Amazon Prime has categorized the William Wyler-Lillian Hellman film, The Children’s Hour (1962), adapted from Hellman’s play, as an “LGBTQ” picture, but this is silly and misleading. It is a film about the awful harm caused by ordinary adults inane enough to fall for the lies of children. A lie is told about something “unnatural” in the close friendship between two teachers, Karen and Martha, at a girls’ boarding school. Shirley MacLaine‘s Martha is indeed a lesbian—unbeknown to everyone, including Karen—but there is no amour (none at all for the troubled Martha).

The film is sharp and moving, but there is also phoniness in that two grown women are unable to prevail, even in a legal slander case, over a malicious child. Also in the fact of Dr. Joe Gardin’s failure to believe his fiancee Karen’s affirmation that no sexual relationship exists between the two women. A dark story is this, but a seriously flawed one—filmed nevertheless by a man, Wyler, with a striking oeuvre (The Best Years of Our Lives, The Letter, The Collector, The Liberation of L.B. Jones).

As for the acting, MacLaine is likable but not always genuine in her emoting, whereas Audrey Hepburn (Karen) is likable and quite true. Miriam Hopkins and Fay Bainter are gratifyingly effective. I’m glad I had a few words of praise for this opus dealing with troubled and troubling people, even if The Children’s Hour is not Wyler’s finest hour.

Days of Heaven (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With Days of Heaven (1978), Terrence Malick wanted to tell a story mostly through artistic pictures, and without a doubt the film is superbly shot.  But the writing is a reality too, and here Malick greatly disappoints.

The “little people” of pre-World War I America are sinners too (the film makes clear).  Life, however, is ferociously demanding, and a man like Richard Gere‘s Bill might, or will, shun moral duty in fighting against it.  There is no profundity in the movie beyond this, and much of the narrative detail is feeble.  Still, it is absorbing to watch a plague of locusts, often in closeup, eat away at far-reaching crops and uniformed policemen in the early 20th century ride vigorously their horses through the woods.

Days of Heaven (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With Days of Heaven (1978), Terrence Malick wanted to tell a story mostly through artistic pictures, and without a doubt the film is superbly shot.  But the writing is a reality too, and here Malick greatly disappoints.

The “little people” of pre-World War I America are sinners too (the film makes clear).  Life, however, is ferociously demanding, and a man like Richard Gere‘s Bill might, or will, shun moral duty in fighting against it.  There is no profundity in the movie beyond this, and much of the narrative detail is feeble.  Still, it is absorbing to watch a plague of locusts, often in closeup, eat away at far-reaching crops and uniformed policemen in the early 20th century ride vigorously their horses through the woods.

John Simon spoke the truth when he said that Thelma and Louise (1991) glorifies violence (including the violence of profane words). Further, eventually I couldn’t stand the character played by Geena Davis—Thelma. She becomes irritating in her foolishness and gullibility.

Not a triumph.