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The Whip Hand (1951)
An amusing/scary mcarthyist tale depending on your outlook
In these times of paranoia, it is often useful to look back to the nineteen fifties and see the effects of a similar period of right wing domination - The Mcarthyist era. The Whip Hand is a anti-communist propaganda film set in the US. A Nazi germ warfare scientist who was captured by the soviets after WWII is alive and well and living in middle America. A Journalist on a fishing holiday stumbles across a remote town previously well know for its trout fisheries, but a virus has recently wiped them out. injuring himself, he looks for help at a private estate only to be turned away. reaching the town, a doctor (who is really a bacteriologist) treats him, but his curiosity has been peaked by his brusque treatment at the estate amongst other things and he decides to investigate, despite the best efforts of the local commies. With the help of the doctor's sister and the owner of the general store, he uncovers a sinister soviet plot to unleash germ warfare upon the US. Quite why the doctor's sister doesn't realise that he is a communist is unclear, as is the reason a committed Nazi has turned to communism. Interstingly the bacteriologists name is Edward Keller - very similar to the name of a US atomic scientist Edward Teller who at this time was working on the H-bomb - a far greater threat! For any student of left wing politics, this will be a hoot, but for someone who sincerely subscribes to US propaganda, past and present, it will undoubtedly be a great embarrassment.
The Hill (1965)
great performances
having just seen this film (on late night TV - a theme that runs through many of the comments in this list - perhaps as a result of the usage of the "N-word") I felt I just had to comment as this is one of the best films I have seen in the last year. As a critique of the militaristic attitude it is second to none. One of the best points of this film is the excellent performance from Sean Connery, an actor I have not previously thought was much cop. Here, in one of his earlier roles, he is at his best. For those of you who reside in the US or elsewhere, you should be aware that this sort of harsh military justice still exists in the UK, although perhaps not as in as hardcore a form as portrayed here. UK based users of this site may be familliar with the C4 "cutting edge" documentary, "The Glass House", which examines this. While the treatment of race issues here does not conform to the standards of today, this appears to be rather progressive for a British film of the time, in that it is explicitly delt with, rather than like other films of its type, glossed over. Perhaps this is due to the large "windrush" migration of west indians to britain at the time. Cinematographically speaking, the film shows real flair, in a similar style to "Ice Cold In Alex", another favorite of mine. The levels of contrast are perfect to give the impression of desert living, really giving good account of the African heat. Overall I give this film a 10/10