OVP: The Big Sky (1952)

Film: The Big Sky (1952)
Stars: Kirk Douglas, Dewey Martin, Elizabeth Threatt, Arthur Hunnicutt
Director: Howard Hawks
Oscar History: 2 nominations (Best Supporting Actor-Arthur Hunnicutt, Cinematography)
Snap Judgment Ranking: 3/5 stars

We will jump back five decades from our French film yesterday to 1952 as we look at Best Cinematography nominees this week.  The Big Sky is a generally well-regarded western from the early 1950's when Kirk Douglas had graduated to proper leading man status, but probably wasn't quite at the point where he'd be amongst the biggest names in Hollywood (like he would be in the late 1950's).  The movie is a retelling of the novel by AB Guthrie, Jr., and isn't necessarily what you think of when you list one of Hawks' best films-after all, the man made Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, The Big Sleep, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and that's just the A-list.  But The Big Sky is a surprisingly moving story of friendship buried within the traditional confines of a western, and I left moved but unsurprised that a director as visionary as Hawks was able to craft such a compelling narrative cinematically.

(Spoilers Ahead) In the 1830's, laid-back Jim Deakins (Douglas) comes across a suspicious man named Boone Caudill (Martin) in the wilderness, and while they are opposites, they quickly become good friends, and soon traveling companions as they go out searching for Boone's uncle Zeb (Hunnicutt).  After finding him (and then promptly getting thrown in jail), they join his band of trappers, who are traveling some 2000 miles up the Missouri River to seek trade with the Blackfoot.  They are led on this expedition by Teal Eye (Threatt), a beautiful woman who is the daughter of a chief, and will be how they barter with the Blackfoot into giving them the trade business.  This trade comes with peril, though, as the Missouri Trading Company (a rival) finds out about Zeb's plan to establish trade with the Blackfoot, and consistently attack them (at one point even burning their boat), as they move up the river.  Along the journey, amid multiple dangers, both Jim & Boone fall in love with Teal Eye, and form a romantic rivalry.  In the film's closing moments, Jim pitches his love to Teal Eye, but she only loves him as a brother-she wants Boone.  Boone initially resists, shaming her, and Jim gives him disparagement, but eventually Boone decides to stay with Teal Eye, the two men able to repair their friendship, but likely never to see one another again as Jim returns home.

The Big Sky is the kind of movie that really comes together in the last twenty minutes, which is always a challenge for me as a reviewer.  Up until that point, the film's focus on the constant attacks on Zeb's trading company feels half-hearted, sturdy stuff but I'd want something more even if I'm having a good time (westerns are in my top three favorite film genres).  But the love story, particularly the one of friendship between Boone & Jim (there's some Celluloid Closet going on here), comes into focus in the final moments, and it lifts the picture to be something more than it seemed.  When Jim, angry about losing out on his love, but angrier still that he will never be able to look at his friend in the same way if he doesn't take the woman he loves, confronts Boone-it's great cinema, and the final goodbye from Jim & Boone worked for me.  As a result, we're giving this a 3-star rating, but a very high one, bordering on a 4.

It is in these moments that you come to understand why Hunnicutt received his Oscar nomination.  The actor has so far in the film been a fun comic presence, but not the sort you see nominated in the 1950's (it feels more what you'd see nominated in the 1930's).  However, the smooth-talking Hunnicutt makes the most of a late confession over the woman in his life that got away, and how he never forgot her (and in the process, Jim realizes perhaps that he'll never forget Teal Eye or Boone, the great loves of his life).  It adds a strong depth to Hunnicutt's performance that otherwise was lacking, and while this isn't immediately the sort of performance that would spring to mind for a nomination, it's certainly a reputable one (though his early scenes do feel like he's doing a bit too much of a Walter Brennan impression).

We can't neglect this week's theme, of course, and will need to address the Cinematography.  The movie is filmed almost exclusively outdoors, which usually helps in terms of Cinematography, but it's not using that as a crutch.  The film makes strong use of wide shots, particularly in open scenes along the river & at the Blackhawk camp, and the scenes along the river capture the mood of the film, looking beautiful but finding peaceful & rough shots to match the course of the movie (as if the river is its own credit in the movie).  It kind of feels like it'd have been better in color, to be honest (there's so much beauty in those shots you wish you could catch the blues of the sky & water), but this is a find for cinematography-gorgeous & calming.