Sometimes a Great Notion

Filipe Furtado4.0

This is one of the two Paul Newman directed movies he starred instead of Woodward and the only one he didn't originally plan to direct. The overall "American individualism take to extremes" framework is very in synch with his star persona around this time and one should point out that the Fonda/Newman/Sarrazin emotional triangle is very much predicted in the symbolic associations the stars bring with them to the point one genuine wonders if they send the script to Peter Fonda before setting for Sarrazin. All five leads are great and benefit from Newman discreet touch (that said keeping the Remick/Sarrazin affair implied is one of the few times in Newman career that his quietness get the worst of him). For an actor's movie, the attention to nature, both landscape and colors, is outstanding which makes sense given its role of ultimate moral arbiter. All the scenes of lumber work are amazing physical and well observed. What does it says about American cinema that one of its greatest movies about labor is also one about Union busters? There's a very pragmatical quality to Newman approach, action-oriented and matter of fact despite all the family psychodrama traps, that is well presented in Sarrazin refrain "it grows" to every question about his long hair. Newman has some wonderful unexpected transitions, I love the bit where Sarrazin's suicide confession gets interrupted by the sight of stubborn Fonda just walking in the back of the frame. The many contradictions political and aesthetical involved are a good part of the pleasure. There's some interesting stuff about the effect of 60s in working class life that exists outside usual discussions of the era as well. Jaeckel very long death scene is probably the best remembered scene in all of Newman directed features and remains really wonderful, one of the greatest wrath of God comedy of errors moments of its era, intense, physical, funny and sad in equal measures, and all the devastation that follows is equally great.

pirateneckbeard2.0

I question the tonality of this film and characters projectory. Sorry to come out all guns a blazing but this film has some troublesome misaligned messages with equally poor story lines that are dubiously overlapping. I'm not blaming Newman cause he did reluctantly step into the role of director after the original walked off and he had to fill the void but man there is some major missing puzzle pieces here if not moral questions cause very few people come unscathed here from the town and the Stamper family with maybe the exceptions of the wives and Leeland(Michael Sarrazin). It also had this crazy backstory of not quite incest but definitely questionably dishonorable demeanor. This felt very much like material based on a book with these strong silences that I didn't find warranted due to not visually connecting viewers to the distinctive suffering conveyed. I found this a very messy story but I did enjoy the unique setting and there was a very intense log jam sequence which held it's tension. All in all it felt very long with far to many log sawing scenes that could have been chopped and a final sequence that felt very unnecessary and would not do what they did with a loved ones limb to anger a town. I wanted to like this but Sometimes a great notion is not enough.

trolleyfreak4.0

'Sometimes I lives in the countrySometimes I lives in townSometimes I take a great notionTo jump into the river an’ drown'Sometimes a film stays with you over the years and even though it's been a long time since you last saw it, just the mention of its title triggers a long dormant memory; the overall details may be sketchy but there's one 'moment' which you can never forget: in this instance let's just call it the 'Jaeckel' scene..Sometimes things are just meant to be: when original director Richard A. Colla (a hitherto unknown director responsible for one feature and a few TV episodes) was replaced due to 'artistic differences', i.e. he didn't get on with Newman, the star himself decided to take up the reins for his second directorial assignment, an adaptation of Ken Kesey's gargantuan sophomore novel about a dysfunctional Oregon logging family (the Stampers) and their disputes with union agitators after breaking a strike.Sometimes it's great to just sit back and watch men at work: leisurely observing the Stamper family going about their dangerous business gives a real insight into these men's lives and their characters and maybe explains their stubbornness - they just have to do this work, it's what makes them 'tick' even if it's to the detriment of their home life and standing in the community.Sometimes a scene just punches you in the gut and leaves you reeling: the aforementioned 'Jaeckel' scene..Sometimes all you need to shoot a great scene is a good basic idea and 'simplicity': when Richard Jaeckel gets stuck under that log and Newman is frantically trying to free him before the ever rising tide claims him, the pictures tell a thousand words and the restraint Newman the director shows is exemplary - the minimum of fuss, no need for syrupy music to manipulate your emotions, let the images tell the story and the tears will flow..Sometimes the final scene of a movie can leave you with a huge smile on your face and a sense of satisfaction: when Newman and Sarazzin make their triumphant journey down river and Fonda gives his unconventional, beyond the grave one-finger salute... well, I just wanted to punch the air in agreement with the 'Fuck You' attitude on display!Sometimes a film doesn't have to be a 5-star masterpiece to leave an indelible mark on your soul: it can have its flaws (in this instance the underwritten parts for Fonda and Remick) but still be a picture to treasure again and again.This is such a film..