Tuesday - Movies

The Age

Thursday May 1, 2008

Scott Murray

Ruthless (1948)

ABC1, 12.35am

On a less-than-stellar day for free-to-air movies, this late-night offering is the highlight. Ruthless, from director Edgar G. Ulmer, is a fascinating analysis of a poor man's rise to riches, starring Zachary Scott. It makes an intriguing companion piece on vampiric capitalism with There Will Be Blood.

Battle of Britain (1969)

Fox Classics, 8.30pm

Australia is almost unique among nations for its ability to honour the sacrifices of its armed forces without stirring up false patriotism or condoning war. One has to write "almost unique" because this attribute is shared by Great Britain. And there is no story that better epitomises a sense of quiet sacrifice than the Battle of Britain. It is a tale that has been told countless times, either on its own or as a backdrop for other stories, most memorably perhaps in episodes of Foyle's War. Guy Hamilton's big-budget Battle of Britain suffers surprisingly little from its megastar cast (rarely has thespian ego been so generously subsumed for the greater good of filmmaking). The ending is shattering, a moment of stillness one will never forget. -- SCOTT MURRAY

© 2008 The Age

Back to News Index | Back to Home