River of No Return (4 Stars)

"River of No Return" is a western made in 1954, starring Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. The film is set in 1875 in the Northwest of America, probably Idaho. Robert Mitchum plays Matt Calder, a man who's spent eight years in prison for murder. The relatively small sentence is probably because he shot the man to protect his friend, but he shot the man in the back, which has given him a bad reputation among gunfighters. Matt defends his action by saying that if you kill a snake it doesn't matter whether you can see his face or not. Maybe the man he killed was a better gunfighter, so Matt killed him the only way he could.

The area has been caught up by gold fever, but Matt has no intention of becoming rich. He's a simple man who wants to live as a farmer. His first action after coming out of prison is to build himself a home. Then he goes to look for his nine-year-old son Mark that he hasn't seen since he was a baby. Mark is currently in the care of a saloon singer called Kay, who is glad to give Mark back because she's planning to marry a gambler, Harry Weston.

Matt takes his son back to his farm, while Harry and Kay travel to Council City by raft to file the deed on a gold mine he's won. The river passes Matt's farm, and Matt has to rescue Harry and Kay from the rapids. Harry shows his gratitude by stealing Matt's horse and rifle at gunpoint, so that he and Kay can continue their journey by land. Kay says she'll remain with Matt to help him because of his injuries. Harry agrees, saying he can travel faster without her.

After Harry's departure the other three can't stay at the farm for long. Indians attack, and Matt has no weapon to defend his home. He tells Mark and Kay to join him on the raft. He's also out for revenge. He says that stealing a man's horse is an offence punishable by hanging – was that true in 1875? – so he won't be punished if he shoots Harry.

The majority of the film shows the river trip and the difficulties with strong currents and Indian attackers. The journey lasts a few days. I wasn't counting, but I think it was three days. Matt is a perfect gentleman for most of the journey, respecting Kay because she's engaged to another man. Kay still loves Harry and tries to persuade Matt to forgive him. I was growing to like Matt as a character until he finally snapped and forced Kay to the ground, kissing her against her will. I know Marilyn Monroe is beautiful, but that's no excuse! When a woman says No she means No. He would have gone further if they hadn't been interrupted by a mountain lion.

I think I can allow myself spoilers when writing about films 60 years old. I want to write about something poignant in the story.

Mark is initially disappointed with his father when he finds out that he shot someone in the back. In the final showdown Mark learns the harsh realities of life. Matt is lying on the ground and Harry is about to shoot him, so Mark shoots Harry in the back.

I've heard Marilyn Monroe sing in a few films, but I didn't know she could play the guitar as well. She sings a few songs in the film, first in a saloon, then in a farm, then by the side of the river on the journey.

I've always liked Robert Mitchum as an actor. I ought to watch more of his films. So many films, so little time. Marilyn Monroe's performance is perfect, as always. This is a simple but enjoyable film.

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Farewell, my Lovely (4½ Stars)

I've got a hat, a coat and a gun. That's it.

This was the first of two films in which Robert Mitchum starred as Philip Marlowe. The other film was "The Big Sleep", made three years later in 1978. The two films are very unlike one another. "The Big Sleep" has a somewhat camp nature, whereas "Farewell, my Lovely" is 100% film noir. The film is made in colour, but most of the scenes take place at night, and even the daytime scenes occur in dark and grubby neighbourhoods. The voice-over is maintained throughout the film, which we see entirely from the detective's perspective. In this film, unlike "The Big Sleep", Philip Marlowe is very human and unable to resist the deadly charms of the femme fatale, the judge's young wife Helen. After she flashes her thighs at him and then sits staring longingly at his crotch he falls helplessly into her arms. Luckily she didn't pull out her gun on him until later in the film.

The plot is much less complex than "The Big Sleep". It takes place in 1941, against the background of the War in Europe and Joe DiMaggio making baseball history. The detective is hired by Moose Malloy, an ex-convict, to find his girlfriend Velma. He's just spent seven years in prison, and the last time she visited him was six years ago. It might sound like a simple case, but as it progresses the people he asks for information are killed one by one by unknown assailants. After the first five bodies have piled up the police suspect Marlowe of murder.

Today is the first time I've watched this film. It certainly won't be the last.

The Big Sleep (1978 version) (4 Stars)

After watching the first version of this film, made in 1946, I thought I would watch the 1978 version. I didn't even know the novel had been filmed a second time until last month. Robert Mitchum has long been one of my favourite actors, so I rushed to buy it, and I was happy to find a brand new copy of the DVD for only one pound ($1.65) on Ebay.

From what I've read, the 1978 film keeps closer to the novel than the 1946 version, apart from changing the location from 1930's Los Angeles to 1970's London. I can't judge this, not having read the novel, but I did notice a few differences. The general's older daughter is called Charlotte in this film, not Vivian, and she is married to the general's aide Sean Regan, the man who has disappeared. His younger daughter is called Camilla. Arthur Geiger's bookshop specialises in selling illegal pornographic books. The books contain photos of underage girls, and the general's daughter Camilla is one of the models. She's an adult at the time the film takes place, but she is being blackmailed because of the photos taken when she was younger. The incident with Owen Taylor's suicide didn't make sense in the the 1946 version, it seemed like a random occurrence. In the 1978 version Owen kills Arthur Geiger, is then attacked by Joe Brody, after which he commits suicide.

The women of the 1970's are presented as self-confident and liberated. The main female characters, Charlotte (Sarah Miles), Camilla (Candy Clark) and Agnes (Joan Collins), never wear bras, which is obvious because they wear thin white tops that let their nipples shimmer through.

The 1978 version is a lot brighter than the old version. Despite telling the same story, it has less of a film noir feeling. In fact, there's even something of a camp element to the film. It's difficult to describe why. Maybe it's because of Philip Marlowe's almost superhuman qualities as portrayed by Robert Mitchum. Humphrey Bogart was very much a man, and it was obvious that he was nervous in the presence of the femme fatale, Lauren Bacall, ultimately falling to her charms. Robert Mitchum is immune to female wiles, never once glancing at the hard nipples pointing at him through the skimpy tops. When he goes home and finds Camilla naked on his bed he turns his back on her. That's not normal.

The two films are very different in their character, but they can stand side by side. Neither needs to be ashamed of the other.