After The Fall-Humphrey
Bogart’s “Sirocco” (1951)-A Film Review
DVD Review
By Special Guest
Commentator Frank Jackman
Sirocco, starring
Humphrey Bogart, Lee J. Cobb, Columbia Pictures, 1951
[This review to the
extent that it is a film review is based on a five DVD package of films that
the legendary craggy-faced actor Humphrey Bogart did for Columbia Pictures
mainly in the late 1940s and early 1950s-Frank Jackman]
I do not normally do
film reviews in this space but recently Pete Markin, the administrator on this
site, asked me if I would be interested in reviewing Humphrey Bogart’s Sirocco since it involved two things
that he knew I was interested in-Bogart and the in many ways decisive results of
World War I for today’s world troubles, the ‘war to end all wars” which I/we
are in the midst of commemorating the final bloody 100th anniversary
year of here and elsewhere. I accepted mainly on the latter premise but as it
turned out also because although I have seen a ton of Bogart films this 1951
effort for Columbia Pictures had escaped my attention and while I am bound to
do the review for other reasons I don’t think this one measures up as a prime
Bogie flick.
As to the other reasons
as just mentioned we are in the midst of the 100th anniversary of
the bloody seemingly endless butchery of World War I. As I have pointed out
elsewhere some of the results of that war were the various stages of the
Russian Revolution which brought down the Czarist regime, the defeat of German
and its lesser ally Austria bringing down two more empires and most importantly
for us here also the fall of the German-allied Ottoman Empire. I have described
the first three falls in great detail as to the their contribution to the world
we face today elsewhere but the fall of the Ottoman Empire and its aftermath
are still very much with us as even slight perusal of the daily news will
confirm in places like Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, and Syria all lands formerly part
of that decayed empire.
Of course we all know,
or should know, that ever since wars have been started that “to the victor
belongs the spoils” and that was exactly the situation after the fall of the
Ottoman Empire. The British and French decided to carve up the old territories
of the Middle East to suit their conveniences, or the conveniences of their
emissaries. Maybe conveniences is too strong a word and whim would be more
appropriate. During this time we have the Balfour Declaration proclaiming
British commitment to creating a Jewish state in that area, the division, the
quite arbitrary decision, to carve up the area not by traditional boundaries or
allegiances but colonial convenience under the well-trodden colonialist “divide
and conquer” stratagem. Those conveniences (whims) which would come back to
haunt them especially after World War II when the colonial masses were
struggling for liberation from their respective colonial powers after World War
I included giving the French a mandate in what was then and now Syria. Today
just to mention the name of that benighted country tells much about how little
has changed in the post-colonial period.
What does all this have
to do with Bogie and this film. Well the story line here is set in Damascus in
1926 when the French Army was in deep trying to put down a national liberation
struggle by the indigenous people led by an Emir who was ready, win or lose, to
get the French all the grief they could handle. Bogie, last seen in this space
I believe as one of the lead actors in the classic film Casablanca which is commemorating the 75th anniversary
of its opening this year as well, is nothing but an opportunist businessman of
sorts selling guns and ammo to the colonials, to the liberation fighters for a
pretty profit. (I am willing to bet as will be detailed a bit below that Bogie,
or rather Bogie’s character here Harry Smith, wished as Rick of Rick’s Café Americian
he had never left old Casablanca where running a gin joint and being the
conduit for some letters of transport which helped one Victor Lazlo, the famous
Czech liberation fighter against the Nazi night-takers, get out of that
stinking hole and on to fight another day. Even though that meant giving up
lovely Ilsa, his “we will always have Paris” flame. There is a lot in this film
which has the feel of the earlier film but lacks energy, plotline and even
scenes to match that epic.)
Naturally the French
Army commander General LaSalle, played by Everett Sloane, wants this traffic
stopped and the uprising suppressed by any means necessary. His strong
inclination is to level Damascus to the ground and execute everyone that his
troops can round up if necessary to suppress the rebels. Periodically though he
gives into the ideas of his chief of intelligence Colonel Feroud, played by Lee
J. Cobb, last seen in this space playing the corrupt union leader in On The Waterfront and snitching on every
fellow actor he could before the 1950s red scare House Un-American Activities
Committee, who thinks that he can buy time and maybe peace by negotiating with
that Emir and his underlings.
The story line goes back
and forth based on that idea. Where things get dicey for Bogie, like I said the
Harry Smith in this film, is when the good Colonel through snitches is able to
grab Bogie before he can leave town. Ready to face the firing squad he makes a
deal with Harry to get him out of town if he can lead him to the Emir rather
than face a messy death. Done. Done except in trying to save the Colonel’s life
by coming up with the idea to the General of paying ransom he forfeits his own
since the rebels no longer trust him. So all Harry gets for his troubles is a
big step-off, a summary execution.
[A little romance on the
side is always the order of the day in these type films. Here there is an
underlying tension between the good Colonel and Harry over the Colonel’s bored
and flirty mistress, Violette, whom the Colonel loves to distraction. Nothing comes
of her using Harry to get out of town and Feroud’s life since he bought the big
step-off by trying to do right once in his ruthless life.]
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