Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 20-November-05
Spoiler Rating: Medium

The Men (1950)

"The Men" resembles one of those public awareness films you used to watch in Social Studies, but it's not without its merits. The movie outlines the "second Victory" of a group of World War II veterans who return home paraplegic and must learn to adjust to new circumstances. Much of the time is devoted to educating the audience about these circumstances, which are presented in clear and non-exploitive fashion. Food for thought:

• An early scene finds the admirable Dr. Brock (Everett Sloane) coaching a roomful of mothers, wives, and girlfriends about what to expect from their returned soldiers, along with the dangers of unwarranted hope. Their questions illustrate the challenge of relationships and the widespread trauma of war (even though they address the important topic of sex only obliquely).
• A look inside the hospital ward reveals the different ways men deal with debilitating injury, which may be as numerous as the different types of men. We find a sarcastic intellectual whose determination to face facts hides a chasm of grief (Jack Webb of "Dragnet"), an immigrant whose penchant for fitness and positive thinking reflects his devotion to family (Arthur Jurado), and a cigar-chomping wise-aleck who makes do with paralysis just like everything else (Richard Erdman). In addition, we glimpse several other fellows (mostly hunks, for some reason) who surely have their own way of coping.
• Images of physical therapy (the nastiest spoonful of sugar you could swallow) suggest that big triumphs can derive from little things, such as sitting up without pain, rolling over on your own, and even cracking a smile.
• For all the hardship suffered by the men and their loved ones, the doctors have their share too. Devoting your life to rehabilitating patients whose anger, sorrow, and disbelief devolve upon you can't be easy, as Dr. Brock's poignant outburst reveals. (By the way, see if you can spot a certain medic from the U.S.S. Enterprise among his colleagues.)

"The Men" puts forth these and other worthwhile considerations, but they aren't its only offering. It also features the striking debut of Marlon Brando as a particularly bitter young veteran who nearly gives himself up to despair. Although the script doesn't delve too deeply into his character, Brando fully communicates the seething confusion that marks his every step toward a (relatively) healthy, happy future. His chances depend in large part upon a long-suffering fiancée (Teresa Wright, also very good) who convinces him to dream despite confusions of her own. The rocky road they tread adds a personal touch to the movie's message. All in all "The Men" isn't great, but it's an earnest and thought-provoking slice of postwar life.

Copyright © 2005 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.