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The Purple Plain (1954)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 7/24

PurpPl
7/24: One of the most underrated performances of Gregory Peck's career is given in The Purple Plain.

Prior to starting the film, I had Geoffrey Unsworth in my Top Ten List of Cinematographers. When I saw his name in the opening screen credits, my expectations were raised. As a result, he didn't disappoint. Geoffrey Unsworth's Technicolor photography does Gregory Peck huge favors, and his face has never looked so flawless.

What's particularly nice is the supporting cast that's made up of real Asians. A case in point is Win Min Than who plays Gregory Peck's love interest Anna. She was born and raised in Burma. A picture was taken of her and sent to director Robert Parrish who immediately decided she was right for the role. Hence, it's the only film of Win Min Than's career. Brenda de Banzie can't be discounted for her fine acting job as Miss McNab.

The story is interesting and all, reminding me of Alive, but there's one change that I prefer to see implemented. The first act should've been condensed to twenty minutes while the survival story is stretched to two hours long with the ending kept as it is. This way, the arduous and trying ordeal that Forrester went through will render emotions more palpable at the end, allowing the film to enter Best Picture territory.

What Forrester suggested makes total sense. Think about it: three men have a canteen of water and no food which should last a few days, give or take. Blore wants to wait for the search party to come rescue them. Yet he doesn't know that for sure. So, why stick around and ultimately doom everybody if nothing happens by then? In three days, it means they'll be low in strength with nothing left to drink or eat. And if it's only thirty miles away, I don't see what the issue is by walking back to where they came from, especially in the dark. It only takes a third of an hour to cover a mile, and this means twenty miles in less than eight hours. That's not so bad. Therefore, Blore is a stupid, weak person to begin with, and I can't believe he committed suicide.

All in all, I consider The Purple Plain among best films in Gregory Peck's oeuvre.