The Method, The Music, And The War-Cry

Sit down you're rocking the boat. A favourite song from an interesting musical. The film adaptation of Guys and Dolls is not from the very front rank of Hollywood musicals (think, Singin' in the Rain, and Seven Brides) but it is nonetheless good stuff and it includes Marlon Brando's only singing performance. By all accounts Frank Sinatra coveted the Sky Masterson role that went to Brando. As it happens Sinatra had to settle for being an arresting Nathan Detroit while Brando brought the method to his Masterson - with conspicuous success. The camera loves him. 67/100. 

And on to the promised war-cry, or more accuarately battle signal. Tora!Tora!Tora! takes its title from the final coded signal for the Japanese fleet to launch its attack on Pearl Harbour. I'm a sucker for big war movies but this one poses a problem. It operates more as drama-documentary than as drama. Unless you are fascinated by the politico-military machinations of WW2 (as I freely confess I am), you will be confounded by the stilted dialogue and the lack of personal threat. The film does at least try to tackle both the American and Japanese perspectives but nowherer near as well as Clint Eastwood's underrated, Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers, two fims released together as companion pieces. Tora!Tora!Tora is worthy but unexciting. 59/100.