Hollywood has always treated film as an industry, but these days its products are becoming increasingly predictable. A few words about the plot, the names of the people involved and years of viewing experience—all that can enable you to predict the general outlook and overall quality of a movie. Pearl Harbor, the newest action spectacle by Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay, is the latest example, being mercilessly badmouthed even before principal photography began. One reason for such a campaign is the fact that the film deals with a historical event already covered by Hollywood in previous decades. In two cases, such coverage produced classic films, awarded with 'Oscars', and Bruckheimer is going to have huge problems matching their quality. While in the case of Tora! Tora! Tora! his project has some realistic chance of being better (at least in the special effects department), only the bravest could predict Pearl Harbor being in serious competition with From Here to Eternity, the 1953 drama by Fred Zinnemann.
This film was awarded eight 'Oscars', and its reputation as a Hollywood classic was never in doubt, not even after a few uninspired television remakes in the 1970s and 1980s. From Here to Eternity is based on the best-selling novel by James Jones, an American author deeply influenced by his own experiences in the US military in the Pacific Theatre in WWII. The plot is set in 1941, at a time when the USA was still out of the war. Young US Army private Robert E. Lee Prewitt (played by Montgomery Clift), a former bugler, has been transferred to an infantry unit, Company G. Its commander, Captain Holmes (played by Philip Ober), is a boxing coach and he wants Prewitt, a soldier with a reputation as a good middle-weight boxer, to fight in the regimental boxing team; good results in the boxing competition would ensure Holmes' promotion. Prewitt, deeply traumatised by a boxing accident that left his friend blinded, is adamant that he will not fight; Holmes responds by ordering his NCOs to make Prewitt's life in the company miserable and thus force him to change his mind.
The only NCO who does not take part in the intimidation campaign is Sergeant Warden (played by Burt Lancaster), an experienced, tough but fair career soldier who actually runs the company. Warden, however, has some flaws—one of them is his lust for Karen Holmes (played by Deborah Kerr), the beautiful wife of Captain Holmes. He starts a relationship with her, despite her reputation as an 'easy lay' and despite risking 20 years in a military prison for an adulterous affair with a superior's wife. In the meantime, Prewitt is introduced to the New Congress 'social club' by his friend Private Maggio (played by Frank Sinatra) and there he falls in love with Alma, a.k.a. Lorene (played by Donna Reed), one of the 'hostesses'. Their romance, as well as the destiny of all protagonists, would be affected by the incoming Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor.
From Here to Eternity was considered great in its time because it, among other things, dealt with some uncomfortable subjects previously ignored by Hollywood. Although screenwriter Daniel Taradash (later awarded an 'Oscar' for his effort) took great pains to tone down or edit out all questionable material from the 800-page book, the content of the film still looks brave for its time, breaking taboos by depicting serial adultery, prostitution, rampant alcoholism and showing the US military to be infested with corruption and incompetence. Because of that, producers were denied co-operation by the US Army during production, which was the first such incident in Hollywood-US military relations after WWII.
The depiction of the US Army in this film, as well as in the novel, is unflattering but historically accurate. Because of widespread isolationist sentiments and the notion of the country being safe from invasion, the US Army in the first years of WWII, unlike the Navy and Marines, was neglected—small, made up of soldiers who had enlisted only to escape poverty and never expected to earn their living in actual fighting, inexperienced and under-equipped in comparison with other great military powers of the time. When stationed in a tropical tourist paradise, like the protagonists of this film, the US military succumbed to hedonism and war came as a really nasty surprise that made such shortcomings quite obvious.
The film, however, deals more with the shortcomings of the characters than with the shortcomings of the institution as a whole. Actually, From Here to Eternity, like any good drama, does not feature perfect characters—almost every one of them is afflicted with a flaw. In order to portray that, Zinnemann had to rely on really good actors, and From Here to Eternity was blessed with great acting talent. Montgomery Clift is grand as Private Prewitt, a character whose pride and conviction, instead of being virtues, turn out to be the source of his doom. That doom could be foreshadowed by the almost always-painful expression on Clift's face—his character, even when he looks happy, is constantly bothered by something. Burt Lancaster plays a character that requires less acting ability, and more of his personal charisma; he is a good acting choice for Sergeant Warden, though, since that character, despite being afflicted with an unhealthy lust for a woman legally out of his reach, is the closest to the criteria of the conventional Hollywood hero. Those criteria are later met when Warden, at the end of the film, chooses duty (and the Army as a surrogate family) over marriage to Karen. Deborah Kerr is also great since the inner pains of her character provide a good contrast with her physical attractiveness. The most interesting female role belongs to Donna Reed, who plays a character very different from those that would later make her an icon of 1950s values. The most memorable acting job was, of course, given by the excellent Frank Sinatra in his 'Oscar'-awarded role of Private Maggio; his character, which initially looks like a kind of comic relief, later underlines the pessimistic, depressing atmosphere of the film with its tragic fate. Ernest Borgnine is also great in the memorable role of the sadistic Sergeant 'Fatso' Judson.
From Here to Eternity is a film that relies heavily on well-developed characters and superb actors playing them. Zinnemann focused the film around them, and although his work in that regard was superb—especially the way he handles parallels between the two movie romances—the film is not visually attractive enough to be considered a true masterpiece. A few action scenes at the end are well-done, as is the famous romantic beach scene (now over-clichéd, but very brave and erotic for its time), but the film is hurt by its use of black-and-white photography. The use of colour, together with more shots of the Hawaiian countryside, would have provided an effective contrast between the heaven of the external setting and the hell inside the film's troubled protagonists. On the other hand, that lack of attraction will not prevent From Here to Eternity from remaining a true classic and a very high standard for all future films dealing with Pearl Harbor.
RATING: 8/10 (+++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on March 23rd 2000)
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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11426-from-here-to-eternity
Critic: AAA
