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These are the Damned (1963)
Review by Kam-Hung Soh 2009
Simon Wells (Macdonald Carey), a retired American executive holidaying
in the tourist town of Weymouth, meets and becomes attracted to a young
local girl, Joan (Shirley Anne Field), much to the displeasure of her
older brother, King (Oliver Reed). King, the leader of a gang of punks,
beats up Wells and tries to imprison his sister, but the couple escape
in Well's boat. With the gang trailing them, the two lovers end up in a
secret government installation and discover a terrible secret.
Made in 1961 but only released in 1963, this film quite blatantly
exploits the public fear of nuclear war in that period (the Cuban
missile crisis occurs in October 1962) and the collapse of the law and
order, signified by King's gang openly roaming the streets of Weymouth
with impunity, to justify the extreme actions of the government. Viewed
away from that period, it's really a rather plodding film that takes a
very, very long time to set the scene, overplays a very irritating song
for the gang's call sign, includes an obligatory but unlikely romance
between the leads, and casts Carey inappropriately as a middle-aged
romantic lead. On the other hand, Oliver Reed makes a substantial
presence as the well-dressed gang leader with a cane, quite possibly a
precursor to Malcolm McDowell's Alex in 'A Clockwork Orange', and there
are some fearful and gloomy scenes in the end.
1 out of 5 stars.
http://vibogafi.blogspot.com/2009/09/review-these-are-damned-1963.html
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Kam-Hung Soh
http://vibogafi.blogspot.com |
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