Bright Victory (B+ or 3/4 stars)
In 'Bright Victory' (directed by Mark Robson), Arthur Kennedy plays Larry, a good 'ole southern boy {but an open racist} whose plan of marrying his high school sweetheart (Julia Adams) & joining her wealthy father's business comes into serious doubt when he is shot in the head in North Africa during WWII. Having survived, he soon discovers that his optic nerve was shattered during combat ... and he is irreparably blind. This movie takes us, the viewers, through Larry's special army rehabilitation/training with other blind soldiers as he learns to adjust to a difficult life without sight.
One of the blinded soldiers, Joe (James Edwards), is black, & becomes Larry's best buddy until he happens to make a bigoted remark. Along the way, Larry also befriends a jovial man (young Jim Backus), & meets the man's sympathetic sister-in-law, Judy (Peggy Dow), who falls in love with him. Problem there is, she has to let Larry go home to the life, fiancee, & family eager to 'see' him back home in Florida. But when Larry returns to said family, he finds that because he's changed as a human being (blind, moral complications from befriending and then insulting his black friend), the world around him has changed, as well.
'Bright Victory' is mostly about Larry's rehabilitation in adjusting to a dark new world. This movie was light years ahead in seeing young G.I.'s in hospitals coming to terms with their blindness. For an example, we see his anger/frustration in finding out his fate. We also see evidence of despair when he has to re-learn how to do something as simple as shaving. But this film is also notable for highlighting the usual southern attitudes about race (Larry initially rebuffs Joe's friendship when he finds out that he's black). It's quite a revelation to Larry to realize that blindness gives the 2 of them a lot more in common than he ever could have imagined. I love that the narrative then tackles race further by showing Larry's parents' attitude towards blacks. And the final scene is heartwarming.
Arthur Kennedy's Oscar-nominated performance is excellent. His easy going, naturalistic acting style is perfect for a disabled vet struggling with his fate/existence. Kennedy wears dark/opague contact lenses over his piercing blue eyes for further verisimilitude. Peggy Dow is very appealing as Judy, the empathetic nurse who guides Larry's emotional recovery & falls hard for the already-taken man. One note on Dow: she never acted after 1951 which is our loss; she was beautiful & talented. Julia Adams is solid as Larry's fiancee who desperately wants to accept Larry as he is now (blind), but struggles. James Edwards is great as Larry's black pal, Joe. And both Murray Hamilton & Rock Hudson show up in small, early supporting roles.
'Bright Victory' is worth seeing for so many reasons. On a surface level, it's well acted, beautifully shot in black-&-white cinematography, has nice sound design, & pleasantly scored by composer Frank Skinner. But the movie goes deeper than all that. The soldier storyline in which they face their new reality (blindness) is handled with dignity & compassion. The love story(ies) are gracefully executed. And the underlying theme of racism is potent; and very commendable to pop-up in a film as far back as 1951. Credit must go to director Mark Robson & script writer Robert Bruckner for "going there". Very good movie.
One of the blinded soldiers, Joe (James Edwards), is black, & becomes Larry's best buddy until he happens to make a bigoted remark. Along the way, Larry also befriends a jovial man (young Jim Backus), & meets the man's sympathetic sister-in-law, Judy (Peggy Dow), who falls in love with him. Problem there is, she has to let Larry go home to the life, fiancee, & family eager to 'see' him back home in Florida. But when Larry returns to said family, he finds that because he's changed as a human being (blind, moral complications from befriending and then insulting his black friend), the world around him has changed, as well.
'Bright Victory' is mostly about Larry's rehabilitation in adjusting to a dark new world. This movie was light years ahead in seeing young G.I.'s in hospitals coming to terms with their blindness. For an example, we see his anger/frustration in finding out his fate. We also see evidence of despair when he has to re-learn how to do something as simple as shaving. But this film is also notable for highlighting the usual southern attitudes about race (Larry initially rebuffs Joe's friendship when he finds out that he's black). It's quite a revelation to Larry to realize that blindness gives the 2 of them a lot more in common than he ever could have imagined. I love that the narrative then tackles race further by showing Larry's parents' attitude towards blacks. And the final scene is heartwarming.
Arthur Kennedy's Oscar-nominated performance is excellent. His easy going, naturalistic acting style is perfect for a disabled vet struggling with his fate/existence. Kennedy wears dark/opague contact lenses over his piercing blue eyes for further verisimilitude. Peggy Dow is very appealing as Judy, the empathetic nurse who guides Larry's emotional recovery & falls hard for the already-taken man. One note on Dow: she never acted after 1951 which is our loss; she was beautiful & talented. Julia Adams is solid as Larry's fiancee who desperately wants to accept Larry as he is now (blind), but struggles. James Edwards is great as Larry's black pal, Joe. And both Murray Hamilton & Rock Hudson show up in small, early supporting roles.
'Bright Victory' is worth seeing for so many reasons. On a surface level, it's well acted, beautifully shot in black-&-white cinematography, has nice sound design, & pleasantly scored by composer Frank Skinner. But the movie goes deeper than all that. The soldier storyline in which they face their new reality (blindness) is handled with dignity & compassion. The love story(ies) are gracefully executed. And the underlying theme of racism is potent; and very commendable to pop-up in a film as far back as 1951. Credit must go to director Mark Robson & script writer Robert Bruckner for "going there". Very good movie.