From Here to Eternity

Based on James Jones’ seminal novel of life in the military, “From Here to Eternity” was one of the most popular films of the 1950’s, and is still regarded today for its realistic depictions of life in the barracks. Set during the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the film depicts the life of several men and women whose life revolves around the Schofield barracks. The star studded cast included Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Ernest Borgnine and in a career defining performance, Frank Sinatra, as Maggio. Known today for mostly two reasons (the dramatic embrace between Lancaster and Kerr amidst a crashing wave on the beach, and the allegedly apocryphal rumors that Sinatra was awarded the meaty role of Maggio only after some persuading by his friends in the Mafia, a story popularized in the film “The Godfather”), “From Here to Eternity” is an intense drama, filled with exceptional acting and skillful direction by Fred Zinneman. Admittedly the compelling story was already constructed by James Jones, whose novel was deemed too difficult to translate to the big screen for several reasons, among them: the excessive profanity (which was unfortunately a Production Code casualty, resulting in a less accurate portrayal of the life), the grim depiction of the Military, specifically the immoral actions of a prominent commanding officer character, and the overall lack of success by realistic, dramatic films in general. Columbia Pictures’ chief Harry Cohn was ridiculed for paying the exorbitant fee of $82,000 for the rights to the novel, but thanks to a strong cast (which, as will be discussed later, almost wasn’t, thanks to typical mogul meddling) and direction, the film went on to be a resounding success, winning 8 Oscars, including Best Picture, and became the 10th highest grossing film of the 1950’s, a decade filled with larger than life blockbusters such as "The Ten Commandments", "Ben-Hur", and "Giant".

As the film begins, Private Robert E. Lee Prewett is just arriving at Schofield barracks in Hawaii. Quiet and something of a loner, played by the quiet and enigmatic actor Montgomery Clift, Prew resists his Captain's wishes that he represent their company in the barracks informal boxing competition. The Captain knows about Prew's past success as a boxer, but does not know that Prew killed the last man he fought in the ring and is haunted by the memory. Ostracized by everyone in the company for his decision (which he keeps private), Prew instead finds himself subjected to torment from the Captain's men, who constantly pick fights with him, and give him endless chores to do, like digging a deep hole, only to immediately fill it. Prew finds sympathy in a few men, namely Sergeant Warden, played with conviction by Burt Lancaster and the amiable Angelo Maggio, played by a brilliant Frank Sinatra. Whereas Maggio is more of a buddy, Warden becomes Prew's sounding board, and the closest he gets to an actual confidante. Maggio and Warden each have problems of their own though: Maggio too finds himself under scrutiny from the Army brass, and Warden undertakes a dangerous affair with the Captain's wife, Karen. While Prew struggles internally with his past and externally with his labor, Maggio is constantly avoiding confrontation with the menacing MP Fatso Judson. To think, only two years later Ernest Borgnine would win an Academy Award for playing the shy, utterly sympathetic titular character in "Marty"; here he is practically evil incarnate, bullying and insulting the much smaller Maggio into a fight, by repeatedly calling him "wop" and other slurs. The stiff Sergeant Warden finds a release from the pressures of military life in the arms of Karen Holmes, who is also feeling the effects of military life, from the other perspective, as wife to an absentee husband. Their relationship doomed from the beginning, they still have time to share one truly classic screen moment, as their romantic romp on the beach is emphatically punctuated with a wave crashing onto their interlocked bodies. Ultimately Maggio kills Fatso Judson in a brutal knife fight (which, in the days before fight choreographers, took almost 2 weeks to shoot) and the emotionally conflicted Warden and Karen realize they simply are not suited for each other, something far more significant occurs: the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor.

During the attack, which while not nearly as visceral as audiences today are used to, must have been quite shocking for audiences who had just experienced the event live barely 10 years prior, Prew decides to race back to his company to join the counter attack. After the constant harassment by the Captain, Prew had found some solace at the New Congress Club, a whorehouse in James Jones' novel dressed up as a "night club" in the film. There he meets Lorene, played by the innocent Donna Reed (arguably the most unbelievable hooker in screen history) and while the troubled Prew confuses her, she cannot deny her attraction to him. The army life clearly agonizes Prew, yet he refuses to leave it, a point of contention which finally ends their relationship when the bombs begin dropping. Lorene implores Prew to stay with her and go AWOL, but the honorable Prew refuses, especially after the hard time he gave Maggio for suggesting he do it, and instead blindly runs back to the barracks. Unaware, or perhaps uncaring, of the warning a guard shouts at him, Prew is gunned down in the chaos of the attack by an American soldier. The Captain too is killed and Warden and the rest of the men are sent off to war, and in the final, somber scene of the film, on a boat bound for America, Lorene and Karen share a sad moment together, mourning their stupid lost soliders. One of the true powerhouse dramas put out by Hollywood in the golden era, "From Here to Eternity" still stands up today thanks to its strong characterizations by its entire cast. Montgomery Clift is appropriately intense and conflicted as Prewett, and his off screen dedication to his craft inspired both co-stars Burt Lancaster and Frank Sinatra, each of whom had only appeared in light action films and musical comedies, respectively to that point. The women also stand out, with fine performances from Deborah Kerr as Karen and a good, if unrealistic portrayal by Donna Reed as Lorene. And enough cannot be said about Ernest Borgnine's performance as Fatso Judson. The juxtaposition of this role and "Marty" is an emphatic display of the actor's range. Even in its somewhat sanitized form, the film version of "From Here to Eternity" is still a definite must see classic.