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Donald Sutherland

M*A*S*H – Showing the Folly of the Times

January 5, 2018 by Darrel Manson Leave a Comment

“This isn’t a hospital; it’s an insane asylum!”

I was in college, of prime draft age, when M*A*S*H hit the theaters in 1970. That probably says a lot about what I found so appealing about that film when I first saw it. It also explains why when it played at AFI Fest as part of a Robert Altman retrospective that I felt compelled to see it again and compare it to that first encounter.

The film was somewhat eclipsed by the TV series starring Alan Alda. And it is good to keep the two versions separate. The film version has an entirely different cast (except for Gary Burghoff who played “Radar” O’Reilly in both versions) and a very different tone and outlook than the more lighthearted (though often very poignant) TV series. The film is often described as antiwar (especially since it came out in the midst of the Vietnam War), but it really says less about war per se than about the iconoclasm of that particular time in American history. Even though the film is set in the Korean War, it was almost a given that viewers would read this as commentary on Vietnam.

The film synopsizes itself in a PA announcement at the end of the film:

Attention. Tonight’s movie has been “M*A*S*H.” Follow the zany antics of our combat surgeons as they cut and stitch their way along the front lines, operating as bombs — operating as bombs and bullets burst around them; snatching laughs and love between amputations and penicillin. Follow Hawkeye, Trapper, Duke, Dago Red, Painless, Radar, Hot Lips, Dish and Staff Sergeant Vollmer as they put our boys back together again.

Altman often put together ensembles that were more about the collected talent than any one person being the star. That is certainly true in M*A*S*H. The cast included Donald Sutherland (Hawkeye), Elliot Gould (Trapper John), Tom Skerritt (Duke), Robert Duvall (Frank Burns), Sally Kellerman (“Hot Lips” Houlihan), John Schuck (“Painless” Waldowski), Rene Auberjonoir (Father Mulcahy, aka Dago Red), and many others.

I think what made this film so appealing to a 19-year-old college student was the utter disdain the film had for all institutions. Altman had a reputation for being a maverick or subversive in his films. The military was the main butt of jokes in the film. The doctors were all draftees. All of the regular army officers were pompous and out of touch. They were more concerned with regulations than saving lives. Those who try to do things the Army way are constantly made to look foolish and impotent. At a time when many in this country were becoming increasingly anti-military in response to the war, that resonated strongly.

The film also skewered religion. Religion comes into play in various ways. Frank Burns is a zealot. When Hawkeye and Duke show up as new surgeons they are put into a tent with Burns. He is teaching a local boy to read using the Bible. He prays fervently only to be ridiculed by the other. In time he is shown to be a hypocrite. Father Mulcahy is treated more kindly, but only because he is seen as innocuous. His efforts as a priest are really ineffectual and impotent. It is almost as if he is seen by the doctors as a child. The height of the mocking of religion is the “Last Supper” scene which many may consider as bordering on sacrilege. In it the characters eat a final meal before Painless’s planned suicide. As they gather at a table in a tent, they are positioned exactly like Jesus and the Twelve in DaVinci’s painting.

The film’s anti-religious sentiment was also very much a part of the zeitgeist. Even though I attended a Christian college, this way of seeing religion reflected my own views of the institution of religion. In those days, we wanted to find a simpler expression of faith. This was also the time of the hippy-like Jesus People, and musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell, all of which reflected attempts at new ways of understanding Christianity.

But all of these things I expected when I watched the film at AFI Fest. What struck me after nearly fifty years was the extent to which this film objectified women. The women served as the focus of lust. Even those who exhibited some kind of competence (Major Houlihan, Lieutenant “Dish”) all served to make life better for the men in the film. This was especially noteworthy since the day before the screening at AFI Fest, women gathered at Hollywood and Highland for a protest march about sexual harassment in the film industry. I expect that this attitude was also very much in line with the times. Women’s liberation existed only in a nascent form. This film would be criticized today for this treatment of the women characters.

In some ways this film may seem a bit anachronistic. After all the draft has been gone for over forty years. The all-volunteer armed forces are much different than the Vietnam and Korean War versions. And my generation has become a part of many of the institutions that we so wanted to tear down. (Hopefully, we’ve managed to change them more than they have changed us.)

But M*A*S*H still represents an attitude that needs to be a part of our culture. It looks at the foolishness that is nearly always found in things (like war) that demands to be taken seriously. It’s not a bad idea to step back from time to time and make note of the folly around us. And since I’m no longer that young would-be rebel, I (and my generation) may be in line to be the focus of the satire.

Filed Under: #tbt, Film, Reviews Tagged With: AFIFest, Donald Sutherland, draft, Elliot Gould, Gary Burghoff, Korean War, National Film Regisrty, Rene Auberjonois, Robert Altman, Robert Duvall, Sally Kellerman, satire, Vietnam, war

Milton’s Secret – The Alchemy of Now

September 30, 2016 by Darrel Manson Leave a Comment

In Milton’s Secret, eleven year old Milton (William Ainscough) seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. His parents (Mia Kirshner and David Sutcliff) are constantly worried about business and finances. He’s bullied by his neighbor. He describes his life as living on “Planet Fear.” He and a friend sneak into an abandoned house to do alchemy experiments, seeking to create some gold that will solve his problems. But the transformation his world needs will require some help.miltons-secretday-3sept_23_2015-iden-ford_81

The film opens with a montage of angry and frustrated people during the opening credits. That sets the world as one without much happiness. Certainly Milton’s family doesn’t seem to have much happiness in it. But then his grandfather (Donald Sutherland) comes to visit. Grandpa Howard seems to have evolved into something of an aging hippie. (He sips herbal tea, listens to 60s music, started riding a motorcycle, and is dating his Zumba instructor.) His daughter is not really pleased with the way he is acting recently. But he is at peace with himself and the world around him. While everyone is away at work and school, Grandpa starts pulling out the dead plants in the back yard and re-landscaping it. At the same time he begins the process of transforming the lives of the family.

The family has been suffering the caustic effects of worry. Milton feels alone. His parents’ relationship is strained. Failure seems to be close at hand on many fronts. But Grandpa Howard urges Milton to get away from worrying about what has happened or will happen and appreciate the moment he is in. That philosophy is the key ingredient in the personal alchemy that Grandpa teaches Milton—and Milton goes on to teach to others in his world.

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The way the philosophy is presented may have something of a Buddhist feel to it, but it is an idea that is also to be found in the Gospels. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches about worrying about what will happen (Matthew 6:25-34). Jesus tells us to look to the lilies of the field and the birds of the air and how God provides for them. Rather than worrying about tomorrow, we are to seek God’s Kingdom and righteousness. For many people that may be one of the most difficult of Jesus’ teachings to follow.

Photos courtesy of Momentum Pictures

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Barnet Bain, bullying, Donald Sutherland, family drama, Fear, William Ainscough

Forsaken: Fighting for Forever

February 19, 2016 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

 

Film Production Stills

“You don’t have to do this.”

“I know… but we both know I’m going to.”

Directed by Jon Cassar (24), Forsaken tells the story of John Henry Clayton (Kiefer Sutherland), a man who left the family plantation over a decade ago. Having built a reputation as a killer, John Henry’s return is less than celebrated, especially by his father, Reverend William Clayton (Donald Sutherland). Upon his arrival, he quickly discovers that the townspeople are being forced to sell their land to the powerful landlord and saloon keeper, McCurdy (Brian Cox). Although he seeks to repair his relationship with his estranged father, John Henry simply can’t outrun his past as the entire town fears–or awaits?–the fact that he could seek vengeance at any time.

After all their experience together on 24, director Jon Cassar seems to know how to get the best out of the younger Sutherland, especially as Kiefer begins to distance himself in his career from a certain CTU agent.

Even so, make no mistake, John Henry is no Jack Bauer.

In Forsaken, Sutherland’s John Henry certainly has a history and, to steal from another film, ‘a certain set of skills’, yet remains conflicted about his past and has no desire to awaken the beast within. (You know what? Maybe it sounds a little like Bauer…)  After the traumas of war and as a killer, John Henry has chosen a new path for himself and spends most of the film attempting to prove to his father, the townspeople, and himself that he is a changed man. (Having said this, it’s also interesting to note that most people throughout the film are simply waiting for his more aggressive side to awaken.) With this in mind, Kiefer’s ‘contained beast’ is counterbalanced well by his father, Donald, who plays a pastor who has never had an interest in violence. Donald’s experience and gravitas is exemplified in all his work and certainly remains on display here as well.  (Besides which, it is a genuine treat to see both Sutherlands onscreen together for the first time.)

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Spiritually, the film asks the question as to whether or not one can truly change. Having grown up in the home of a pastor, John Henry exemplifies the prodigal in many ways–yet his return is less about apologizing for his actions than it is about attempting to ‘make things right’. Interestingly, his desire to clear a field becomes a metaphor for his journey with his father. As John Henry digs up roots and clears away trees, we recognize that he slowly begins to do the same in his relationship with his father, turning barren wasteland into productive soil.

What’s more, John Henry even begins to rediscover his faith before things go awry. Despite his desire to do good, as John Henry finds himself resorting to violence, we sense what all the rest of the town feel as well–that this turn was inevitable. As a result, while John Henry has clearly become a man who remains committed to ‘doing good’, we are left with the question of whether or not he has fully changed in the end. This becomes the difference when considering what it means to receive forgiveness–do we truly allow the mind of Christ to penetrate our hearts with grace? Or do we attempt to justify our actions by doing what we feel is right? Forsaken examines this question quite well but doesn’t necessarily land where you’d like either.

Forsaken has the look and feel of a classic western, which is to its credit. Most interesting though is its exploration of the nature of redemption and escaping our past.

When it comes to trying to change ourselves on our own strength, oftentimes–just like Jack Bauer–the clock is ticking.

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Forsaken

Starring Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland, Demi Moore

d. Jon Cassar

**** (out of 5)

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Donald Sutherland, Forsaken, Jon Cassar, Kiefer Sutherland

TIFF Hits: Shooting Stars

September 15, 2015 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

 

IMG_1216     IMG_1137     IMG_1219

At ScreenFish, we’re very conscious of those moments where faith and film collide… but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun as well!  Here are some exclusive shots of the celebs around the city as the Toronto International Film Festival enters it’s second half.  Pics will be updated as new sightings occur…

Black Mass premiere:

Johnny Depp

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Joel Edgerton

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Peter Sarsgaard

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Kevin Bacon

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John Morris                                           Dakota Johnson

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Freeheld Premiere:  Michael Shannon, Ellen Page, Julianne Moore, dir. Peter Sollett

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Sicario Premiere:  Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, dir. Denis Villeneuve

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Forsaken Premiere: Donald Sutherland, Keifer Sutherland, d. Jon Cassar (24)

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Team from Beast:  Chad McKinney, dir. Tom and Sam McKeith, Garret Dillahunt

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The Man Who Knew Infinity:  Jeremy Irons; Dev Patel; Devika Bhise

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Other Celebs:

Penelope Cruz

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Sarah Silverman

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Susan Sarandon                                  Rachel McAdams

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Nick Robinson

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Rob Reiner                                           Carey Elwes                                         Michael Moore

IMG_1006     IMG_1025     IMG_0857

 

Filed Under: Current Events, Film, News, TIFF Tagged With: 24, Benicio Del Toro, Black Mass, Carey Elwes, Chad McKinney, Dakota Johnson, Denis Villeneuve, Donald Sutherland, Ellen Page, Emily Blunt, Forsaken, Freeheld, Garret Dillahunt, Joel Edgerton, John Morris, Johnny Depp, Jon Cassar, Josh Brolin, Julianne Moore, Keifer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, Michael Moore, Michael Shannon, Nick Robinson, Penelope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard, Peter Sollett, Rachel McAdams, Rob Reiner, Sam McKeith, Sarah Silverman, Susan Sarandon, Tom McKeith, Toronto International Film Festival

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