The Arrangement
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Movie Reviews of The Arrangement
Movie Review: A Very Flawed Search for Truth
Summary: 5 Stars
Elia Kazan has touched me deeply in many of his films. The Arrangement is not the most effective of Kazan's films, but he certainly tried very hard with this one to reach towards some important truths. I really dislike much of the technical side of this film (the poor process shots, the somewhat stilted acting, the sometimes quite silly sets poorly lit way too bright), but there is something moving about the film, rooted in the raw exposure of what looks to be his own soul. Imperfect films that reach so high should be respected.Movie Review: A Film Whose Time Has Come.
Summary: 4 Stars
Panned and patronized at the time of it's initial release, Elia Kazan's adaptation of his best selling book THE ARRANGEMENT plays much better now than it did in 1969. Made after a 6 year hiatus from filmmaking at a time when movies were enjoying unheard of freedom due to the demise of the production code, THE ARRANGEMENT clearly shows that Kazan was still a director to be reckoned with. The basic premise was nothing new. A highly succesful businessman (Kirk Douglas) suffers a mid-life crisis and attempts suicide. How he and the other characters deal with the aftermath make up the rest of the story.
Kazan has always been an actor's director and the film provides a showcase for the young Faye Dunaway as Douglas' mistress who gets him to reexamine his life but wants out to be with someone else. Deborah Kerr in her last major film appearance is superb in the difficult role of the wife who tries to understand what Douglas is going through but doesn't want to give up the rich lifestyle she's become accustomed to. Strong support is given by Hume Cronyn as the family solicitor who has plans of his own and from Richard Boone in a rare non-Western role as Douglas' ailing father. His slide into dementia is both heartbreaking and terrifying. Marlon Brando had originally agreed to play the lead but bowed out allowing Kirk Douglas who really wanted to work with Kazan to step in. He acquits himself well in an emotionally as opposed to a physically demanding role.
The combination of raw emotions, alternating points-of-view including black humor, and touches of surrealism was ambitious then and still is today (think AMERICAN BEAUTY). The movie is not without its flaws. It runs too long and is occasionally sloppy in everything from editing to make-up but the powerful writing and intense performances make THE ARRANGEMENT provocative filmmaking nearly 40 years later. Called everything from a harrowing emotional ride to a self-indulgent mess (see the Amazon summary) it is ultimately for the home viewer to decide (my 4 star rating indicates where I stand). Kazan will always be a controversial figure because of his HUAC testimony in the 1950's but his greatness as a director cannot be denied and remains captured on film for all to see.
Movie Review: Convoluted At Best
Summary: 3 Stars
I don't remember why I pre-ordered The Arrangement, and I have no idea how well it was received when it was first released in 1969, but one viewing told me that this film was riding only on the name recognition of director Elia Kazan and the star quality of the leading actors.
One can only describe the plot here as convoluted at best. It took me three viewings to fully grasp what it was Kazan was doing here and even then there were a lot of unanswered questions. No doubt, the acting by Kirk Douglas, Faye Dunaway, and Deborah Kerr is very good, but I can't help but think that even they wondered about their parts.
I won't rehash the plot, but it seems that Douglas' character is profoundly disturbed and that everything he has to deal with after his wreck somehow sparks vivid memories of prior experiences. These memories spring immediately to life then fade back to reality adding to viewer confusion over why a particular episode is occurring. When Douglas' character was committed involuntarily to a mental hospital, all semblance of a coherent plot fell apart.
This movie is definitely not for everyone. If you like a strong psychodrama and can pay close attention to and can unravel this Gordian Knot of a storyline, then you may find the Arrangement very satisfying.
Though Douglas' Eddie Anderson is not an appealing character, one can't help but feel a certain amount of sympathy for him as he hits the skids. The last shot of him as he watches his father's casket lowered into the ground says a lot. Then there is the look of quiet contempt Deborah Kerr gives Eddie's mistress Faye Dunaway (Gwen) as she is lurking on the edge of the group gathered for the funeral. Its a powerful scene for sure.
There is nothing at all upbeat about The Arrangement. The somber score of David Amram brackets the movie. At the beginning, its notes are a harbinger of what you are about to see, at the end it confirms the viewer in the tragedy he or she just saw. Watch this one only if you yourself are not on the edge.
Movie Review: Appallingly Bad Kazan
Summary: 1 Stars
Having just watched the brilliant "Baby Doll" and "A Face In The Crowd," with "On the Waterfront" being one of my favorite Kazan films, I was shocked at how bad "The Arrangement" was. I could not recognize it as a Kazan film. There is none of the brilliance of the great and good films in the Kazan box set. I could not get through it, making it about a hour in before giving up in disgust. (I almost never fail to make it through the end of a film.) Kazan is a brilliant director, but this one does not belong in the same category as his best films. Boring and tedious. Stick with any (or all) of the films in the box set. I was curious at how Leonard Maltin rated it and was in complete agreement with his BOMB rating!