Coincidentally themed, Rashomon (1950) and The Parallax View (1974), a film I watched last night, both address how an object (in both films the object in question is a crime) can look different depending on the angle from which you view it. An not to sound too much like Mister Rogers, but, ‘Kids, isn’t that true of life as we know it?”
For instance, one angle of Covid19 is the profound tragedy, including the hundreds of thousands of deaths and vast financial ruin. YET, another viewpoint unfolds a necessary pause from a world spinning out of control, re-uniting families and friends to a more natural, non-material goods based relationships. Mature folks can hold on to both realities and take a breath realizing that beauty can be found even in our restricted lives. We breathe, we have water, food and electricity.
In The Parallax View, a Presidential candidate assassination spurs a reporter to uncover a conspiracy.
First and foremost, Gordon Willis (Oscar nominations for Zelig and The Godfather III) deserved huge credit for the cinematography. If you want a vicarious travel experience, watch this film. You get a trip to the Space Needle in Seattle, the Skagit River Gorge Dam, as well as the wonder of watching two colorful marching band scenes. Equally praise worthy are the trio of sound men [Dockendorf, Grenzbach (Oscar winner for Platoon) & Overton]. if your jaw doesn’t drop going from rushing rapids sound to absolute quiet, you’re not listening.
The acting is also topnotch: Warren Beatty, probably the most handsome man from the ’70’s, Hume Cronin, at a young 63 years of age, William Daniels (the Dad from The Graduate, still alive into his 90’s), and Paula Prentiss (also still kicking and still married to Richard Benjamin).
The story, originally from a novel by Buffalo born Loren Singer and was directed by Alan J. Pakula, (three time Oscar nominated for writing Sophie’s Choice, directing All the President’s Men and To Kill A Mockingbird).
Not sure which writer to blame for the last twenty minutes which slowed down to the same pace as the kiddie train ride Beatty takes to procure a fake i.d., but until then, The Parallax View is a thrilling ride of color and sound, with the added eye candy and panache of Beatty, Daniels and Cronin.
