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The Comedians (1967)
Hollywood Anti-colonialism
The Comedians
Richard Burton & Alec Guinness star in this Graham Greene scripted tale of colonial decadence and state violence in Haiti. Hipster-creole thugs menace Alec upon his arrival, strip off his clothes, and toss him into a cell. Richard smolders morosely in a taxi marked 'publique' and passes a billboard on the highway emblazoned with the name Papa Doc. "He lives for them and they die for him," Richard sneers contemptuously.
Cut to Alec in shirtsleeves, manhandled by a goon in sunglasses, van Dyke, and porkpie hat.
Cut back to Richard, now in Liz's powdered arms, damp with booze and middle- aged lust. They're in the back of her touring car, talking about desire. She says something about having a baby, asserting a preternatural insight guaranteed by her womb-knowledge. The breeze lifts her Technicolor chiffon scarf. They kiss.
"nothing has changed." "no, nothing."
Richard looks fairly young here, pre-cirrhosis, his sideburns tawny-grey. He plays the owner of a palatial hotel in Port-au-Prince. Returning to the hotel after his assignation with Liz, he looks down into the empty pool at a bloody body. It is the president, his assistant, Joseph, informs him as the frogs acapella in what surely must be a humid night.
Things grow increasingly desperate. The Haitian secret police consist of cooled out hep cats in short sleeve shirts. A brutal officer directs Alec's beating. James Earl Jones is impressive as an idealistic Haitian doctor whose throat is cut over the body of a patient during an operation. Alec knocks boots with Liz, much to Richard's chagrin. Richard, betrayed, accosts Liz. Her response is devastating: "When you want me I am a woman. When I hurt you I'm always a German." Yes indeed. Turns out Daddy was convicted of war crimes and her marriage to Peter Ustinov a desperate means of escape. Regardless, Alec and Richard decide to join a nascent revolutionary moment. Alec is gunned down by the officer. Richard leads his ragtag band of lumpen-proletarians against the state. I fall asleep.