THE PROUD AND THE PROFANE
US, 1956, 111 minutes, Black and white.
William Holden, Deborah Kerr, Thelma Ritter, Dewey Martin.
Directed by George Seaton.
The Proud and the Profane is a World War Two film, not so much focusing on action in the South Pacific where it is set (in the areas from the Philippines to the Solomon Islands) but rather on the characters who interaction with one another in the war situation. The film has echoes of From Here to Eternity which was released in 1953, also starring Deborah Kerr.
The film focuses on the interaction of the central characters. William Holden is a lieutenant colonel, in charge of the forces. Deborah Kerr is a volunteer with a Red Cross group (led by Thelma Ritter in her usual style). The other members of the group include Dewey Martin as a young serviceman and William Redfield as a self-sacrificing minister of religion. The film offers romance, tensions – dramatic with the touches of melodramatic.
The film was written and directed by George Seaton. Seaton had begun his career as a writer but had moved into direction with musicals and comedies in the mid-1940s, especially with Betty Grable. He made a big impact with The Miracle on 34th Street. Other films include Little Boy Lost and The Country Girl made at this time. He also directed a number of espionage films in the 1960s including The Counterfeit Traitor, The Hook and Thirty- Six Hours. His penultimate film was the big-budget Airport.
The film has a romantic score by Victor Young – one of his last.
1. What was the meaning of the title and how well did it refer to the principal characters?
2. How effective was the war setting? Was it too much a cliché-setting? Or did the film transcend this commonplace war setting?
3. The war situation, the isolation that brings to married couples the suddenness of death? the changing of direction of people’s lives? How did the film show that war changes people’s lives?
4. Lee Ashley - as a person, as a women, as a widow? The reasons for her joining the service? Her relationship to her husband, her need to go to where he died? Her work in New Caledonia? Her freedom as a person and her lack of spontaneity? Her falling in love with Colonel Slack? The change that this made in her life? the extent of her love, her pregnancy? Her disillusionment with him when she found out the truth? Her suffering, her inability to forgive, her sense of being destroyed? The repercussions of this on her life and her work? The final encounter with Eustace Press at the graveside of her husband? Her facing the truth about herself? Her forgiveness of Black and her taking of a second chance? Her future?
5. Colonel Slack - as a soldier, as a person? Over-serious? His preoccupation with war and his men? His casual attitude towards his love for Lee? The deceit that he practised in involving her with himself? His double standards in relating to women when he forbade this in his men? His insensitivity to hurting Lee? His facing the truth? his brutal reaction? The change that this made in him? His asking to be forgiven? Did the truth about his wife change the situation? How lucky was he to have a second chance, what future did he have?
6. Kate - as a person, as a Red Cross helper? Her perception, her commonsense, her dealings with Lee? How much help was she to Lee at various stages of the film? How wise a person was Kate? Her love for Eddy? Her genuine charity and concern for all those she dealt with?
7. Eddy - as a person, a tough kid from New York? Yet an honourable man in contrast to Colonel Slack? Especially in relation to Lee?
8. Did this film offer insights into the truth of human nature? Did it tell the truth about people and their emotions? What insights did it give into human weakness? To hurting others? To sin and real guilt? Its insights into love? Its insights into repercussions of casual playing with emotions?
9. How typical was the behaviour of the main characters in this film?
10. How valuable were the lessons of this film? Were they communicated convincingly?
