Cielo rosso all'alba

I teach Sociology and would like my present students and future students, to have the chance to view and appreciate the value of this movie in all its lessons. Our young people today could learn things that would benefit them in so many ways. Things from the past and how they relate to us now. They need to see that things have not changed thru the years when it comes to dealing with our two cultures, in our schools and in our communities of the southwest. So if any one can help me, I would appreciate it very much.

I viewed this film for the first time in a motel room at White Sands, New Mexico in 1997. I was completely bowled over. This was a stunning piece of photography (yes, filmography) and truly touching in its use of apace, fauna, and New Mexico geography. Richard Thomas and Desi Arnez,jr were wonderful. This is a real "coming of age" film. I wish to high heaven it were on video. I was, obviously, quite moved.

The idea of placing characters from the WWII era in a desert,detached setting seemed uninteresting and silly to me, at first. As the film progressed, however, one realizes that World War is always somewhere in the background, a father who could hold it all together gone. What a trial for the young people of this film and we come to understand them and their anxieties.

Released in 1971, the same year as two other nostalgic hit movies, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW and SUMMER OF '42, this film has been undeservedly forgotten. A simple story of a Southwest family during World War II, with excellent acting (let me put it this way... even Desi Arnaz, Jr. does a good job), nice dialogue and an attention to period detail. This ain't available on DVD or even VHS, so if you catch it on TV, do yourself a favor and check it out.

I saw this film out of boredom at my small town theater in 74 and it left a lasting impression on me. I have not seen it since but all the images live on in memory. I can only hope the good people at Universal have the wisdom to release it on video or God willing on D.V.D. I can only hope that you too have experienced this film.

When you're in your 70s and can remember details about a movie that you saw 50 years ago, it does say something about the quality of the film. I don't think I'd care to watch it again--I'd probably be disappointed--but I'll never forget the look on Richard Thomas's face after he trips and falls into . . . No, I won't do a spoiler. Thomas has always been a fine actor even though his post-Waltons' career has been spotty. Desi Arnaz, Jr., is very fine, and it's a shame that his personal problems ran his career off the rails. And Catherine Burns? Two classic film roles and she was pretty much done with her film career, though she did continue as a writer. This odd little movie deserves a better reception and wider audience than it got. I can't verify its availability on dvd, but I suspect it would still hold up well with younger audiences. Back in the day, you'd had a lot of trouble finding a movie that took teenagers seriously. The enveloping action of World War II is both distant and present. A good comparison with an older movie might mention The Human Comedy, with Mickey Rooney doing a serious role while still being thought of as a "chikd star."