This Property Is Condemned
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: D Film: B-
Sydney
Pollack directed his second-ever feature film under the auspices of the late,
great John Houseman. Tennessee Williams
work has had an odd history of film adaptations made, especially during the
unraveling of older Hollywood standards and censorship, and This
Property Is Condemned (1966) is
one of those films. Suggestions of
sexuality, self-awareness, and ugly realities often too taboo to speak of
seemed right at home in his works, and a perfect gateway to a freer, smarter
filmmaking in general.
At a time
when the classical Hollywood system was in its final days before Easy Rider (1968) changed everything, we have a star vehicle here
with a difference. It is the depression
and a couple of kids start talking soon after they meet. The young girl eventually proceeds to tell
her new male “friend” all about the big house across from them that was once so
active. She still lives there, despite
its imminent demolition.
The
flashback tells us of the two businesses that thrived before the great crash of
1929: rail yards and prostitution. The people get by in Dodson, Mississippi, but some occasionally have
higher hopes. One such person is Alva
Starr (Natalie Wood,) who gets plenty of attention for her beauty and “upbeat”
behavior. Her mother (Kate Reid) is on
the dysfunctional side and is not helping her one bit, always “planning” (read
controlling) her life for her and “for the best” so she’ll be fine.
This
becomes disrupted when Owen Ligate (Robert Redford) arrives in town. He is good looking and more well-rounded than
the kind of men Alva is used to meeting, but he is also there to fire all the
railworkers. It is a thankless job, but
Owen becomes distracted by several surprises and becomes interested in
Alva. The feeling is mutual, though she
is somewhat resistant, not used to the kind of guy who has it together.
Despite
having a screenplay co-written by Francis Coppola, Fred Coe and Edith Sommer,
the work never wildly deviates from Williams’ authorship, which works both for
and against the film. As we watch, we
ask if these characters are almost too dumb at times, while the film still
tries to make a distinction between those who live in reality and those who do
not.
Alva is
supposedly one who does not, and though this has a degree of validity, Owen’s
observation of this is shared with her has too many limits to be enough of a
counterpoint. He is only right to a
limited degree, then there is the issue of the stereotype of the man who is
right and woman who is stupid and histrionic.
That is a major bone of contention in this film, with Feminist critics
having plenty of valid grounds to argue on in this case. The combination of the two hurt this film to
begin with, then it degenerates too often into Melodrama, making it seem older
still.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is not bad, but looks like a late analog
transfer. Color is not bad, but softness
is an issue throughout. You do get some
depth too, which is another plus. The
film was shot by legendary cinematographer James Wong Howe, A.S.C., who is so
known for his legendary black and white work.
It turns out he was also a master of color, as this film aptly
demonstrates. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
is an adequate representation of the old optical theatrical monophonic sound,
but the DVD has no extras. There is not
even a trailer.
If it was
not for the professional level at which the film was made, this would have been
a disaster. The stars make it a
curiosity for those not familiar with the film or Williams work in which it is
based. It also shows Pollock’s early
knack for filmmaking, which never reached an auteur level, but is competent. Of course, this is also haunted by Wood, who
died too soon in what still feels like strange circumstances. For a film and story both haunted by
possibilities, This Property Is
Condemned carries more than enough luggage to be its own journey.
- Nicholas Sheffo
