tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222475879097604897.post6195270931965910373..comments2023-10-31T10:21:00.796-04:00Comments on Thanks for the Use of the Hall: To Have and Have NotDan Sallitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13136066978329749513noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222475879097604897.post-54313675058247515342016-04-16T13:23:32.447-04:002016-04-16T13:23:32.447-04:00I love this movie desperately and certainly don...I love this movie desperately and certainly don't want to give the impression that the beginning isn't packed with wonderful things. Maybe "takes time to hit its stride" isn't the right phrase. In general, the film walks on the edge of reveling in Morgan's power, and of course of giving us vicarious pleasure in the exercise of that power. I think the film eventually finds a successful balance of distance and participation - and Hawks has his own way of doing this, a way that has less to do with compassion than with a clear-eyed view of his own cruelty, a view that often shades into black comedy. It's that balance that I think the film finds slowly.Dan Sallitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13136066978329749513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4222475879097604897.post-91674584956669570252016-04-16T12:22:53.769-04:002016-04-16T12:22:53.769-04:00I'm a bit surprised that you think the film &q...I'm a bit surprised that you think the film "takes an unusual amount of time to hit its stride." The two opening scenes--Harry's screw-you distaste for the official questioning where he's taking his fishing-boat, and our introduction to Eddie--both play wonderfully for me and feel very Hawksian. We get Hawks' lush adherence to genre and set details--all of that great port business!-- and a surprise(at least for the first time viewer) injection of male-to-male tenderness into what we initially suspect will be relatively straightforward silly captain-mate character dynamics. The "You're right, Eddie" stuff is moving. This feels like top-tier Hawks. <br /><br />I agree that the Johnson business is a bit easy due to the reasons you bring up. At the same time, those scenes give us incredible details between Harry and Eddie--those looks. Moreover, I love what Hawks does with Horatio, Harry's respect for Horatio's expertise. It suggest emotions which will be explored further as the film goes along. Anyways, it feels to me like Hawks hits the ground running with TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT. Leenoreply@blogger.com