Birdman of Alcatraz

In Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), Burt Lancaster plays a hard man, a remorseless killer, who slowly finds his way to humanity. It's an excellent film about redemption and dignity, and it showcases some great performances, but that's not what I want to talk about.

Its central theme is a celebration of the rugged individual, and the importance of staying true to onesself in the face of pressure to conform. It shares this theme with The Great Escape (1963), Cool Hand Luke (1967), and Easy Rider (1969). My thumbnail analysis leads me see these films as an adaptation of the classic rugged individualistic formula for the post-Eisenhower era, precursors and, ultimately, embodiments of the countercultural movement that swept the nation in the late '60s.

OK, so sometimes I have to release my inner English major. Regardless, BIRD MAN OF ALCATRAZ is thought provoking stuff and well worth the time.

D.O.A.

What a great hook: a man walks into a homicide detective's office to report his own murder. How'd he get there?

I suspect that the strength of that hook accounts for D.O.A.'s lasting fame, as the film itself plays out as a rather pedestrian detective thriller. Edmond O'Brien, our unfortunate protagonist, lurches from clue to clue, urged on by desperation, but his clues only lead us from one moderately interesting suspect to the next.

Don't get me wrong. I liked D.O.A. just fine. I'm unclear, however, on why it achieved classic status. Beyond its great hook, there isn't much there.