I was watching "The Outrage" with Paul Newman on TCM today. He plays a Mexican bandito who kills a man and rapes his wife. The story is told four times in flashback. I immediately thought that it sounded a lot like "Roshamon," a classic of Japanese cinema directed by Akira Kurosawa (who wrote the screenplay upon which Runaway Train was based).
I saw Roshamon over thirty years ago, but I recall the story vaguely. Again, a rape/murder recalled by the particpants, and then the truth revealed by a hitherto unknown witness. It's considered a seminal work and an icon of "post-modernism," where truth is always relative. My opinion of it at the time was that it suffered from a fatal flaw, namely that it asked the viewers to accept the last version of events, those related by the "impartial" witness, as being "true." Even as a callow youth of 19 or so, it was not lost upon me that a truly post-modern statement would not allow that any version of events contains ultimate truth. All versions must be suspect. Thus did I turn up my nose upon Roshamon.
But this version was truly laughable! Paul Newman, of all people playing the role of the Frito Bandito, dark greasy hair, handle-bar mustache, and classically stereotypical Mexican bad-ass accent, with long eeeee sounds, as in weeeeel for will, and constant use of the third person form while referring to himself.
Hollywood usually turned to its favorite "half-breeds" of dubious ancestry to take on such roles. Favorite among this group is Anthony Quinn. Others of the same ilk included Ricardo Montalban, Jack Palance, Fernando Ferrar, and a few others. My all-time favorite fake Mexican desperado is Eli Wallach, in real life a Jewish kid from Brooklyn. His "Tuco" in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly" is among the great performances in cinema. Certainly the role of a life-time. But, Paul Newman? No way. Unless...
Yes, perhaps the movie's makers knew their audience well. The one thing all versions of the story agree upon is that the woman is raped. It's strong stuff. Perhaps, in order to soften the impact of the violation, they wanted an actor who was "attractive," if you will. In most of the four versions of the story that is told, the woman is ambiguous in her feelings towards her attacker. Perhaps the director felt that the audience would be better able to accept such a portrayal if the actor was acceptable on some level.
If you are interested in any of this stuff, I would advise you to watch Roshamon, (which I may be mis-spelling). It is one of the giant films of cinema history, up there with "Citizen Kane." The remake is justifiablly not highly regarded or remembered.
Monday, August 31, 2009
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