Ever since the sermon on the mount, we have been taught that if a man were to smite you on the cheek, offer him the other one, too. Do good to those who spitefully use you. Be thee peacemakers. No matter how it is phrased, what it amounts to is that we shouldn’t raise arms in anger against our fellow men. This is taught in church, it is taught in school as the golden rule, and it is a deeply held belief in some cultures and sects that no matter the situation, we are not to fight but offer peace, even in the face of death. But that isn’t always easy, especially in times of war when the desire to take up arms and defend yourselves, your family, and your whole way of life is compelling. When you have every justification to arm yourself and go to war, it can be very difficult to be even more brave and say “I will not fight.”
This ancient conflict is the basis for the 1956 film Friendly Persuasion, a movie about a family of Quakers confronted with the ongoing American Civil War. Michael Wilson adapted it from the 1945 novel The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West. The story is about how a Quaker family in southern Indiana during the war has their pacifist beliefs put to the test. Throughout the course of the film, other beliefs they hold dear are also tried and tested, even eroded a little with the temptations of music, gambling, wrestling, and even romance. In some ways, it resembles Fiddler on the Roof with the erosion of long-held traditions.
The patriarch of the family, Jess Birdwell (Gary Cooper), is a bit of an enigma himself. His personality bumps up against his Quaker beliefs often thanks to his love for the worldly enjoyments of music and horse racing. His wife, Eliza (Dorothy McGuire), is far more strict, having a strictly religious view on things and being a Quaker minister. Their daughter, Mattie (Phyllis Love), also has strong convictions but also has fallen in love with Union cavalry officer Gard Jordan (Peter Mark Richman), a relationship that goes against the wishes of her mother. Their older son, Josh (Anthony Perkins), is also conflicted. He hates violence but also feels that he should protect the family by joining the Home Guard to fight off rebel invaders. The youngest son, Little Jess (Richard Eyer), is just mischievous, always tormenting the family’s pet goose, Samantha.
Each of the family members will have their faith and convictions tested in some way or another. First, Jess purchases a piano for the home despite knowing it against their beliefs to have music. This at first drives Eliza to move into the barn so long as the piano is in the house. Later, she will come back so long as the piano is relocated into the attic so the other Quakers will remain ignorant that it is there. Jess is also partial to racing their buggy against one of their neighbors. Eliza insists he find a less spirited horse and make a trade, but when the opportunity to trade does arise, it is for an even more spirited, and faster, horse. He’s also facing pressures from his neighbors, Quakers themselves, to take up arms in the face of the coming enemy.
Josh is facing the biggest call to arms, though. He hates the idea of violence but is young and not as capable of processing his conflicting emotions as his father is. He fears losing their worldly goods, including his family, should he not go to war. This is in contrast to Eliza, who is willing to give it all up rather than abandon her principles, that is, until the goose Samantha is in danger. When some rebel soldiers arrive at the farm and one of them is thinking about roast goose, she, in a moment of weakness, takes up a broom and hits him repeatedly until he lets the goose go. Fortunately for her and the rest of the family, these men are not looking to cause them harm, and the man she hit apologizes for his actions. This moment of weakness is an embarrassment to her, whom she has always thought of as the strong one.
Josh does finally take up arms and join the fight; that is no surprise considering his character. When he shoots a man during a rebel attack, you can see just how much he has lost by taking another man’s life and it is tearing him up inside. That is a loss that can never be recovered, and you can see on his face that he knows that. He has stepped over a line that can never be backtracked. His father, however, when put in a position where he would be justified in defending himself, finds a way to protect himself without taking a life. He knows his mind and, even though he doesn’t adhere strictly to his faith, he knows where the line is he will not cross.
Gary Cooper is adept at playing these kinds of characters; it was a go-to kind of person for him in a lot of the films he chose to play. While that may seem like a lack of range, it also makes him a comfortable presence on screen. We know what to expect when we see his name in the credits. It works well here, too. He plays up the comedic moments well, casually misleading his wife about the horse trade or standing up to her over the piano, knowing full well how against it she is. He also plays the serious moments equally well, such as when he has to stand up to her when she tries to prevent their son from joining the army. He tells her that every man has to find his own way, even if you know what is better for them than they do. You can see that he agrees with her on this subject but that he knows they cannot stand in their son’s way.
It is rare to see a movie that shows this point of view over a major war. Usually, one side or the other is painted as villainous in some way, such as the Yankee soldier in Gone With the Wind or the Red Coats in The Patriot. While we hear about the rebel soldiers burning down a barn and stealing supplies, we only see them twice: once during a brief battle where both sides are treated equally and the scene where the soldiers come upon the Birdwell farm. In the latter case, the rebels are not portrayed as evil or cruel but regular men who are courteous and grateful when offered food and supplies by Eliza. The only other time we see a rebel soldier is a lone man who takes a shot at Jess, wounding but not killing him. This scene is the closest Jess gets to abandoning his pacifism, but his opponent is seen as more scared and alone than an aggressor.
Friendly Persuasion is a sheer delight of a film, filled with comedy, drama, and moral conundrums. There is so much to dig into in this film, yet it never feels like it is preaching a message to the audience. Instead, it’s just a good old-fashioned picture, the likes of which we don’t really see anymore. It’s anchored by a rock-solid performance by Gary Cooper, but he is surrounded by a team of actors and actresses that are just as good at handling all the elements needed to make this film work. It’s a message picture that doesn’t drown in its own messaging. This is the best kind of entertainment; the kind that keeps you interested while also opening your mind to other viewpoints.
Academy Award Nominations:
Best Motion Picture: William Wyler
Best Director: William Wyler
Best Supporting Actor: Anthony Perkins
Best Screenplay - Adapted: Michael Wilson
Best Song: “Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)” Music by Dimitri Tiomkin; Lyrics by Pal Francis Webster
Best Sound Recording: Gordon R. Glennan and Gordon E. Sawyer
____________________________________________________
Release Date: November 25, 1956
Running Time: 137 Minutes
Not Rated
Starring: Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire, Anthony Perkins, Richard Eyer, Robert Middleton, Phyllis Love, Mark Richman, Walter Catlett, and Marjorie Main
Directed by: William Wyler
Comments
Post a Comment