1955

Pather Panchali (Director: Satyajit Ray) and
Ordet (Director: Carl Theodor Dryer)
Nominees: Les Diaboliques, The Night of the Hunter, Samurai 2: Duel at Ichijoji Temple, Smiles of a Summer Night, Lola Montès, Death of a Cyclist, The Counterfeit Coin, Rififi

Oscars pick: Marty
Nominees: Love is a Many-Splendored Thing, Mister Roberts, Picnic, The Rose Tattoo

I like Oscar's pick Marty, and I think Ernest Borgnine did a hell of a job in the title role. There's a scene near the beginning, with Marty on the phone with a woman who wants nothing to do with him - and the expressions on his face, his body language... it was simple brilliance the way he brought this heartbreaking sequence to life. But I think the second half of the film loses steam, and the situations that stood in the way of Marty's happiness came off contrived.

Better than Marty was Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai 2: Duel at Ichijoji Temple, Ingmar Bergman's witty tale of adultery, Smiles of a Summer Night, Max Ophuls extravagant Lola Montès, Charles Laughton's beautifully crafted nightmarish fairy tale, Night of the Hunter, and Henri-Georges Clouzot's devilishly dark Les Diaboliques. But it came down to two...

From India came Satyajit Ray's stunning debut, Pather Panchali  - a poetic meditation that focuses its lens on a poor family living in a Bengal village. The first in a trilogy, here we meet the boy Apu as a wide-eyed observer to things both joyous and tragic. And while Ray (a commercial artist) and his cameraman (a still photographer) had little to any experience with film, they created a deliberately paced work of profound beauty and truth. It flows like water, sings like music (added in this by the celebrated score from Ravi Shankar)

The movie is full of deeply drawn characters and zeroes in on the stormy (though ultimately loving) relationship between mother and daughter. Karuna Banerjee, as the mother Sarbajaya, gives an inspired, world weary performance. And the scenes with daughter Durga (played by Runki Banerjee and Uma Dasgupta, pictured above) are memorable: From the bit where Durga (Uma) and Apu chase after a train (that ever-present harbinger) to the lyrical sequence with her dancing in the rain. What happens to her, in the end, hit me hard and stuck with me long after the film was finished.

From Denmark - Carl Theodor Dreyer's Ordet (the Word) is slow. Slow really isn't a flaw in this case, but tolerance for such things, even good things like Ordet can come into play (Great craftsmanship matters little if you're too bored to care or keep your eyes awake). The shot sequences, the editing, acting, and dialog are all expertly integrated to create a certain rhythm. That rhythm is measured and requires some concentration -- but rich rewards are had if you can stick with it.

As was the case with "Pather Panchali", Ordet is not plot driven; it's about a family of simple farmers and their relationship with God. One member is driven to madness (after reading too much Kierkegaard, lol) and now believes he is Jesus. The film is rendered in a style Dreyer called, "Psychological reality" (it comes off both naturalized and dream-like). I think the movie's basic theme is how religion can divide and hurt, but also how faith can restore (and how children and the insane are more open to God than anyone). It's a superb picture and in terms of cinematic technique, pretty near flawless (see this shot... criterion) Beyond that, it also moves me. Though I've seen it several times, the final sequence never fails to bring me to tears... and what gets to me the most is little Maren (Ann Elizabeth Groth) and her unfailing faith that her Uncle can do what he says he can do. Her emerging smile near the end says it all.

A note about Preben Lerdorff Rye who plays Johannes Borgen (The man who believes he is Christ). His work has been described as irritating. And yes, his vocal inflection is affected (it was modeled after a mental patient Dreyer knew), but I am fascinated by the performance. It's as if Johannes has been touched by such a power that his mortal self simply couldn't contend with it. And when you pay attention to what he is saying, his words are actually prophetic and wise.

In the end, I considered these 2 features long and hard. Watching them back to back I concluded that I admired both equally and simply could not pick one over the other.

Best Actor: Laurence Olivier, Richard III
Honorable Mentions:
Robert Mitchum, The Night of the Hunter * Ernest Borgnine, Marty * Daniel Gélin, Les amants du Tage * Spencer Tracy, Bad Day at Black Rock * Masayuki Mori, Floating Clouds * Dilip Kumar, Devdas * Alec Guinness, The Prisoner * James Cagney, Love Me or Leave Me

Supporting Actor: Trevor Howard, Les amants du Tage

Best Actress: Karuna Banerjee & Uma Dasgupta, Pather Panchali
Honorable Mentions:
Véra Clouzot & Simone Signoret, Diabolique * Hideko Takamine, Floating Clouds * Lucia Bosé, Death of a Cyclist * Martine Carol, Lola Montes * Eva Dahlbeck, Smiles of a Summer Night * Françoise Arnoul, Les amants du Tage * Yumeji Tsukioka, Chibusa yo eien nare

Supporting Actress: Brigitte Federspiel, Ordet


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