Film Review
Hot on the heels of their successful first screen pairing in
Woman of the Year (1942),
Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn were brought together for a rematch
in this sombre anti-Nazi propaganda piece. Although the film has
drawn some pretty severe criticism, often written off as a poor man's
Citizen
Kane,
Keeper of the Flame
was effective, and quite daring, in exposing the threat posed by
home-grown fascists at a time when public and political attention was
mostly directed towards the war in Europe and the Far East.
Originally, MGM were reluctant to cast Hepburn as the female lead and
it was only through her insistence that the actress landed the part of
the mysterious Christine Forrest. Whilst it may not be their most
successful screen partnership, Hepburn and Tracy each turns in a
superlative performance, the subtle sexual tension between them adding
a frisson to their characters' ambiguous relationship. By
this time, the two actors had developed a close friendship and had
embarked on their legendary extra-marital affair. This posed
problems for director George Cukor, who had his work cut out trying to
placate two of Hollywood's most temperamental stars.
Although the film was not a great success when it was first released,
and was lambasted for its perceived left-wing bias by staunch
supporters of the Republican Party,
Keeper
of the Flame is now considered a good example of the American
wartime propaganda film. More importantly, it is a cogent reminder
of how easily public opinion can be manipulated and controlled by those
who have wealth and influence, something that is probably the greatest
threat to our democracy and the values that we hold dear.
Considering the power that the media has today,
bolstered by the cult of the celebrity,
the film is probably more relevant today than it was when it was first released.
© James Travers 2009
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Next George Cukor film:
Gaslight (1944)
Film Synopsis
After a traumatic stint in Europe, war correspondent Stephen O'Malley
returns to the United States to write the biography of Robert Forrest,
a renowned public figure who recently died in a tragic accident. A national hero with an
impressive service record, Forrest was a powerful and wealthy
industrialist who was regarded as the living embodiment of the American
dream. No one has an unkind word to say about him and O'Malley
intends writing a fitting tribute to a great man. To find out
more about his subject, he attempts to contact Forrest's widow,
Christine, but she is strangely reluctant to agree to an
interview. Eventually, O'Malley's persistence pays off and
Christine Forrest agrees to collaborate with him on the
biography. Almost immediately, the writer realises that something
is not as it should be. Christine appears to be concealing
something about her husband's past, something that could tarnish his
reputation as an unsullied hero. As O'Malley strives to resolve
the mystery, he gradually begins to see the true Robert Forrest, and he
is appalled by what he discovers...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.