VERBOTEN! (1959) **1/2 Lots of actors screaming lines that are much bigger than them, and Samuel Fuller flapping around in situations that aren't set up and that he isn't quite sure not to deal with. The thing is, they're situations that no one else even bothers trying to set up, situations that we all have to deal with. Fuller dives into the hard and hidden corners of history with the enthusiasm of a Rotweiler, and it's not like he doesn't displace some interesting things while he's thrashing about. How many other films have you seen about the German reconstruction after WWII? Might have been nice if the U.S. brain trust had watched this film before invading Iraq. "Oh, they'll welcome us with flowers!" Hell, those clowns couldn't get welcomed with flowers at their own staff party, but I digress... Fuller reminds me of Ed Wood, in the sense that he appears to suffer/benefit from some willful form of attention disorder. No sooner have we become comfortable with a sense of the leading characters than Fuller drops them off, and launches into a historical explication, replete with a lot of stock footage, that takes up nearly half the film. If Fuller isn't interrupting himself with newsreels, he's pausing to point out some nice art shot that he's found. All of which is entertaining enough. A good measure of the film is that they keep talking about how pregnant Susan Cummings is, and she's standing there with, like, a 16-inch waist.
back to Brilliant Observations on 1776 Films page, or Index
go back home, or send me email
Reviews won't do it any more! I need sustained brilliance! I want to buy your novel!