Mirage (1965)

The Mid 1960's was an Awkward Period for Movies. It was a Netherland Between the Eisenhower Boom Years and the Post Cuban Missile Crisis Era When the Fear of the Bomb Became Not Just a Paranoiac Anxiety but an Almost All Too Real Residue of Recent Events.It was Also a Time in the Arts Between Elvis Relevance and the Beatles Breakthrough, the Breaking Down of the Production Code, and the Breaking Down of Cultural Conventions. Anyway, this Movie Could be Called One of the First Neo-Noirs. Most Film Historians Agree that the End of Classic Film-Noir, if it is Possible to Date, is Around 1959 or So.This One has Elements of Noir with Some Expressionistic Lighting, Especially in the First Act, Flashbacks, Amnesia, Time Distortion, Strong Up Close and Personal Violence, Witty Dialog, Chilling Psychopathic Villains, and a Strong Anti-Establishment Story and Script.A Good Cast with Gregory Peck as the Man Without a Memory, Walter Matthau as a Private Detective with the Ethics of Philip Marlowe but Lacking His Confidence. George Kennedy as a Psycho-Killer of Anyone Who Crosses His Path. A Nervous Diane Baker with a Demeanor Like a Frightened Fawn. Kevin Mccarthy as a Yes Man with Weird Beatnik Style Slang Dialog, Leif Erikson and John Weston Round Out the Oddball Cast with a Few Edgy Scenes.The Film is Complicated and there is Quite a Bit of Social Commentary Concerning Corporate Dehumanization and Military War Mongering. Overall, a Film this Complex and Rich in Quirky Characters and Timely Consideration, Lingers in the Subconscious of Those Who Have Seen it. It is So Stuffed with Suspense and Thrills, it Remains One of those Almost Forgotten Films in a Time Period when So Many Movies Deserved to be Forgotten. This One Needs to be Rediscovered.

Mirage is directed by Edward Dmytryk and adapted by Peter Stone from a book written by Howard Fast. It stars Gregory Peck, Diane Baker, Walter Matthau, Kevin McCarthy, Leif Erickson and George Kennedy. Music is scored by Quincy Jones and cinematography by Joseph MacDonald.David Stillwell (Peck) finds he is suffering from Unconscious Amnesia and that he has blacked out the events of the previous two years. That's rare, but Stillwell must find out what happened because he might have a lover, has shifty characters after him and he may even have committed murder?20 years after appearing in the tricksy and turny psychological thriller Spellbound for Alfred Hitchcock, Gregory Peck jumps into the same type of shoes with a modicum of success. It's a little too contrived for its own good, with the odd character serving to the plot as god knows what? Seriously, what is Baker doing here? While the weak ending doesn't pay off on the suspense and mystery that had previously been well orchestrated by Dmytryk. On the plus side is the shadowy black and white photography by MacDonald, giving the film an edge, and the use of real New York locations lend the film some serio worth.Matthau slips in and steals the film from an efficient Peck, and Kennedy and McCarthy score well as muscle and shifty respectively. It's not essential as a Peck or Dmytryk piece, or as a politico/mystery thriller, but enough interest within to keep it above average and Matthau more than makes it worth while. 6/10

Once you watch this movie about a mysterious amnesiac you will never forget it. It has some of the snappiest dialog this side of Casablanca. The script is fantastic and the imagery is iconic. In this and other respects it follows in the Hitchcock tradition, most of all North by Northwest, in which Cary Grant Grant must figure out who he is, or rather who the bad guys think he is. And, like Mirage, there is a beautiful femme fatale who is on the side of the bad guys, more or less. A key part of this Hitch formula is to take a fairly normal guy and put him in James Bond's shoes, so to speak, and see how long he stays alive. This shows up again in Silver Streak.As the viewer watches this unfold, the movie lays down a challenge: How could these seemingly impossible things have happened in a way that makes sense? Behind it all is the maguffin, the spy deus ex machina. I see some posters have complained about the weak ending, but I think the maguffin in Mirage is actually much stronger and relevant than that in North by Northwest which was nothing more than some xxxxxxx. (No, I'm not going to tell.)Every character is strongly etched, without becoming caricatures, like some more recent movies, particularly the menacing George Kennedy as Willard, and the often comedic Jack Weston as Lester. And who can forget House Jameson as the senior citizen hit man? But it is Walter Matthau who steals the show as newbie private eye with common sense and a conscience. Talk about avoiding stereotypes! He tries to give back half his fee, saying he's not worth it. This is one of Matthau's earliest major film roles, and still one of his most memorable. Another reason I love this film is the setting in Manhattan in the mid- 1960s, perhaps at its most picturesque point in recent history. I lived in a suburb, and often came into the city back then. The movie brings back the feel of the city at the time. And then there is the allusion to the great Northeast Blackout, a strange nightmarish experience that really happened.Obviously, I am trying to avoid giving away the plot, but don't worry, even after you know the ending, you will still enjoy watching the movie again. If you are lucky enough to find this on DVD, buy it because this is a rare movie, and one of those rare movies that you can watch over and over again over the years.

In spite of a disappointing ending,the last good movie by Dmytryk,before the fall into mediocrities such as "Shalako" and "Bluebeard".He creates an atmosphere to rival the best of "crossfire" or ' the sniper" .The opening during a power failure ,is brilliant :as the hero suffers from amnesia,it's an extraordinary metaphor .Gregory Peck portrays a man who does not recognize the world around him ;supporting cast is first-class:Diane Baker ,an underrated actress makes the best of an underwritten part;Walter Matthau almost steals the show with his portrayal of a private .Good scenes in the zoo or in the shrink's office.