end up clashing with a German convict/race driver Willi Schickel (who is impersonating a murdered driver named Horst Mueller and his co-driver Otto Schwartz, who have entered the Rally to smuggle stolen gems for an exiled Russian aristocrat named Count Levinovitch.*From Ragusa, Italy - Two Roman police officers named Angelo Pincelli and Marcello Agosti enter the Rally to earn a big enough reward for Angelo to avoid marrying the promised daughter of a supervisor. Their biggest competitor proved to be a French doctor named Marie-Claude and her two co-drivers, medical students Pascale and Dominique; who enter the Rally in the name of Women's Rights.While reading a few articles about "THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JALOPIES", I noticed that many bloggers and critics tend to compare this film with the 1965 movie . . . and to the former's detriment. Many regard "THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THE FLYING MACHINES" as superior to "JAUNTY JALOPIES", regardless of whether they liked the latter or not. I recall one major criticism that film critic Leonard Maltin made about "JAUNTY JALOPIES". He claimed that the 1969 movie failed to completely re-capture the atmosphere of the late 1920s in the way "FLYING MACHINES" managed to re-capture the late Edwardian era. And I am afraid he is right. Despite the mid-1960s beehive hairdos worn by the actresses, watching "FLYING MACHINES" made me feel as if I had stepped back into those last years before the outbreak of World War I. On the other hand, "JAUNTY JALOPIES" did not exactly re-capture the atmosphere of the late 1920s. Mind you, Production Designer Ted Haworth and Costume Designer John Furniss gave it their all. Their work certainly contributed to the movie's late 1920s setting. But in spite of their work, the movie still failed to fully re-capture the era of its setting. One person I cannot help but blame is composer Ron Goodwin. Although Goodwin had wrote an entertaining score that emphasized the movie's comedy and sense of travel, it failed to invoke a sense of the Roaring Twenties - at least in Europe. And unlike "FLYING MACHINES", which featured several scenes in which the competitors and other characters managed to socialize; "JAUNTY JALOPIES" only featured one scene that featured all of the competitors together. I am referring to the scene in which the competitors meet at an inn in Chambéry, France for an overnight stay, before they set on the road to Monaco. "THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JALOPIES" also had one or two scenes that seemed to have been cut rather quick by the film's editor, Peter Taylor. I got the feeling both Ken Annakin and Taylor were trying to rush the movie's narrative along - especially before the last sequence of the race. And although I liked the movie's pre-credit sequence that introduced the Digby Dawlish and Kit Carrington characters in British Indians, I found the sequence's portrayal of Indians a little tacky and racist . . . even if it was spoofing British Imperialism and characters like Dawlish and Carrington.But despite the movie's naysayers and some of its flaws, I liked "THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JALOPIES". Actually, it is one of my favorite movies released in the 1960s. And I also like it more than "THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES", of which I am a big fan. One, it has the advantage of being a movie about a road trip. In the case of "JAUNTY JALOPIES", it starts out as three road trips that merge into one. The humor featured in this film is very similar to the humor featured in "FLYING MACHINES". Another reason why it enabled me endure it a lot more is that the major characters struck me as more rounded and complex than most of those featured in the 1965 film. A good comparison would be the characters portrayed by Gert Frobe in both films. His Colonel Manfred Von Holstein character from "FLYING MACHINES" has always struck me as the cliché of a typical high-ranking German Army officer and a very narrow one. On the other hand, Frobe portrayed a former German race driver-turned-criminal in "JAUNTY JALOPIES" named Willi Schickel, who seemed a lot more complex (and clever) than the one-dimensional character he had portrayed in "FLYING MACHINES". Even Eric Sykes' role as Terry-Thomas' subordinate and plant manager in this film struck me as an improvement over the sniveling chauffeur he portrayed in the 1965 film. "JAUNTY JALOPIES" also benefited from better on-screen romances. Hell, the romances featured in this film - either between Chester and Betty, or Marcello and Marie-Claude - were MAJOR improvements over the romances from the first movie. In my opinion, the biggest virtue that "THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JALOPIES" possessed over "THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES" proved to be its narrative. If I must be frank, the second film possessed tighter writing. To this day, I remain frustrated that the air race featured in the 1965 film only lasted during its last 45 minutes - one third of the film. Due to Ken Annakin and Jack Davies' screenplay and the movie's setting, the Monte Carlo Rally was featured in MOST of the film's narrative - aside from the first 15 to 20 minutes that introduced the major characters and the sequence in Chambéry. Not only did I find this to be a big improvement over the 1965 film's narrative, I am grateful that most of "JAUNTY JALOPIES" is set during the actual race. And I am surprised that not one other blogger or film critic has ever noticed this.I tried to recall if I found any particular performance off putting. And if I must be honest, I did not. "THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JALOPIES" featured some funny and excellent performances. Tony Curtis was very charming, yet zany as American driver Chester Scofield. I liked how he balanced Chester's aggressive ambition with a shy sweetness toward his leading lady. Speaking of her, I really enjoyed Susan Hampshire's portrayal of the complex and aristocratic Betty. In fact, due to her charming and manipulative nature, I found her to be the most interesting female character in both movies. One would expect Terry-Thomas' portrayal of Sir Cuthbert Armitage-Ware to be an exact replica of the character's father, the mustache-twirling Sir Percival. Yet, I found his Sir Cuthbert to be more subtle and manipulative than his father . . . and better company, despite his villainy. Eric Sykes, who also appeared in the 1965 film, got a chance to portray a more rounded character as Perkins, Sir Cuthbert's semi-brave factory manager, who ends up being blackmailed by his employer to serve as a co-driver.What I found interesting about "THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JALOPIES" were the screen pairings that seem to dominate the film. And they all clicked so well. Gert Frobe's portrayal of the extroverted Willi Schickel contrasted very well with Peter Schmidt, who gave a nice performance as the former's reserved and slightly nervous co-driver and fellow convict, Otto Schwartz. Among the movie's cast were Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, who portrayed the two British officers, Major Dawlish and Lieutenant Kit Barrington. Cook and Moore were already a screen team when they made this movie. And both proved in this movie that their chemistry was as strong and funny as ever. Mireille Darc, Marie Dubois and Nicoletta Machiavelli made a charming and intelligent trio as the three French drivers who entered the Rally on behalf of women's rights. But I was very surprised by the chemistry between Walter Chiari and Lando Buzzanca, who portrayed the two Italian policemen, Angelo Pincilli and Marcelo Agosti. Not only did they proved to be a very effective screen team, I found them just as funny as Cook and Moore. I should not have been surprised, considering that they had worked together before. Bourvil portrayed the pompous, yet sarcastic Rally official, Monsieur Dupont. And I found him especially funny in a scene with Mireille Darc, as her character convinces him to allow women to participate in the Rally and in that bizarre, yet hilarious scene at the Rally's finish line.As I had stated earlier, there are many who regard "THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JALOPIES" as not only inferior to 1965's "THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES", but something of a loss in the end. However, I am not one of them. It has its flaws. But there are too many aspects of the 1969 film that struck me as an improvement over the 1965 film. More importantly, I found "JAUNTY JALOPIES" so entertaining that it has become one of my favorite comedies . . . and movies that was released during the 1960s. I have to thank writer-director Ken Annakin, along with the all-star cast led by Tony Curtis, Susan Hampshire and Terry-Thomas for making this movie so entertaining for me.
