Duncan Smoking

While Duncan Smoking was not an amazingly intellectual film, I did enjoy it. The special effects were revolutionary for their time, and Mr Duncan's stunts were, in a word, breathtaking. Not the best choice if you're in the mood for the Howard's End of the 1890s, but definitely fun for the fan of Hollywood glamour and flash.

I wouldn't describe this movie as great, or even good. Duncan (as played by James C. Duncan) is something of an enigma. He seems a good man, but the smoke from his lungs seem to indicate something sinister.

The chair is something we have seen several times before from this director. The constant rocking has become burdensome no matter what his inane 'symbolism' or 'catch' may be. We get it, you were beaten badly in hopscotch as a child and must avenge the wrong done to you!

I also find it hard to believe that Duncan would have risked using his pipe while driving the horse through San Francisco. Though the stunts were well done, I find it hard to believe a horse could jump from one cabin to another over flaming windmills with three broken legs.

It's all just too much.

This is the kind of cinema you just don't see anymore. So honest, so compelling, that we the audience are unwilling bound to watch it right to the very end. Duncan is outstanding as the at times moody, at times energetic hero of this piece. His brilliance in the simple act of smoking enthralls with its vitality and emotional strength.

I was not looking forward to viewing this film. The over-penetrating ad campaign looked to have prematurely revealed all the movie's good parts, and the director has not exactly made anything worth seeing in recent years, but I was somewhat hesitant to lump this in with the other brainless summer blockbusters I have seen so far this year. My expectations were pretty low, so this film had the perfect opportunity to blow me away. But sadly, I must say my expectations turned out to perfectly suited to this film.

The director should be ashamed of the rampant technical problems, namely overly-zealous editing as well as distracting and unnecessary special effects that made me feel like I was playing a video game rather than viewing a movie. However, you can't really blame the director entirely for this lurching, over-hyped mess of a film. The screenwriter should shoulder the major brunt of the criticism, as he apparently forgot how to write crisp, witty dialogue, or story of any originality for that matter. In fact, I was so unengaged by this film's intelligence insulting, perforated plotline that I felt like taking a nap, and the films un-noteworthy soundtrack would have facilitated that perfectly.

Duncan's performance is perhaps the only redeeming part of this film, but the star power he provides will no doubt give the studio executives the idea to turn this soulless monstrosity into a franchise. I tell you now that I will not be going to see `Duncan Smoking 2' any time soon, as I would much rather have the three-penny I spent on this first one back than waste more of my hard earned cash on another stinker of similarly idiotic proportions.

2/5 stars

This wonderful work is the type of cinematic masterpiece that Ingmar Bergman could only aspire to but never achieve. The dark composition and masterful use of light and shadow are evocative of the best film noir. The understated minimalism is utterly profound. In a particularly brilliant stroke, the director has chosen to forgo a soundtrack as well as any sound effects in favor of a silent sound mix. This ingenious choice drives home the despairing, nihilistic worldview of this piece. Dickson & Heise have created the type of bold, daring work that only nineteenth century artistic visionaries could produce. They have launched the "Duncan" trilogy in strong fashion, and I greatly anticipate the next two installments in the series.