Elmore Leonard & Film

[smirnoff]

Stephen King calls Elmore Leonard "the original Daddy Cool". He's inspired many a film and I aim to watch them all. I also intend to read each book the movie was based on before I watch the film (assuming there is one). You might be wondering what is the purpose of such a marathon? It's not too complicated really, I'm doing it for fun! Elmore Leonard sounds like a enjoyable author, and the movies... well, movies are movies, I'll watch anything once. I don't expect to have anything great or insightful to say about the books or the films, that's not really me, but if there's something worth mentioning, a great line or perfect scene, I'll be sure to share it. Mostly this marathon is just something to do. I'm not going to make a big thing of it (at least I don't plan to), I just wanted to have one place to post all my blah blah blahing.

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I know what you're thinking. Some of those movies look terrible! I know eh. I can't wait!

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Review Index and Film Rating:

The Tall T (Budd Boetticher, 1957)
3:10 to Yuma (Delmer Daves, 1957)
Hombre (Martin Ritt, 1967)
The Big Bounce (Alex March, 1969)
Valdez is Coming (Edwin Sherin, 1971)
Joe Kidd (John Sturges, 1972)
Mr. Majestyk (Robert Fleischer, 1974)
Cat Chaser (Abel Ferrara, 1989)

[Junior]

Out of Sight is freaking awesome, and you should watch at least the first episode of Justified.

[smirnoff]

Out of Sight is freaking awesome, and you should watch at least the first episode of Justified.

That's a good idea. I've been wanting to check that series out. I think I'll wait until the season one is wrapped up though and maybe do it as a bonus round or something.

[Junior]

The first episode is apparently based directly on one of his short stories. Also, it is awesome. I'm not saying you should or shouldn't watch it, just giving you some more info.

[smirnoff]

The first episode is apparently based directly on one of his short stories. Also, it is awesome. I'm not saying you should or shouldn't watch it, just giving you some more info.

Right, I got that. I'll add it to the list of books I have to round up.

[michael x]

Oh, so that's why my father wanted to watch Valdez is Coming.

Fun marathon! I have much love for Jackie Brown and Out of Sight.

[Junior]

A couple of these movies contain what is perhaps Michael Keaton's best role. Also, much props for reading the books, too. That'll extend this marathon for forever.

[Sam the Cinema Snob]

3:10 to Yuma. O gawd. One of the worst films I've ever seen.

[smirnoff]

3:10 to Yuma. O gawd. One of the worst films I've ever seen.

If you're talking about the remake then yeah. I didn't think much of it either when I saw it in theatres. But, I'll give it another shot.

[Sam the Cinema Snob]

3:10 to Yuma. O gawd. One of the worst films I've ever seen.

If you're talking about the remake then yeah. I didn't think much of it either when I saw it in theatres. But, I'll give it another shot.

I've seen it three times and each time I hated it even more and found more to dislike.

[Junior]

You are both wrong, the remake is quite excellent. I had no idea Leonard had a role in it, though now it kind of makes a bit of sense.

[Basil]

Awesomeawesomeawesome! 

[matt tmw]

You are both wrong, the remake is quite excellent. I had no idea Leonard had a role in it, though now it kind of makes a bit of sense.

I liked it too.

[smirnoff]

I've had to drop a few titles because of availability issues. In three of the cases the films haven't been released on DVD, and in the case of Cat Chaser I can't find it to rent (or dl). It's available on amazon for 8.99 but aparently they cut out a 7 minute sex scene, the bastards! Why would they cut out the best part?   Frankly I don't want to own that movie anyways. It's embarrassing when someone sees it in your collection. I'm not sure I'd be prepared to defend it.

[smirnoff]

The entire short story only takes about 20 or 30 minutes to read, but the film clocks in at an hour and a half. This might be the first time I've read something faster than I've watched it. The back story, which was only hinted in Elmore's writing, makes up the first half of the film, while the rest of the movie follows the pacing of the book almost exactly.

On Elmore Leonard the Salon.com Reader's Guide to Contemporary Authors says "His novels are impossible to synopsize, with their crazy plots veering all over the place (he satisfies Raymond Chandler's maxim that a good mystery must still be good, even with the final pages torn out)". It may not be a mystery and it may not be a novel, but I still agree with both statements. As for this review I couldn't hope to cover everything, but I try to include the good bits.

I don't know how common sing-songy opening credit music is in westerns, especially the type where they sing the title of the movie, but I quite like it. I know they did it in El Dorado but that's the only other one I know of.

3:10 to Yuma (1957) soundtrack

I loved the casting in this movie. Ben Wade is played with cool confidence by Glenn Ford. He walks around with this almost imperceptible smirk, reminiscent of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption. Morgan Freeman's line "He strolled, like a man in a park without a care or a worry in the world, like he had on an invisible coat that would shield him" comes to mind immediately. And Glenn Ford's face just seems to suit the roll. He's tanned like any man of the west would be but his complexion is smooth despite his age. Unlike farmers and cattlemen, his money comes fast and easy. He doesn't have a look of a man who's known hard labour.

Dan Evens on the other hand, played brilliantly by Van Heflin, has earned his wrinkles. He is the antithesis of Wade. He doesn't have a deceitful bone in his body and he wears his heart on his sleeve... he's too honest a man to act any other way. In Rounders, when Mike McDermott says "the nicer the guy the worse the poker player", he's talking about people like Dan. There's a wildness and desperation to the performance that I love. I had genuine sympathy for the character and because of this the ending was a real tear-jerker for me (happy or sad tears I won't say, so as not to spoil it).

Actually, I need to talk about the ending a bit more because it was so moving. It's an awesome twist when Wade helps Dan by getting on the train. It adds so much. Upon watching the movie a second time (yes, I watched it twice I liked it so much!) it was easily my favourite part. Knowing what was coming enhanced the whole experience. It's such a powerful moment between the Evens and Wade. Wade submits to Evens not because he's holding a gun but because of his uncompromising morals. He'll do the right thing even though it will almost cetainly cost his his life. He risks leaving his wife husbandless and his sons fatherless and for what? Enough money to buy a few cows? Evans is willing to sacrifice himself to see another man brought to justice, but in the end Wade sacrifices himself and good man get what he deserves.

It's almost a perfect moment. The sound gets sucked out and the music which opened the movie starts to play. That's when the rain starts to fall ending a drought which had put Evans' family on the edge of starvation. It's as if the gods were watching the whole thing, waiting for that one good deed. Evens' reaction to the rain is beautiful and genuine and had me tearing up. Wade gives him a look that I can't quite describe (admiration, respect, love...). My only complaint is that it doesn't hold the shot for a little longer. The moment is so touching it deserved a couple extra seconds.

I find it interesting how they took the short story and built it up into something so big. The personalities (and names) of the two main characters were quite different in the book, and the ending was changed also, but in all cases I think they improved the original material. I don't want to take anything away from the short story though, I still really enjoyed it, but only the film was what I would call great. I don't expect that to be the case most of the time, but here it was.

The Book		The Movie