In this, the age of the big picture, colour, widescreen and authentic costume and set design were no longer simply the trappings of the spectacular epic. They could be the means with which to tell a simple story or present a message with contemporary relevance. Friendly Persuasion is an unpretentious costume drama (not technically a Western although it looks a bit like one) which speaks about pacifism and the difficulties of reconciling religious discipline with human self-expression.
Unusually for a picture from this era, Friendly Persuasion only had one screenwriter, the blacklisted Michael Wilson. Although Wilson had done some great stuff in collaboration, the fact that he was on his own here shows. The overall idea and structure of the story is very strong. The first part is full of light humour and touching vignettes of family life, the idea of this presumably to give more impact to the darker and more dramatic final act. However this build-up and meditation on Quaker life is all a bit too neat and simplistic, as "temptations" such as dancing, fighting and gambling are lined up and dealt with one after the other. Even the weightier finale I feel pulls too many punches, with a very pat ending that seems almost disrespectful to the issues involved.
Behind the camera is director William Wyler, one of the very best. Unfortunately Wyler, who around this time had a self-confessed urge to move away from small-scale dramas towards the fun of the big picture, seems to have neglected some of his dramatic sensibilities. It is great that he brings the most out of the landscape's beauty, and uses this as a backdrop for the tenderness of the story. It's also brilliant that he tends to use long takes with multiple characters in the shot, allowing scenes to play out naturally before us. However, he doesn't close things down often enough to bring in intimacy or personal space. He doesn't isolate characters so our whole focus is on them, at least not until the final act. In the broad expanse of the first part of the picture, we miss out on any real emotional connection with individuals via the camera. Not that I would want him to overuse the more intimate techniques, and in fact the beauty of his earlier pictures was that he didn't overuse them, but when he did put them in he got them just right.
Thank goodness for the cast, upon whose shoulders it mainly falls to convey the sympathy and humanity of this picture. Although he apparently didn't like the role, Gary Cooper is just what you need here – relaxed, steady and universally likable. Conversely though, he and co-star Dorothy McGuire did not get along – although you'd never know it, since she comes across believably as his perfect companion. Some wonderful supporting players provide the picture with its only effective comedy. Walter Catlett, here sounding more than ever like Honest John from Pinocchio, manages to give a hilarious turn from a part that isn't really funny on paper, but is under his delivery. Marjorie Main is terrific, in a section of the story that is somewhat silly and unnecessary, but made bearable by her understatement. And then of course Russell Simpson, a familiar face from many John Ford pictures, who does little more here than give disapproving looks, but adding a wonderful comic touch by doing so. The standout performance is undoubtedly that of Anthony Perkins, perhaps a little unfairly so because his role is the only one that really calls for such a level of passion and intensity, but he does magnificently. At the Oscars he lost out to Anthony Quinn in Lust for Life. Fair enough, Perkins is a little too overwrought at times, whereas Quinn is always full and rounded.
Friendly Persuasion is a picture that ought to be excellent, and in many little ways it is. But I feel there may have been a bit too much confidence on the part of the makers – Michael Wilson's confidence in his abilities as a lone screenwriter, William Wyler's confidence in the beauty of the image to translate to that of the story, and in the cast to carry the movie through their performances. It is perhaps an unfortunate product of independent production – made with good intention, stuffed with great ideas, competently made at least in part, but not pulled off with the level of teamwork and practical dedication to make its message work.
Unusually for a picture from this era, Friendly Persuasion only had one screenwriter, the blacklisted Michael Wilson. Although Wilson had done some great stuff in collaboration, the fact that he was on his own here shows. The overall idea and structure of the story is very strong. The first part is full of light humour and touching vignettes of family life, the idea of this presumably to give more impact to the darker and more dramatic final act. However this build-up and meditation on Quaker life is all a bit too neat and simplistic, as "temptations" such as dancing, fighting and gambling are lined up and dealt with one after the other. Even the weightier finale I feel pulls too many punches, with a very pat ending that seems almost disrespectful to the issues involved.
Behind the camera is director William Wyler, one of the very best. Unfortunately Wyler, who around this time had a self-confessed urge to move away from small-scale dramas towards the fun of the big picture, seems to have neglected some of his dramatic sensibilities. It is great that he brings the most out of the landscape's beauty, and uses this as a backdrop for the tenderness of the story. It's also brilliant that he tends to use long takes with multiple characters in the shot, allowing scenes to play out naturally before us. However, he doesn't close things down often enough to bring in intimacy or personal space. He doesn't isolate characters so our whole focus is on them, at least not until the final act. In the broad expanse of the first part of the picture, we miss out on any real emotional connection with individuals via the camera. Not that I would want him to overuse the more intimate techniques, and in fact the beauty of his earlier pictures was that he didn't overuse them, but when he did put them in he got them just right.
Thank goodness for the cast, upon whose shoulders it mainly falls to convey the sympathy and humanity of this picture. Although he apparently didn't like the role, Gary Cooper is just what you need here – relaxed, steady and universally likable. Conversely though, he and co-star Dorothy McGuire did not get along – although you'd never know it, since she comes across believably as his perfect companion. Some wonderful supporting players provide the picture with its only effective comedy. Walter Catlett, here sounding more than ever like Honest John from Pinocchio, manages to give a hilarious turn from a part that isn't really funny on paper, but is under his delivery. Marjorie Main is terrific, in a section of the story that is somewhat silly and unnecessary, but made bearable by her understatement. And then of course Russell Simpson, a familiar face from many John Ford pictures, who does little more here than give disapproving looks, but adding a wonderful comic touch by doing so. The standout performance is undoubtedly that of Anthony Perkins, perhaps a little unfairly so because his role is the only one that really calls for such a level of passion and intensity, but he does magnificently. At the Oscars he lost out to Anthony Quinn in Lust for Life. Fair enough, Perkins is a little too overwrought at times, whereas Quinn is always full and rounded.
Friendly Persuasion is a picture that ought to be excellent, and in many little ways it is. But I feel there may have been a bit too much confidence on the part of the makers – Michael Wilson's confidence in his abilities as a lone screenwriter, William Wyler's confidence in the beauty of the image to translate to that of the story, and in the cast to carry the movie through their performances. It is perhaps an unfortunate product of independent production – made with good intention, stuffed with great ideas, competently made at least in part, but not pulled off with the level of teamwork and practical dedication to make its message work.