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S T 0 R Y -r F I L IvI OF THE MONTH
Production and Distribution: Warner Brothers: Direction: V/illiam Dieterle. Photography: Tony G-audio. Scenario: John Huston, V/olfgang Reinhardt, Aeneas MacKenzie. Players: Paul Muni, Brian Aherne and Bette Davis.
V/hen the conflict of purpose is between good and evil and the contrast in hutiian nature that of black and v;hite, the issue is clear. On the screen such conflict becomes melo drama and nearly all the films are melodr&ma for films must be easy. \7e must be able to cheer the hero and hiss the villain, no matter how genteelly we may do this. But the conflict of reality is more often the clash of good and good and the contrast in human nature, between complex nuances. Director Dieterle, with Paul Muni, has essayed the truth several times.
JUIHLZ is the latest Dieterle-Muni drama. In 1859 Juarez, a Mexican Indian and a Liberal and revolutionary lend-ref ormer became president of the Republic of Mexico. Napoleon III knowing that the United States, engaged in its civil i7r would be unable to enforce the Monroe doctrine, sent an armiy to Mexico to establish order with the help of the Mexican Conservative Church Party. This army faked a plebiscite which elected Napoleon's puppet, Maximilian von Hapsburg as Eiiperor of Mexico. Maxim.ilian, however, realised he had been duped and resolved to rule justly the country he had sworn to protect. His stroke of genius was to offer the premiership to Juarez in the hope of thus securing a united party to fight for the greater good of the Mexican people. Juarez rejected the offer, organised guerilla warfare and, in 1867, when Napoleon withdrew his support, he defeated Ma>^imilian v^/hom he executed.
Maximilian is brilliantly played by Brian Arierne. Paul Muni com.petently keeps the balance. Bette Davis' part has been cut to an unconvincing sketch of the Erapress Carlo tta. But the dramatic quality of the film, comes from the fact tnat reality is a matter of half tones, and the conflict of good and good charged with pathetic tragedy. The issue is between benevolent despotism and democracy. Juarez and Maxim.ilian both display courage, sincerity, faith; both are good men and in the grey lights of everyday coming and going both have much right on their side. But in the cold, white light of the last dawn only one can be right. Maximilian half fulfills democracy witn his proposal of constitutional monarchy. Juarez demands for his people the fullest fulfilment. He speaks 7«ell on behalf of democracy and he m.ight well have quoted these lines from Dos Passes "A'G least a man needs to be not jailed notafraid nothungry notcold not without love, not a worker for a power he has never seen that cares nothing for the uses and needs of a man or a woman or a child."