An Enemy of the People

Steve McQueen made a career out of playing action roles, and although he played with a certain sense of cerebrality, by 1977 he wanted to prove that he could "act", in the classic sense. He proves beyond a doubt that he can in "An Enemy of The People", which was adapted from a play by Norwegian playwright Heinrik Ibsen.

McQueen gives a sublime performance in a film that was never properly released, promoted, or issued on video simply because the filmmakers didn't know what to do with it. It was a complete 360 degree turnaround role for McQueen, it's based on a play that, although famous, isn't well known by people who aren't college students, and they simply didn't know how to market it.

All the actors for this film were well chosen and all turn in excellent performances. McQueen himself certainly looks the part of the town doctor with his granny glasses, professor's 3 piece suit, and long shaggy beard.

It should be noted that this does appear on PBS from time to time, and videotaped versions of this are floating around. If you get a chance to see it, whether on tv or on someones videotaped version, then by all means do so.

It's too bad this little film got pulled from release before anybody got a chance to see it. It's quite good, actually. Steve McQueen -- known more for his rugged, action-packed roles -- is superb as a village doctor during the late 1800s who must speak up against an injustice taking place...even at the cost of his career and reputation. If you notice "An Enemy of the People" being shown on TV, do yourself a favor and see it. You won't be disappointed.

I was fortunate enough to watch this film on Sky Cinema (for those not in the UK, this is a movie channel specialising in older films), and being a McQueen fan, was not disappointed. I had heard so much bad press about this movie before seeing it, that it was slow, boring, a waste of time and celluloid. How wrong. Yes, it may be wordy, and a bit 'stagey', but stick with it for the first 10 minutes or so and you will be hooked. Don't be put off by a bulky looking McQueen with a fearsome beard and even more fearsome hair. His performance is possibly the best of his career (barring 'The Sand Pebbles'). His support is magnificent too, especially Charles Durning as his brother. This movie may look like a TV movie in feel, but look a little deeper and there are some real powerhouse performances. Warners obviously had no idea how to market this movie, so they didn't bother. At least they released it to TV for us to enjoy. I don't believe that this movie has appeared on either DVD or Video, so I will treasure my VHS to DVD transfer to enjoy hopefully for many years to come. If this ever appears on TV again, I urge you to catch it.

The thing I noticed right away was how the plot reminded me of the original Jaws. Dealing with a life threatening problem or wanting to believe it will go away. Great movie. Steve McQueen was different from his usual but a pleasure to watch. Charles Durning was also just about at the top of his game. Robin Pearson Rose was a very interesting actress but may have had her career impeded by this first appearance, though no blame should go to her acting in this movie. The ship captain, Richard Bradford, was a treat in such a role and a reminder of how a good voice carries a performance. A great many of the secondary parts were of similar high quality actors and so familiar over the years. The odd thing was seeing it on Netflix's instant watch but the thumbnail seems to be for a Braodway performance and this rare version is what plays.

Late in his brief career, Steve McQueen, a superstar for his roles in action movies, intensely wanted a chance to demonstrate his abilities in a classical framework. To that end he produced this cinematic version of the Ibsen play about a 19th-Century whistleblower and worked for scale, as did other actors. The script is adapted from the excellent adaptation done by Arthur Miller a half-century ago.

The screenplay closely follows the original work and utilizes a minimum of sets with only one exterior shoot. Despite this constriction, this film is truly unforgettable. The acting by McQueen, Richard Dysart, Charles Durning and Bibi Anderson is superb. The cinematography is excellent as well, conveying an almost tactile appreciation of period costumes and interiors of the sort found in Matewan by John Sayles.

The examination of the political and emotional whirlwinds described by Ibsen would be topical today.

The regrettable part of this enterprise was the inexplicable failure of the studio to release the film in the U.S. DVD versions can be found and used PAL videotape versions are available from the U.K., Australia and other countries that use that format.