Beau Geste

... which is the kind that takes place somewhere exotic with lots of sand and has hordes of attacking natives. And you never know exactly WHY the natives are attacking so ferociously. But I digress. So I sat down to watch this one not expecting much, but since a 30s Paramount is so rarely shown on TCM, I thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm really glad that I did.

The film opens on a regiment of the French foreign legion coming to the fort that they are to relieve from attack, but they arrive and find not a soul alive. There is a note confessing guilt for a long-ago crime in the hand of one of the dead men, and then, when the regiment is reassembled outside the fort planning their next move, a massive fire breaks out inside. This got me wanting to know how we got to this point.

So the film now doubles back to 15 years before, when the Geste boys - Beau, John, and Digby are growing up on the Brandon estate with Patricia Brandon as a kind of foster mom. One night, after the boys are grown, the theft of an expensive jewel occurs, and the Geste brothers all write notes claiming responsibility, thinking that one of the others is guilty. They all join the French Foreign Legion to escape the reach of the law, and all three end up in the same place with each still wondering if one of the other two committed the crime back in England.

From that point forward, the story shifts to be about surviving the cruelty of one particular officer - Markoff (Brian Donlevy) and each brother trying to remain true to the other brothers while dealing with the fact that both Sergeant Markoff and their fellow legionnaires are not honorable people. Also, Markoff learns about the jewel and thinks that one of the brothers have it in their belongings.

The largest part of the film takes place inside one fort during one battle in which the fort is under relentless attack by a large band of Tuareg, but it's not boring. Donlevy as Markoff makes this part of the film, partly because he seems to enjoy sending soldiers to their death, and partly because of what he does with them after they've died.

If you like a good romance, that is not this film. It is all about comradery. The cast is truly remarkable with many later Academy Award winners -Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, and Susan Hayward. There's also some great character actors such as J. Carroll Naish, Albert Dekker, and Harold Huber. Brian Donlevy never won an Academy Award, but he's deliciously evil as the sadistic Markoff. Also look for Broderick Crawford just starting out. And only in America could Donald O'Connor ( Beau Geste as a child) grow up to be Gary Cooper (adult Beau Geste).

I know this, along with Sherlock Holmes, is one of the most filmed stories ever, but the 1939 version must stand out as the best. The mood and atmosphere of the desert is captured brilliantly, the photography is excellent as is the cast. Gary Cooper fits the role of Beau exactly as one would have imagined him, while the brothers played by Ray Milland and Robert Preston are spot on. Of course Brian Donlevy was at his best in this film as the vicious Sergeant, and it is one of the few times when I have thought he acted well. Susan Hayward's role was minor, but of course she was a virtual unknown at that time. It was good to see Donald O'Connor as a young Beau, as well as stalwarts like Albert Dekker and J. Carrol Naish. The opening scene is quite remarkable even by todays standards.

The orphan brothers Beau, John, and Digby Geste have been raised in Brandon Abbas by their dear aunt Lady Patricia Brandon (Heather Thatcher) with the also adopted Isobel Rivers and their cousin Augustus Brandon since they were children. Lady Brandon is near bankruptcy paying the debts of the absent Lord Brandon, and the fortune of the family is limited to the valuable "Blue Water" sapphire. When they are grown-ups, Lord Brandon tells that he will arrive in the property to sell the precious stone. Beau (Gary Cooper), John (Ray Milland), Digby (Robert Preston), Isobel (Susan Hayward) and Augustus (G. P. Huntley) ask to see the "Blue Water". Lady Brandon brings the stone, but the lights go out, the sapphire is stolen and Lady Brandon promises to call the police on the next morning. However, first Beau and then Digby write notes confessing the robbery, and they are followed by John. The brothers join the Foreign Legion and are sent to North Africa, Beau and John under the command of the cruel and sadistic Sergeant Markoff (Brian Donlevy) in Fort Zinderneuf in the Sahara Desert. After an unsuccessful mutiny due to the brutal treatment of Markoff, the fort is attacked by Tuaregs and the men have to join forces to fight for their lives.

"Beau Geste" is a dramatic adventure about brotherhood, leadership and gratitude. I have never watched the original version, but this remake is a great movie. The screenplay is intelligent, with two initial mysteries (what has happened in Fort Zinderneuf?, and why Beau Geste stole the stone?) and reveals the mystery in the fort in the end and the reason why Beau Geste stole the jewel in the very last scene, showing how honorable and gentle he was. Brian Donlevy is amazing and together with Gary Cooper, Ray Milland and Robert Preston, they have unforgettable performances. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Beau Geste"

It gets off to a great start ... as a mystery. A relief cavalry approaches a Saharan desert outpost called Fort Zinderneuf, enclosed on all four sides. A cursory investigation from the outside indicates that all the soldiers at the fort are dead, propped up like mannequins with guns in their hands as if prepared to shoot. Then, without warning, two shots are fired at the arriving cavalry from inside the fort. The head of the relief cavalry sends a soldier in to investigate, but he disappears. When the relief cavalry moves inside the fort, a note is found on the body of one of the dead soldiers. The note is a confession of theft of a high-priced sapphire.

"Beau Geste" is a rousing adventure story of three brothers who start out as close-nit siblings in a privileged English household, and end up as adults in North Africa, as part of the French Foreign Legion.

The plot structure is mostly one long flashback. After the opening mystery, the plot reverts back fifteen years to when the three brothers were kids, with dreams of being in the military. The plot then progresses forward to reveal their actions that led ultimately to the film's opening mystery.

The plot is okay but a tad weak in the middle Act. Too much emphasis is placed on the sadistic Sgt. Markoff (Brian Donlevy), leader of Fort Zinderneuf. He overshadows the three brothers, and is thus somewhat distracting.

The film's B&W visuals are quite good. Yet, this is one film I would like to have seen in color. All that sand and the emptiness of the desert contrasts nicely with the staid, claustrophobic Victorian interiors the three brothers grew up in.

Acting is acceptable overall. But Gary Cooper is miscast in the lead role. He looks too old to play Beau. And his acting is rather wooden. I would have preferred a younger, perhaps less well-known actor.

Background music is wasted. It's too nondescript to contribute any emotional tone to the story, and it is at times manipulative.

Overall, "Beau Geste" is an engaging adventure story, with themes of loyalty, bravery, and honor. Despite some minor irritations, it's a well-constructed, highly credible film, one that is definitely worth watching.

This is why we go to the movies. Great story telling, great characters, great actors, great directing, suspense, a certain pace and so on... a perfect movie. Why, oh why they don´t make movies like this anymore? Why are we treated to flicks like "King Arthur"? Have we lost it?

It´s all about adventure. Suspense, thrill, wit....Well, they would nowadays add some cruelties and that would be okay but it still would be superior to 99,9% of recent Hollywood flics.

Come back Capra, Hawks, Frankenheimer, Zinnemann, Ford, Hitchcock, Lang et al. - please come back

10/10