Thursday, October 8, 2009

Take the Spiral Road Upward

This Cafe special was written by guest author Raccoon713.

In 1936, the world teetered on the precipice of war and peace. Germany had repudiated the Treaty of Versailles and invaded the Rhineland. Italy had conquered Abyssinia (now Ethiopia). The Spanish Civil War had begun. Mankind faced a choice between the light of peace and the blackness of war.

Against this backdrop, The Spiral Road opens with Dr. Anton Drager (Rock Hudson) arriving in Java to serve out his obligatory five-year service in the Dutch overseas health service as payment for his medical training. Drager does not plan on leaving Batavia with only "a wrinkled white suit and a slight case of malaria." He has come to study tropical medicine with the legendary Dr. Brits-Jansen (Burl Ives), whose specialty is leprosy. Drager figures he will make a fortune when he returns home to conduct research. His first task as a totok (newcomer) is to convince Dr. Martens, the director of the Netherlands East Indies Health Service, to send him to the field to work with Brits-Jansen. He succeeds--and thus begins his arduous spiral journey into the dark places of man's soul and toward the illuminating brilliance of God's mercy.

In one of his finest roles, Hudson excels as the smirking, self-impressed physician ("I don't believe in fate...I believe in Anton Drager"). He portrays Drager as a freshly decanted doctor, abruptly plunged into swirling waters of plague, leprosy, and madness. But Drager sees it all as just a surreal backdrop to his triumphant march through life. He is a "gold medal winner" in medicine, a man who can conquer all odds by his will alone. He considers himself separate from other people and separate from God. Drager's fiancee, and eventual wife, Els (Gena Rowlands) discovers his ultimate flaw and confronts him: "You don't need anyone. There's only you--that's all there is."

In contrast, Burl Ives exudes crudeness, kindness, practicality and humanity as Dr. Brits-Jansen. He is the Indiana Jones of the Dutch health service. "There are times out here that you need magic," he tells Drager as they fight plague and fear in an infected village. Brits-Jansen represents the doctor that Anton Drager could be--if the young physician follows the "right path" in life. Brits-Jansen believes in his abilities, but he also is humble as their source.

"I take it you don't believe in God," Brits-Jansen remarks to Drager on the way to a leper colony.

"Frankly, no," Drager replies.

Brits-Jansen nods, then tells his young comrade: "Back in so called civilization, you can say there is no God and get away with it. But in the jungle, God pokes those people with his finger and makes 'em squirm a little bit...there are times out here you can almost hear the old boy humming."

When The Spiral Road was released in 1962, neither audiences nor critics were prepared to embrace a Rock Hudson film about an atheist who finds faith in the darkest jungles. Much of the disappointing reaction can be attributed to poor timing--Hudson had recently completed two of his most popular comedies with Doris Day, Lover Come Back (1961) and Pillow Talk (1959). Furthermore, his fans had grown used to seeing Hudson in narrowly-defined roles as a light comedian (Come September), an action hero (Captain Lightfoot), or a soap opera protagonist (Written on the Wind).

The Spiral Road provided Hudson with a refreshing and thought-provoking change of pace. Its admirers view it as a journey that weaves through temptation and despair, and God and man's ego. It presents a world in which people continually encounter each other on and off the road. Some people are returning from shame and some are trudging back in glory.

Wiillem Waterreus (Geoffrey Keen), a captain in the Salvation Army, explains the film's theme and title concisely: "We began in the wilderness, all of us. Lost and afraid. That was the choice: to take the spiral road upward leading to God, or to remain in the darkness and degenerate back to the animal.”

14 comments:

  1. Excellent article on a movie I am now eager to see. I saw Rock Hudson in another movie with an unusual role for him, "Seconds", set in the future. It was dark and disturbing, and he was wonderful in it. I think he was passed over for more serious roles because of his handsome face and comedic talent. He really was a good actor.

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  2. Raccoon713, I haven't seen this movie in a couple of decades. I don't recall it being one of my favorites, but I've become more of a Rock Hudson fan over the years (it took me awhile to appreciate his comedic gifts). Your thoughtful review makes me want to see THE SPIRAL ROAD again. Plus, it'd be fun to see Burl Ives again in a serious role other than the frequently shown CAT ON A HOT ROOF and THE BIG COUNTRY.

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  3. Great post on a film I have not seen in years. Rick mentions Burl Ives, and he is excellent. I remember very well the burning of the village to kill the rats and fleas.It is also the first film I remember ever seeing Gena Rowlands in.

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  4. Welcome Raccoon713, I have not seen this film. i cant wait to see it. Rock Hudson is one of my favorite actors.

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  5. I don't recall seeing this film, Raccoon, but your informative write-up makes me want to do so. It sounded like a work of literature so I googled it and found it was based on a work by Jan DeHartog. I like the concept of taking a road to faith. This truly was an interesting blog. Welcome! I hope to see more entries from you.

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  6. Guilty pleasures: fried chicken and milk gravy, listening to Muzak, and Rock Hudson films. "The Spiral Road" is my favorite, but who can't resist a six-pack of your favorite beverage and 4 hours of "Ice Station Zebra" and "Pretty Maids All in a Row"? That is an afternoon well wasted.
    If you're looking for a good Burl Ives film, try "Wind Across the Everglades". This is not your balladier from "Rudolph the Red -Nosed Reindeer". This is one bad Swamp Rat!

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  7. raccoon713, I've never seen WIND ACROSS THE EVERGLADES! Can't imagine Burl as bad swamp rat...you need do a post on that flick.

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  8. A very interesting post raccoon713. I know I have seen The Spiral Road, but it was so many years ago I cannot remember the movie. However, after reading your outstanding review, I will certainly check it out. I have always liked Rock Hudson. I am probably one of the few people in the world other than you who really love "Ice Station Zebra" which I own and "Pretty Maids All in a Row." You are right about both of them bing "guilty pleasure" movies, but everyone needs movies like these to cheer us up on a rainy day.

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  9. I like Ice Station Zebra too. I read the book as a teen ther film has one of the worst ever effects shots in a big ticket film in history.Pretty Maids All In a Row.Wow.! Have not seen that in years but boy do I remember Joanna Cammron .Hey Rick, Sark raccoon, and Aki do you remember her TV Show in the 70's.? I sure do.

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  10. Joanna Cameron, who played Isis on Saturday mornings?

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  11. "Oh Mighty Isis" Wow talk about a cult 70's "Kid Show," I know all my college pals (even my dad) watched it( even during college football season) and for the girls they had Shazam. Long before CBS had a Saturday college football package.

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  12. What? No love for Angie Dickinson? Wish my guidance counselor in high school looked like that....wait a minute....I think she did! She was one "Big Bad Mamma"!

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  13. And Then she became a Police Woman!

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  14. Now, if we ... all of Hudson's fans and people who appreciate the man's work, got together and pushed AMPAS, perhaps they would honor him with a Life Achievement Award for the incredible body of work he prvided us with during his lifetime. Films such as "Spiral," "Seconds," "Giant," the better comedies, not to mention his stage performances snf television work in mini-series and "McMillan and Wife" where he ws so overtly overlooked at nomination time.

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