Man in the Middle (1963)
Robert Mitchum, one of my favorite actors, stars in this amazing military court room drama that takes place in India during World War II. Barry Sullivan stars as an American Lieutenant that shoots a British Sargent in front of 11 other soldiers. The story takes place at a base held by both the Americans and the British. Tensions tend to run high between the two countries and the Americans are hard pressed to hang the Lieutenant at all costs.
In steps Robert Mitchum as counselor for the defense. Lt. Col. Adams (Mitchum) knows there is more going on than meets the eye. The defendant is the brother in law of a congressman and neither the army or the family want the defense to be an insanity plea. But insane is just what the murderer is and Robert Mitchum is out to prove it so that he may spare his client a hanging. "If no man is above the law, then no man is below the law" says Adams.
This film echoes two important civil rights issues that were a mirror for the years in which this movie was made. One is that the mentally ill are not responsible for the crimes they commit and two is racism. I can imagine this film raising quite a few eyebrows when it was released. Some of language that is used by Barry Sullivan's character are quite offensive even by today's standards.
This films is filled with wonderful performances, especially by Mitchum. He is very good in this. Robert Mitchum fans should own this DVD. Every move he makes and every word he speaks demands your attention. The highlight of the film is the guest performance by Trevor Howard who plays a key witness for the defense. The ending of this film is one of the best endings of a court room drama that I have ever seen. I highly recommend this film. Luckily it is available on DVD as part of the Fox War Classics series.
For more info on this film goto:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058323/
As always head to Turner Classic Movies for all your classic film needs.
www.TCM.com
2 comments:
Thanks for this note, Kim. I've ordered it now.
This is indeed an excellent film which, among other things, has one of the most riveting opening sequences in film history. Very definitely a film that should be seen. Everything, from the uniformly fine performances to the lustrous black and white cinematography of Wilkie Cooper, makes this a more than worthwhile movie.
One minor correction: Keenan Wynn plays the sergeant who murders the British soldier, not Barry Sullivan. Sullivan plays the unscrupulous general who orders Mitchum to defend the killer.
Post a Comment