From Here to Eternity (1953)

Synopsis:

The lives of three U.S. Army soldiers, played by Burt Lancaster (Elmer Gantry), Montgomery Clift (A Place in the Sun) and Frank Sinatra (Tony Rome), stationed in Fort Shafter (Hawaii) in the weeks prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Reaction & Thoughts:

“A man loves a thing that don’t mean it’s gotta love him back.”

I’ve long wanted to revisit this adaptation of James Jones’s once controversial novel. I remember being impressed by the acting and the handling of various subplots. What do I think now? My initial reaction still holds true today — From Here to Eternity is a well-directed, well-written and well-acted movie. However, while it is true that this is a technically sound film, I do think that it has lost its edge.

I also just realized, I’m not sure why I didn’t notice it before, that this is an extremely nihilistic movie. From Here to Eternity doesn’t hold the human race in high esteem. There isn’t a single moment of pure joy in the entire movie. Each plot thread is a tragedy in itself, and each subplot brutally exposes the cracks of life.

And it is, at its core, an anti-military story, something you don’t see every day. I can’t name another Hollywood production that trashes military life the way this movie does here. The attack on the military machine is nothing short of sanguinary. Mind you, I don’t disagree with the film’s point of view. I was in the armed forces, and I’m here to tell you that this is, like it or not, a mostly accurate depiction of life on a military base.

 I used to tell my parents, half-jokingly, that the base was like “Peyton Place in Military BDUs.” Like any other large community, the place had an ugly side to it, and I’m glad that we have at least one movie that is willing to shatter the often-romanticized view of life on a military base. But despite the fact that I admired the movie for taking aim at one of America’s sacred cows, I did think that some bloom is off the rose.

Although the movie features many good moments, I felt a little deflated at the end. The recreation of the Pearl Harbor attack has dated badly (too much stock footage), and, in my opinion, some plot threads ended on a flat note. However, I thought the screenplay did an outstanding job tackling some sensitive issues, and director Fred Zinnemann’s craftsmanship comes across strongly in each and every scene.

The acting is undeniably good as well. Although I have always found Donna Reed (It’s a Wonderful Life) and Frank Sinatra’s Oscar-winning performances a tad overrated, the rest of the cast is splendid. Burt Lancaster is excellent as a Sgt. who is having an affair with his commanding officer’s wife, played exceedingly well by Deborah Kerr (The King and I). Lancaster and Kerr’s famous beach sequence is still very sexy. 

Ernest Borgnine (Marty) is memorable as the scary “Fatso.” But no one comes close to Montgomery Clift, who is the heart and soul of the movie. As I rewatch some of his films, I’ve become more and more convinced that he was a truly great actor. He is tragedian par excellence: few actors convey psychological pain as well as Monty. After the movie ended, I couldn’t stop thinking about his outstanding performance. 

Conclusions & Final Thoughts:

From Here to Eternity won a bunch of Oscars, including one for Best Picture. It is, in my opinion, however, nowhere as good as other 1953 movies like Henri-Georges Clouzot’s The Wages of Fear, William Wyler’s Roman Holiday, and George Stevens’s Shane. And it looks pretty tame compared to something like Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979), or Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket (1987). It’s a competently crafted film, though. Overall, it’s good, but not great. B&W, 110 minutes, Not Rated.

Theatrical Trailer: