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Victor Khomenko - Have you seen this war movie?

12.83.68.247

Posted by Dave on September 5, 2002 at 09:46:57

Victor, I happened to catch a movie called "Till the End of Time" yesterday on the TCM cable channel and thought of you... I know you enjoy this type of movie. it's a fairly modest, 1946 B/W production directed by Edward Dmytryk. The story concerns three GI's (played by Guy Madison, Robert Mitchum and Bill Williams) who are trying to adjust to civilian life after returning from WWII Europe. The movie is unusual in that it has a very dark side and addresses difficult material that Hollywood typically swept under the rug in those optimistic, post-WWII days. The ex-GI's are all beginning to drink heavily upon returning home (remember, this a good 15 years prior to the widespread recognition of Alcoholism portrayed in "The Days of Wine and Roses"); one is becoming withdrawn from his family and is unable to communicate with them or hold a job; and one is suffering in secret from paralyzing headaches from a head wound he received during the war.

There is one small scene in the movie that takes place in a small town malt shop - almost a throwaway scene really, as nothing in the plot hinges on what happens there - that I found very disturbing, and haven't been able to get out of my mind since I saw it. Two of the GIs and a girl are sitting in a booth talking and the malt shop is packed with girls and ex-servicemen, many still in uniform, who are hanging out, drinking sodas and eating ice cream. It's not quite lunchtime yet but the two GIs order hard liquor. One of them - the Guy Madison character - notices an ex-serviceman in uniform sitting alone at the end of the soda counter. He's obviously in distress - his face is pained and his body is hunched forward and trembling. Madison and the girl approach him and, after quietly asking "Everything okay here Marine?" they sit down and Madison wraps his arm tightly around the serviceman's trembling shoulders. For a long time no one says anything. When the Marine is finally able to speak he says that he is on a thirty-day leave from the VA hospital and that he's wasted five days already because he's afraid to go home and let his parents and his girl see him in the condition he's in. He begins shaking uncontrollably for a minute and then slowly begins to retain control. In quiet agony he asks if anyone is looking at him. The girl, who has been silent up to now, says very gently "Who cares if anyone is looking." The Marine begins shaking violently. Madison is still holding him tighlty by the shoulders. Finally the Marine's trembling subsides and he says gruffly "You can shove off now" and Madison and the girl depart wordlessly. Despite the intimacy and embarrasment of the moment, the Marine does not thank Madison or the girl for their intervention (nor do they seem to want or expect any thanks for their help). Somehow the lack of acknowledgement on both sides makes the scene all the more moving - the experiences they have all shared during the war have made such acts commonplace and daily life is all the more terrifying because of it. When you see these events played out against the backdrop of a malt shop - the quintessential, upbeat setting for countless 1950's sitcoms in which life is always wonderful and every problem can be solved in the half-hour program running time - the horror of what happened to our servicemen during WWII becomes apparent in a way in which I have never seen it portrayed before.

It's unfortunate that this move is owned by Ted Turner - it's not available on video and, like most obscure titles in his library, typically runs only once every couple of years (if that). A very powerful anti-war viewing experience, highly recommended.

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Kimber Kable

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