tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post3427586645876984928..comments2024-03-26T05:01:57.793-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: RETURN FROM THE ASHES 1965Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-34891842575563677632020-07-02T08:04:36.439-07:002020-07-02T08:04:36.439-07:00Hi Tom
No apologies are necessary for holding a di...Hi Tom<br />No apologies are necessary for holding a different opinion about a film that I do. You’re not contradicting me, and neither point of view is more valid than the other. They’re just different, not opposing, or even comparative…just a subjective impression you’re sharing. <br />And I write about films to offer my own personal insights, not so that readers agree with me. I hope they discover a film and just embark on a journey of their own, like you did. NoNo guarantees of a similar outcome because we’re totally different people.<br /><br />It’s enlightening to read about what aspects of RETURN FROM THE ASHES didn’t work for you, and how the film failed to engage you or hold your interest. The comment about the problems in creating intimacy in Cinemascope is interesting, for that has been the gripe of many cinematographers and directors of the era, forced to work in a format geared for boxoffice, but not always the best fit for the film’s themes.<br />I have never seen Maximillian Schell in THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH, but now that’s it’s more readily available I should, since he’s an actor I like a great deal. And don’t get me started on Samantha Eggar…she’s bliss!<br />I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts on the film, and that you didn’t allow your having a different experience of the flm stop you from sharing with the readers here. I just hope you didn’t buy that Blue-ray! <br />Much appreciated, Tom.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-24234812040889927172020-06-30T00:37:17.013-07:002020-06-30T00:37:17.013-07:00Ken, for once, I have to disagree with you. I saw ...Ken, for once, I have to disagree with you. I saw last night Return from the Ashes on the very fine Blu-ray that was recently released by Kino Lorber. I couldn't find anything worth of interest in what is (for me) an overlong misguided flop. All those embarrassing scenes right in the beginning with Ingrid Thulin made up as a KZ-Zombie with an accent. The atrocious acting from Samantha Eggar and Maximilian Schell, who was never much of as actor really (have you seen his over the top antics in "The Man in the Glass Booth" ? It brings another Holocaust linked film into high camp). He his handsome though, that yes. And then, the story is not interesting enough to sustain 105 minutes, it is very poorly written. All that for this? I started fast-forward around the 70 minute mark, always a bad sign. On a larger scope, I have a problem with a lot of 1960-1965 films which still have one foot in classical Hollywood and try to push the other in Sixties Modern. Intimacy in Cinemascope never worked. So, for me it is Back to the Ashes, sorry. Tom Peepinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10287456988389518571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-31037707784907904022019-03-27T21:29:27.391-07:002019-03-27T21:29:27.391-07:00That must have been quite the experience seeing th...That must have been quite the experience seeing this on the big screen! Not only because it's such a strikingly shot movie, but because, as you note, rarely-seen films are growing scarcer and scarcer on the revival circuit.<br />I've enjoyed a few screenings of unusual films at American Cinematheque (usually during it's Mods & Rockers festivals) but, indeed, they do seem to be focusing more on familiar titles. Wonderful venue, though. And the reason you cite for the anachronistic look of period films in the '60s is on the money. Studios strongly believed that people came to movies for glamour, their philosophy being that is people wanted accuracy and realism, they should watch a documentary. Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-38742291634305727302019-03-27T11:05:44.129-07:002019-03-27T11:05:44.129-07:00I saw this one on the big screen, about 10 years a...I saw this one on the big screen, about 10 years ago, at the American Cinematheque on Hollywood Blvd., formerly the Egyptian Theater. It must have been the first time it had played in a theater since it's first release (and probably hasn't been shown on a big screen since.) The Cinematheque used to have a great policy of showing these semi-forgotten movies (and double features, too!) Now, they seem to stick to showing and re-showing the same handful of films that are more likely to draw a crowd (West Side Story, Lawrence of Arabia, Indiana Jones movies, etc.) As to the whole issue of '60s fashions in movies set in the 30s 40s & 50s: I believe they used to think women went to the movies primarily to look at the clothes and hairstyles, and they weren't interested in looking at frocks and 'do's from 20 or 30 years before then.Pacocathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08763969020166925176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-41691641780729222252019-03-15T16:46:17.978-07:002019-03-15T16:46:17.978-07:00Now I'm really intrigued! Thanks, MaxNow I'm really intrigued! Thanks, MaxKen Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-7088435999422378742019-03-15T12:57:30.625-07:002019-03-15T12:57:30.625-07:00Ken, what I like about PHOENIX and RETURN FROM THE...Ken, what I like about PHOENIX and RETURN FROM THE ASHES is that they can be seen back to back without spoiling either's enjoyment or surprises. They each have completely different twists of their own. I have the movie tie-in novel, too, but have yet to read it. I really should. Thanks!Max Frostnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-17468862522137836862019-03-15T07:06:31.107-07:002019-03-15T07:06:31.107-07:00Hi Max
Such a coincidence that you brought up PSYC...Hi Max<br />Such a coincidence that you brought up PSYCHE 59! It’s a title I never heard of before today, but I came upon it when looking on YouTube for other Samantha Eggar films to explore. They only had the trailer, but for the reasons you cite, it does look appealing. I’m going to have to add both PHOENIX and that one to my own “to watch” list.<br />I’m impressed that you got to see this so young. I’m not sure how I missed it on TV, but it obviously was broadcast. I also like that you have seen PHONIX and thus have the best perspective so far of which adaptation is the most effective (or perhaps they are so different there is no comparing).<br />I read that a stage production of RETURN FROM THE ASHES was mounted here in Los Angeles in 2011…of course, I’ve no recollection of that, either.<br />Thanks, Man, for reading this and adding your name to the short but growing list of folks who have actually heard of/seen this movie. It's no lost masterpiece, but I think it's a very entertaining thriller a lot of classic movie fans would get a kick out of. Thanks for commenting! Cheers, Max!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-21915076050639878602019-03-15T06:37:51.646-07:002019-03-15T06:37:51.646-07:00Hi Sandra
That 2014 German film PHOENIX you refere...Hi Sandra<br />That 2014 German film PHOENIX you reference is adapted from the same novel as RETURN FROM THE ASHES. According to a site I read, it's said to be a much more faithful adaptation. I'd never heard of it before, but I look forward to checking it out. <br />I too think Ingrid Thulin is marvelous in THE DAMNED. What a performance! Helmut Berger, her co-star felt she deserved an Oscar nomination for it. I'm inclined to agree. <br />The cast and the twisty plot of RETURN FROM THE ASHES makes it a worthwhile film to check out should it ever reappear on cable. I'd be interested to hear how it compares to PHOENIX. Thank you for for reading the post and for the film recommendation!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-68844251049188580352019-03-15T05:11:36.439-07:002019-03-15T05:11:36.439-07:00For decades all I could remember is the ending of ...For decades all I could remember is the ending of this movie which I saw on TV in the 60s. Maybe TV. Knowing my mother she may have taken me to the theater with her to see it. It always bothered me that I could never place the movie itself. It wasn’t familiar to anyone I described it to. I couldn’t even remember the actors. Just the surprise, which apparently had quite an impact on a 9-yr-old boy. The funny thing is, I’ve had it on DVD for a few years and it was in my “to watch” pile forever. I only got around to watching after I saw PHOENIX. Finally it all came back to me. But still, no one I talked to knew the movie. Thank you for resurrecting it!<br /><br />I was reminded of it again only a few weeks ago after watching the 1964 Samantha Eggar movie, PSYCHE 59. Another odd triangle thriller, kind of muddled, but absolutely gorgeous black and white scope cinematography.<br /><br />Thanks Ken!<br />Max<br />Max Frostnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-76853051101976905212019-03-14T05:15:25.116-07:002019-03-14T05:15:25.116-07:00This sounds very intriguing! I've admired Ingr...This sounds very intriguing! I've admired Ingrid Thulin's bravery as an actress ever since I saw her in Visconti's The Damned (1969). She's a very striking woman, and pairing her with Maximilian Schell, one of the most attractive men in cinema history, surely doesn't hurt! The way you described the beginning of them film strongly brought to mind Phoenix, a marvelous German film from 2014. I think you would enjoy it, in case you haven't already seen it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-36363293009052206982019-03-13T06:42:14.764-07:002019-03-13T06:42:14.764-07:00Ah, the days of forcing oneself to stay up to watc...Ah, the days of forcing oneself to stay up to watch a desired film on The Late Late Show! It was such a big deal to have an extended bedtime (let alone the thrill of a TV channel that didn't sign off at 1 am) no wonder movies felt so special.<br />I've seen only a handful of Maximilian Schell movies, but the one you described with Sophia Loren sounds terrific, so I’ll have to keep an eye out. <br /><br />The issue to take with film using the Holocaust as a plot device being used as a brief plot device is a good one. The first time I saw ASHES I kept thinking Michelle’s ordeals in the concentration camp would figure more into the story as it progressed.<br />What’s there (and perhaps not as well conveyed as it could be) is in her brief discussion with Charles when she says that before the war she never much saw herself as a Jew and that she never saw herself as a mother. The war seemed to instill in her an empathy she didn’t display in the early part of the film (when she and Stan are ignoring the radio broadcasts about the war) and the realization that she has treated Fabi very badly by ignoring her so. <br />If the film had any larger points to make about war, indifference, moral relativity, etc., I think the viewer has to work hard to seek them out between the lines. Once she’s released there is a great deal of plots and twists to unravel, and I think the Holocaust element (if it was ever thematic to begin with) get a little lost.<br /><br />The novel sounds as though it is a great deal darker than the film, and I think you're right: had the film been made in the'70s--withs it's call for realism, and the war in Vietnam commanding so many film parallels, the entire approach to ASHES would be different. Thanks so much for reading and commenting.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-27948948902059048672019-03-13T05:59:24.683-07:002019-03-13T05:59:24.683-07:00Hi Poseidon
At last! A person who’s seen this! As ...Hi Poseidon<br />At last! A person who’s seen this! As good as I find it to be, it does seem to be a movie that has not only slipped through the cracks, but as you attest, slip your mind as well.<br /><br />And yes, the whole modern look of period films made in the '60s is such a standard you feel you should grow used to it, but it can be so disorienting at times. Glad you mentioned Doctor Zhivago because it seems we both remember the same thing from that self-congratulatory "making of" featurette they have on the DVD (and show on TCM from time to time). They keep patting themselves on the back for their meticulous period detail...until that hairdresser makes her appearance and throws Julie Christie and her bangs and bouffant under the bus. (By the way, I've always thought Ingrid Thulin had the same, almost masculine jawline as Julie Christie, which I find looks most appealing and sensual in her closeups. most appealing and . It's most appealing and makes her look very sensual in closeups.)<br />I tend to forget how anachronistic Julie Andrews looks in The Sound of Music, but you’re right. What works for period accuracy could probably wreak havoc with a star’s audience appeal.<br />Cheers, Poseidon!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-75352671512400068452019-03-12T20:24:36.865-07:002019-03-12T20:24:36.865-07:00It was definitely on the Late Late Late show (2am)...It was definitely on the Late Late Late show (2am) in the Seventies, because that's when I caught it the first time as a teenager absolutely determined to stay up for a rare opportunity to see my secret dreamboat Maximilian Schell. (Other Max flicks shown at 2am were "Point Counterpoint" and "The Condemned of Altona," the latter of which I recommend unto you, with Nazi "Butcher of Smolensk" Max locked up in his father's postwar attic until sister-in-law Sophia Loren uncovers the family secret). I loved "Return from the Ashes" but what shocked me on first seeing it was the way the Holocaust was kind of used as an introductory hook and then not really referred to in flashbacks or even the rest of the plot. In school in the Seventies, we had all learned about what the Nazis had done and in TV shows and movies made during the period, it was usually central to the dramas it figured in and those plots constantly referred back to it. Here it was just used as a sort of explanation for the setup (woman is away for some years and her husband and stepdaughter get together) and as I recall Michelle's character didn't seem all that affected by her experience. (I'm not trying to dismiss the moral horror -- it's just that you couldn't have made the film in the same way in the Seventies).Foosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02200694434095248343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-34675893729000632952019-03-12T17:57:50.234-07:002019-03-12T17:57:50.234-07:00I was lucky enough to catch this on satellite TV (...I was lucky enough to catch this on satellite TV (can't recall which channel) a couple of years ago and thought it contained a captivating cast. Sturdy, ever-solid Ingrid, dreamy Max, delectable Samantha and the underrated Herbert. What a unique storyline, even as it borrows elements from so many other films. I have to admit it slipped my mind (I can't say why...!), so it was fun to rediscover it through your tribute to it. I do so agree about the 1960s films that never seem to have made a scintilla of effort to provide period hair & clothing! I recall the hairdresser for "Dr Zhivago" stating that she couldn't get Julie Christie to give up her bouffant because NO ONE would wear hair that wasn't teased at that moment in time. It just wasn't done (though Julie Andrews had short, flat hair in SOM! LOL But even that movie had no period hair unless you count the Baroness's. I guess braids and dual side buns were not going to have their moment in the sun.) Poseidon3https://www.blogger.com/profile/10465785002285422594noreply@blogger.com