Seven Days in May

Rating:
Summary: GREAT POLITICAL THRILLER
Review: One year after "The Manchurian Candidate", John Frankenheimer was back at it with "Seven Days in May", screenwritten by "Twi-Light Zone" creator Rod Serling. Serling's "Zone's" were a masterpiece of semi-liberal social conscience. Frankenheimer seized on another 1950s novel based on the real events of 1934, in which Republican industrialists recruited Marine hero Smedley Butler to orchestrate a coup d'etat against FDR. The novel and Frankenheimer's film fictionalize the event. It was, again, one of the best movies ever made, but completely liberal. Frankly, I have to ask why in 1963 the decision was made to examine a political conspiracy from 1934 when the worst political crime in U.S. history, the stealing of the 1960 election by Kennedy over Nixon, had occurred just three years prior. The answer to that question, my friend, is blowin' in the wind.
After JFK's assassination, "The Manchurian Candidate" was pulled because it hit too close to home, but in June, 1968 RFK was staying at Frankenheimer's Malibu home the night of the California Primary. He was tired and wanted to stay there. The enthusiasm of his victory that night convinced him to make the long drive on a twisting, turning Pacific Coast Highway, up the Santa Monica Freeway to downtown Los Angeles, where Sirhan Sirhan was waiting for him with a gun at the Ambassador Hotel.
Kirk Douglas is the Butler character In "Seven Days In May", an upright Marine whose politics are explained early by a fellow officer who says to him, "I though you'd be an ACLU lawyer by now, protecting the great unwashed." Douglas describes this officer as the kind who would be better suited for an army that goosesteps. Good dialogue, though. Burt Lancaster is the right wing Air Force General and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is modeled after Curtis LeMay, although the Lancaster swagger and charisma make him far more appealing. Frederick March is President Jordan Lyman, an ardent liberal who has just signed a peace treaty with the Soviets that presumably dismantles much of our nuclear arsenal. Lancaster does not trust the Soviet will honor their end of the bargain. Therefore he is convinced they will strike and America will be lost. A U.S. Senator is in on Lancaster's plot to take over the Presidency. They make him from California just to make sure he is affiliated with Dick Nixon. Nice touch. The public is solidly against the President, fueled by a right wing radio host in a prescient script device. In the end, the "protector of the great unwashed," Douglas, foils the plot and March's speech to the D.C. press corps is met by a standing ovation. Oh, those evil militarists and Republicans.

(...)

Rating:
Summary: Mayday
Review: Funny how both conservatives and liberals can cook up their own paranoid fantasies from the same sets of facts. This Kennedy-era melodrama hearkens back to both the October 1962 missile crisis and the Nuclear Test Ban treaty of JFK's administration. When some people on the Right claimed the country was being handed over to the Soviets, two liberal Washington reporters cranked out the novel "Seven Days in May" about a military coup to topple the government. The movie is a faithful re-creation of the book and it's plain ridiculous. Burt Lancaster plays an updated Air Force version of Douglas MacArthur whose nefarious scheme is foiled by a smug band of patriots led by Kirk Douglas. Frederic March's President is so un-appealing you wish somebody would overthrow him, and poor Ava Gardner, 15 years on from being the most beautiful girl in Hollywood, looks like death warmed over. Rod Serling's script is riddled with a pomposity he usually edited out of his "Twilight Zone" work.

Rating:
Summary: Treasonous Cold War plot
Review: In the midst of the Cold War, sitting U.S. President Jordan Lyman, portrayed sterlingly by actor emeritus Frederic March has proposed a bilateral nurclear disarmament treaty in John Frankenheimer's controversial and conceivable "Seven Day in May". March, an unpopular president with a low approval rating is seen as an idealistic dreamer. Meanwhile General Scott head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, played by the authoritative, tough Burt Lancaster, is secretly coordinating a desert based military installation with a mission to overthrow the government. Lancaster has widespread support among the heads of the armed forces in carrying out this plot.

Lancaster aide Colonel "Jiggs" Casey played by the moralistic and patriotic Kirk Douglas, gets wind of this plot although being kept out of the loop. Douglas, in a personally dangerous manuever alerts the President as to Lancaster's aspirations. March with the aide of his senatorial and cabinet friends attempts to reveal and thwart Lancaster's plan for sedition.

Frankenheimer's worthy follow up to "The Manchurian Candidate" proves to be an important message movie in a time of divergent ideologies. The supporting cast consisting of solid actors including Martin Balsam and personal fave Edmond O'Brien give powerful and memorable performances. Ava Gardner is passionate playing Lancaster's ex-mistress. March, Douglas and Lancaster are all extraordinarily convincing in their roles.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific Commentary - a keeper
Review: This is a terrific movie with a terrific director's commentary on DVD. Excellent cast, including John Houseman's first acting gig.

I'm not sure how much of the movie works without the commentary - the film takes place in the "near future" a few years after it was made in 1963 - Frankenheimer's commentary makes it clear what props (like the videoconferencing) would have seemed futuristic at the time.

The film is fascinating on many levels. For example, I can imagine why Richard Nixon would think that recording all Oval Office conversations would be a good idea, if he had seen this film (which I imagine he had).

Many similarities in direction and photography to The (original) Manchurian Candidate, which is also an excellent DVD.

Rating:
Summary: When the MAN KNEW TOO MUCH ...........*
Review: FREDRIC MARCH headlines this disturbing and rather contemporary thriller by FRANKENHEIMER.

Gardner, Douglas and the never disappointing Burt Lancaster neatly round-out this nailbiter. LOTS of disturbing moments ... What IS the military doing in Arizona? A hidden base? Alternate agendas? [Nope not area 51].

It's SPECIFICALLY about the cold-war and 'everyone's a communist time' - you'll not be disappointed.

*Martin Balsam and John Houseman and especially Edmund O'Brien provide excellent supporting roles ..... it's one of those 'follow the orders by the book' types.

Reflects Watergate, Contras and all of the rest of the gang........

GREAT companion to MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE - BOTH the ORIGINAL AND THE NOW UNSPOOLED REMAKE.

[KIDS see WHAT IT WAS REALLY LIKE TO HIT THE SIXTIES - circa Bay of Pigs].

Now WHERE is Otto Preminger's devastating 'ADVISE AND CONSENT'?

Rating:
Summary: Makes Me want to Stand Up and Salute
Review: "Seven Days In May" has an impressive cast list, great direction, and a screenplay written by Rod Serling. For the MTV generation, this would probably be very boring as it relies on insightful realistic dialog and some powerful non-jerking camera-work to tell a great story.

Burt Lancaster is Kirk Douglas' superior officer in the same military outfit, and Douglas suspects Lancaster is up to something secret and no good. The relationship and animosity between them is powerful and convincing as the story unfolds and the secret slowly comes out. Frederic March plays a convincing president who at first is cautiously suspicious, then grows more determined as the movie reaches its climax. The three or four supporting roles are handled superbly as well.

I guess it would fit into the category of "political thriller", and goes well with the other 3 major cold-war era movies - "Dr. Strangelove" (satire), "Fail Safe" (drama), and "The Manchurian Candidate" (drama, also directed by John Frankenheimer).

The DVD includes an entertaining commentary. An all-around well-done movie that goes in my top 20 for sure.


Rating:
Summary: Great Movie! For Any Generation!
Review: People who are into political thrillers will love this movie. In reply to the first reviewer I must say as a member of the "MTV" generation I really appreciate this classic movie based on the novel by Fletcher Knebel. But your point is well taken, if people only enjoy seeng cars, buildings, spaceships etc. blowing up onscreen then this is definately not your movie.

Rating:
Summary: Mayday
Review: That is General James Matoon Scott, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, played by Burt Lancaster. He is dismissive & looks down on everyone including the president whom he despises for his perceived weakness. The President (Fredrick March) has decided to unilaterally disarm our nuclear weapons. General Scott will attempt to seize power. This concerns Col. "Jiggs" Casey, (Kirk Douglas) Scott's chief of staff & best friend. Douglas's character is the key. He informs the president of the plot, as it becomes known to him & contacts Scott's old mistress (Ava Gardner). Edmund O'Brien won an Oscar as the president's best friend, a drunken southern senator. Rounding out the fine cast is Martin Balsam as a presidential advisor. The suspense builds as they attempt to stop the coup. No special effects here, very little action of any kind.
Frankenheimer has a more subtle touch in this movie, the follow-up to the Manchrian Canidate. This one is not quite as good but still an engossing flick.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Political Thriller
Review: John Frankenheimer's masterpiece is probably one of the best political thrillers of all time. Burt Lancaster is superb in the role of General James Matoon Scott, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, and chief conspirator of a plot to overthrow the United States government after a weak-kneed President, played wonderfully by Frederic March, signs a disarmament treaty with the Russians.

Helping foil the plot is General Scott's aide, Colonel Jiggs Casey, played by Kirk Douglas. Intrigue, deception, and treachery are played out against a backdrop of Washington offices and political seats of power. Edmund O'Brien, Martin Balsam, and Ava Gardner all add significant performances in the film.

I was also very impressed with the way the military was portrayed with regard to uniforms and behavior--especially Lancaster's character. Very realistic indeed. Rumor has it that Frankenheimer wanted to shoot some scenes in the actual Pentagon but was turned down (probably because of the heretical subject of the movie).

The tense story starts a bit slowly, but the tension builds as more the plot is revealed. The ending is very credible.

I really like movies where Lancaster and Douglas are paired, and this is my favorite of them.

Rating:
Summary: This is How Movies Should be Made
Review: I'd been meaning to see this film for many years and finally did last year in our local photography museum's theater. They used the DVD and I was not only very impressed with the film itself, but the quality of the DVD's image projected on the big screen as well. This was one of those times where I left the theater saying to myself, "Now THAT'S how movies should be made!" I feel Leonard Maltin's review is sufficient; I will only add that some of the rocket models (intermingled with scale models of real ones) used to decorate Gen. Scott (Burt Lancaster)'s office and the Senate hearing room looked like cheap props out of bad science fiction movies, but that was only a minor distraction for me. Lancaster's character was quite frightening, Fredric March made a believable President of the United States, Edmond O'Brien turns in another great character performance (this time as a Senator from Georgia), and the title sequence (reportedly by Saul Bass) coupled with Jerry Goldsmith's score is quite dramatic. And I found it amusing that Kirk Douglas (Col. Casey) once again crossed swords with George MacReady (Sec'y. Todd) and Richard Anderson (Col. Murdock) as he previously did in "Paths of Glory!"

My only complaint with the DVD is that it did not have more in the way of supplemental features, especially more complete cast information than was provided in the film itself. I was interested in knowing who other actors in minor roles were since a good many of them are not listed at all (most notably John Houseman as Adm. Barnswell); I ended up having to go to the Internet Movie Database for that. Other than that (and a few other very minor technical nitpicks in the plot), this is indeed a true classic and I'm proud to have it in my collection.