Hell & High Water (1954/Fox)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Film: C+
It is a
War film or almost a Science Fiction thriller?
One of the more interesting studio projects by the great Samuel Fuller
was his 1954 CinemaScope actioner for Fox called Hell & High Water, in which a submarine run by Richard Widmark (a
retiree called back into action) must take a rag tag group of scientists and
other military vets to The Arctic when a nuclear explosion not from one of the
superpowers is detected. The race is on
to find out its origin to prevent a nuclear holocaust.
Part of
the tale is about the conflict between the persons of different countries,
governments, loyalties, sensibilities and interests. Then there is the nuclear portion, which is
dangerously naïve at its worst by what we now know. The performances by Widmark, Bella Darvi,
Cameron Mitchell, David Wayne, Richard Loo and Victor Francen are all
enjoyable, made more of a campy hoot by the crazy dialogue Fuller co-wrote in
his screenplay adaptation of the David Hempstead story with Jesse L. Lasky Jr.
and has a few unintended howlers to go with some of the phony visual effects.
The title
has become a catchphrase, yet most have not seen the actual film. For some entertainment and laughs, Hell & High Water is worth your
time.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.55 image is one the soft side with good color that
sometimes suggests its three strip dye-transfer Technicolor release. Not al the moments are consistently so, but
it is one of the rare times Fuller got to use the format and that alone makes
for interesting viewing. Joseph
Macdonald’s use of the wider, earlier scope frame is a plus. The Dolby Digital 4.0 mix tries to recreate
the 4-track magnetic stereo experience the better 35mm playback offered at the
time, but Dolby’s compression limits this.
This affects Alfred Newman’s amusing score. Extras include the pressbook with options to
click onto the text in close up, stills, the original theatrical trailer and a
nearly hour-long look at Widmark’s career with the Richard Widmark – Strength Of Character,
broadcast on the popular A&E series Biography.
- Nicholas Sheffo
