Director Howard Hawks made a bet with Ernest Hemingway, stating that he could make a good movie out of Hemingway's worst novel. I don't know who won or how much the bet was for, but my money is on Hawks.
Set on the island of Martinique, Hawks' "To Have and Have Not" stars Humphrey Bogart as a suave fisherman who rents his boat and services to anyone with money. Alongside him is Lauren Bacall's Marie Browning, a weary traveller who falls in love with him. They call each other by nicknames - she's "Slim" and he's "Steve" - but there's no mush between them. Their romantic scenes mostly consist of witty dialogue, written by William Faulkner and Jules Furthman, but played like a chess match. Consider a scene in which Bacall kisses Bogey. Bogey asks what the verdict is, she tells him she dosn't know yet and goes in for another.
Walter Brennan, in one of his greatest roles, plays the rummy Eddie, who thinks he takes care of Bogie when in reality it's the other way around. The movie never questions their relationship. Clearly Eddie is an alcoholic, and a pain in the butt, but Bogey's loyalty to him is unfaltering. We thus know that when Bogey is eventually asked to help the French resistance, he can't say no, despite his barbed dialogue and tough-guy facade.
Some scholars will tell you that Hawks' films are about male bonding, but they're about bonding, period. And notice that Bacall's character bonding with Bogey is more central to the story than even Bogey and Brennan. Of course such strong female characters are typical in Hawks' films. Consider Rita Hayworth in "Only Angels Have Wings", Bacall again in "The Big Sleep" and Ann Sheridan in "I Was a Male War Bride".
But of all these women, Bacall makes the biggest impression. She was discovered by Hawks' wife from a magazine photo, and she fell into cinema with great ease, with her gruff voice, strong face, and soft eyes. She never had another role as good as this one.
Hawks was, above all, a storyteller. His eye for characters, actors, locations, music, timing, pace, and for cutting out the boring crap, was impeccable. Take one particular moment of intensity in which Bogey shoots one of the bad guys from a gun concealed in a desk drawer. He then pulls out the gun and aims it at the remaining thugs. After a moment, he realises his hand is shaking. "Look at that," he says to the bad guys. "Isn't that silly?" He shifts the gun to his other, steadier hand. "That's how close you came."
"To Have and Have Not" offers some good adventure, romance (both on and off screen), and is a great example of a particular type of writing. The only positive that big-brother "Casablanca" has over it - both films essentially tell the same tale of war-time responsibility - is in its use of space. Rick's bar (in Casablanca) is chartered by Michael Curtiz's camera in such a way that it almost becomes a place you'd like to visit, or feel you already have. It's a three dimensional space, and we're given a tour of every nook and cranny.
In contrast, Hawks is a two dimensional director. He is unable to flesh out the bars and "Casablanca" inspired Hotel in which his film largely takes place. We get great lighting, great compositions, but it's all flat. We don't feel like this is a tangible, real space. Hawks' command of mood, editing, lighting and music almost makes up for this, but not quite.
8.9/10 - Underrated.
Set on the island of Martinique, Hawks' "To Have and Have Not" stars Humphrey Bogart as a suave fisherman who rents his boat and services to anyone with money. Alongside him is Lauren Bacall's Marie Browning, a weary traveller who falls in love with him. They call each other by nicknames - she's "Slim" and he's "Steve" - but there's no mush between them. Their romantic scenes mostly consist of witty dialogue, written by William Faulkner and Jules Furthman, but played like a chess match. Consider a scene in which Bacall kisses Bogey. Bogey asks what the verdict is, she tells him she dosn't know yet and goes in for another.
Walter Brennan, in one of his greatest roles, plays the rummy Eddie, who thinks he takes care of Bogie when in reality it's the other way around. The movie never questions their relationship. Clearly Eddie is an alcoholic, and a pain in the butt, but Bogey's loyalty to him is unfaltering. We thus know that when Bogey is eventually asked to help the French resistance, he can't say no, despite his barbed dialogue and tough-guy facade.
Some scholars will tell you that Hawks' films are about male bonding, but they're about bonding, period. And notice that Bacall's character bonding with Bogey is more central to the story than even Bogey and Brennan. Of course such strong female characters are typical in Hawks' films. Consider Rita Hayworth in "Only Angels Have Wings", Bacall again in "The Big Sleep" and Ann Sheridan in "I Was a Male War Bride".
But of all these women, Bacall makes the biggest impression. She was discovered by Hawks' wife from a magazine photo, and she fell into cinema with great ease, with her gruff voice, strong face, and soft eyes. She never had another role as good as this one.
Hawks was, above all, a storyteller. His eye for characters, actors, locations, music, timing, pace, and for cutting out the boring crap, was impeccable. Take one particular moment of intensity in which Bogey shoots one of the bad guys from a gun concealed in a desk drawer. He then pulls out the gun and aims it at the remaining thugs. After a moment, he realises his hand is shaking. "Look at that," he says to the bad guys. "Isn't that silly?" He shifts the gun to his other, steadier hand. "That's how close you came."
"To Have and Have Not" offers some good adventure, romance (both on and off screen), and is a great example of a particular type of writing. The only positive that big-brother "Casablanca" has over it - both films essentially tell the same tale of war-time responsibility - is in its use of space. Rick's bar (in Casablanca) is chartered by Michael Curtiz's camera in such a way that it almost becomes a place you'd like to visit, or feel you already have. It's a three dimensional space, and we're given a tour of every nook and cranny.
In contrast, Hawks is a two dimensional director. He is unable to flesh out the bars and "Casablanca" inspired Hotel in which his film largely takes place. We get great lighting, great compositions, but it's all flat. We don't feel like this is a tangible, real space. Hawks' command of mood, editing, lighting and music almost makes up for this, but not quite.
8.9/10 - Underrated.