Fred Zinnemann
From here to Eternity

THE REVIEW

Another review of this 1953 classic, recently covered on DEBaser? Yes, because the film is currently available on RaiPlay and may be worth discovering for those who missed it before. Besides, I will soon review another remarkable but less celebrated Zinnemann film, still unpublished on these pages.

I guess like some other people, I approached From Here to Eternity expecting a romantic drama. After all, its most famous image is that iconic beach embrace between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr, and the title itself sounds like a promise of eternal love. Only later did I discover that the title refers to something much darker, tied to shame and sacrifice rather than romance. Seen from that perspective, the film makes far more sense (NdA)

Far from being a tale of star-crossed lovers, this is primarily a story about injustice within the American Army before World War II. The romance is there, but it is almost incidental compared to the corruption, bullying and abuse of power that dominate the plot.

The film also provides an amusing lesson in Hollywood censorship. Donna Reed's Lorene is described as a "hostess", but I doubt many viewers, even in 1953, believed that soldiers were paying merely for conversation. The film never uses the word "prostitute", yet everything from the setting to the behaviour of the characters makes the reality perfectly obvious.

My biggest reservation concerns the Prewitt character, despite Clift’s interpretation. The film clearly presents him as proud and honourable, but I often found him simply stubborn to the point of self-destruction. If he truly intended to make a thirty-year career in the Army, one would expect a better understanding of how military institutions function. Instead, he repeatedly behaves like a man surprised that actions have consequences. His principles are admirable, but his judgement is questionable.

The same applies to Maggio, brilliantly played by Frank Sinatra. He is entertaining, sympathetic and full of life, but hardly a model of wisdom. Much like Prewitt, he seems determined to provoke trouble and then acts astonished when trouble arrives. The difference is that Prewitt has principles. Maggio mostly has alcohol.

Despite these criticisms, the film remains compelling thanks to its strong cast, sharp atmosphere and willingness to expose the darker side of military life, and don't expect a sweeping romance. The famous beach scene may be cinema history, but anyone who has actually spent time on a beach, or even indulged in badly planned cavorting, knows that sand, pebbles and waves are far less romantic than Hollywood would have us believe. Some cinematic myths survive only when you don’t try them in real life.

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(NdA)

It referrers to the final lines of the Kipling’s poem Gentlemen-Rankers, which means soldiers from good families who ended in disgrace, and joined the Army in the ranks (like common soldiers) to seek an honourable end.