Quanto Vale um Homem

Buddy movies seem to work particularly well when the twosome is made up of opposing elements often reflected in physical types and races. Pryor and Wilder, Mostel and Wilder, Glover and Gibson, the list goes on... Steve Mcqueen and Jackie Gleason are certainly an unexpected buddy duo, but it's a coupling which works very well.

The heroic action type seems to have dominated Mcqueen's career. As an actor he was capable of a lot more. As a likeable rogue he brought much charm to "The Reivers" similar to what we find in "Soldier in the Rain" though with an added edge of eccentricity.

Jackie Gleason, (who not only looks like Orson Welles but seems to sound like him to here), complements the duo with his own inimitable charm. Tuesday Weld, who as always has that special charm of her own, adds to the general good vibe this innocuous army life comedy has to offer.

While not exactly a film of much importance, its undeniable abundance of good nature plus talented cast make it a pleasant way to pass 88 minutes.

By the early 1960s, attempts at screwball comedies were often strained. This service buddy film is certainly oddball, and frequently lurches into unsettlingly dramatic material, but it contains one of Tuesday Weld's very best performances: her scene at the fair with Jackie Gleason is amazingly touching and funny and (startlingly) romantic. Any film that can sustain a comic-romantic idyll between Tuesday Weld and Jackie Gleason must be given credit (it's the only truly romantic scene in Gleason's movie career).

It is clear that Blake Edwards chose to forego the plot points that are in the book, for more of a character study, and frankly, it works. This is not to say that if the script had included all of the plot points, that it would have been a bad film, but the script went in the direction of focusing in on the characters, not the plot.

Eustes/McQueen's character idolizes Slaughter/ Gleason's character. Any suggestion that Slaughter was ever patronizing or condescending towards Eustes is inaccurate. Eustes worships the ground Slaughter walks on, and Slaughter returns the love, knowing that his friend is more of a simple mind, but he doesn't disrespect him at all.

Jackie Gleason gives us the full "Great One" in this film, albeit in an understated mode. There's no "Bang Zoom" or "Hardee har har", but there is plenty (who am I kidding, there can never be enough) of what made The Great One so great, his vulnerability and his uncanny ability to put us inside his head, making us dream what he dreamed, letting us hurt the way he hurt, and allowing us to be a part of the oh so larger life that The Great One lived, if only for an hour or two.

This is a wonderful film. Capping on Steve McQueen for "overacting" is not fair. His character was written as over-the-top, and that's the way he played it. His wacky expressions and blatant actions in the film were beautifully offset by Gleason's calm and wordly demeanor. It's the Yin/Yang, salt/pepper, sweet/sour, and it goes together perfectly.

I'm so glad my friend sent me this movie. Otherwise, I might've never known about it. Two closing thoughts... If you want to see another perfect fat man role, played with simliar vulnerabilities, look no further than John Candy's role in "Planes, Trains, & Automobiles". John Candy took his Great One lessons. Know that. Finally, if you like this movie, you obviously enjoy buddy movies. If you're ever lucky enough to get a hold of a copy of "Looking To Get Out" 1982 starring Jon Voight, Burt Young, & Ann Margaret, don't miss it. It is the buddy movie to end all buddy movies.

This is truly a special film. Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen give two of their most untypical performances. The film is what I would categorize as a comedy-drama, light on the comedy and heavy on the drama. Gleason is wonderfully dry and witty as Sgt. Slaughter and McQueen is also funny in his part as well. His accent is a little difficult to get used to, but it's essential to the part he plays. The standout performance here, however, is Tuesday Weld's. She plays the slightly infantile "Miss Pepperdine" who acts as a romantic angle for Gleason's character. Their scenes together are the film's highlights. Her "introduction" in the film, involving a car wreck, is most memorable. It also features some nice acting by the supporting players. A really unique film, that hasn't had much exposure, known only to those who have seen it, and treasure it.

This film is a comedy, drama, buddy movie, love story, tear jerker and coming of age film, all rolled very nicely into one very entertaining film. Gleason usually the comic, is brilliant as Maxwell Slaughter, demonstrating his underappreciated dramatic talents. McQueen, in a rare comedic role, shines also. As a pair, they truly can "rule the world". I give it 10 stars out of 10. A classic, and one of the best films no one ever heard of.