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Directed by: Martin Scorsese Starring: Barbera Hershey, David Carradine, Bernie Casey During the sixties and seventies, Roger Corman gave a lot of up-and-coming directors their first shot at a feature. His production company specialized in cheap exploitation flicks, but they managed to hammer out some memorable films in their time. Boxcar Bertha, one of Martin Scorsese’s first films, is one such movie. Set during the Great Depression in the South, Boxcar Bertha is about a band of outsiders who struggle to make ends meet working the union scene, eventually turning to crime to help bring down a railroad tycoon’s business and level the playing field for others like them who are treated poorly by the wealthy elite. They are pursued by lawmen and agents of the railroad, constantly on the run and watching their backs. As the stakes grow higher, they find themselves taking bigger risks, eventually finding themselves in real danger. No one will confuse Boxcar Bertha for one of Scorsese’s greater works, but it’s still a pretty strong effort for a young director, and hints at some of the filmmaking sensibilities he will develop further as his career progresses. Scorsese compensates for the low production values with stylish camera work and editing, and on-location shooting, which provides an authentic sense of atmosphere and helps relax the constraints of the film’s budget. The action sequences, particularly the one near the end of the film, are particularly innovative for the film’s time, and similar techniques are still used today (rapid editing, quick camera movement and tight framing). The moments of the aftermath are incredibly shocking, and need to be seen to be believed. There’s no way something like that could be reproduced today (though some might say The Passion isn’t very different). The acting is also quite impressive for a production of this grade. Barbera Hershey, David Carradine and Bernie Casey all got their starts here, each turning in an excellent performance and creating an engaging personality. Carradine in particular adds depth to his character, who struggles with his identity as a criminal as he tries to help others. While this is an exploitation film, it isn’t trash cinema. Most of its value is as a historical curiosity for fans of Scorsese, but it’s a pretty solid film in its own right, and kicks off one of the most exciting periods in American film. As of today, the original version of the film is somewhat difficult to find, and an edited, rated version of the film has appeared to replace it on video and DVD. RATING: 3.0 PROS: early Scorsese style, excellent performances CONS: hard to find the original version ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068309/
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Jun 14, 2004 06:12
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