Odd Man Out was the first of a series of three films that essentially put Carol Reed into the conversation as a major auteur of the post-war period. The other two are The Fallen Idol and The Third Man, the latter of which is considered his masterpiece. It currently is #73 on BFI’s Sight and Sound poll and is consider the #1 British film of all time. Reed’s later work had some success, even if not quite as celebrated on a historical scale. He is appropriately remembered for these three, all of which have some similarities in style, yet are thematically different.

Johnny as leader at the beginning of the film.

Odd Man Out is also remembered as one of the few films to feature Northern Ireland politics as a major setting. Another is John Ford’s The Informer, which would be a major influence on the Reed film. The politics of the IRA at the time were complicated, as they were in subsequent decades, and I don’t believe that Reed was trying to make a political statement of any sort. He simply adapted a novel with an Irish setting and used the political landscape as the backdrop to explore some major themes about humanity.

James Mason as Johnny, acting with his face.

This was also James Mason’s breakthrough role, and I consider it to be one of the best performances of his career. His character Johnny is the leader of the local IRA group, and they rob a mill in order to acquire funds. Things go wrong when a renegade employee pursues the group with a gun. After a struggle, he shoots Johnny, who returns fire and kills the man. Johnny is wounded and tries to escape with his gang, but falls from the getaway car into no man’s land. From here, he is the title character as he literally is the odd man out of the group, although not by design.

Johnny is gravely wounded, yet because of the crime and fatality, the police are after the local rebel. The relations between the armed police and the citizens are the scenes where the political situation is addressed. Many of the locals seem to be on Johnny’s side whereas the police desperately want him captured and order restored. People assist Johnny in eluding his captors, sometimes by accident, but they do not immediately report his location. A household takes him in at one point, not realizing who he is, and they try to help with his injuries. Once they realize who he is, they let him go to wander the streets, but they do not turn him in. They simply want no part of the situation, probably because even though they support Johnny and his people, they do not want trouble from the authorities. Others assist him as well, and later when someone attempts to turn him in, it is to a local priest and only for some sort of reward.

One of Johnny’s hallucinations materializes out of guilt.

Another hallucination ties into redemption and religion.

As Johnny’s physical state deteriorates, his mental state follows. He fades in and out of consciousness, at times reaching a delusional state where he sees hallucinations. This is where Mason’s performance stands out. He often has very little dialog to say, and instead spends a lot of his screen time looking weathered and emaciated. When he does speak, it is often murmuring and sometimes rambling. Often his performance is merely physical, and he does as much with his movements, mannerisms and expressions as he does with words.

Even though Johnny is technically a rebel, murderer and criminal, he is portrayed as a benevolent person. When he is lucid, he wonders whether he accidentally killed the man at the mill. It pains him when he learns that the man is dead, not just for his own fate as a criminal, but because of his guilty conscience. He is expressly non-violent. At one point he hallucinates a policeman who he treats of as a confessionary, a plot point that will come back into play later.

The church is continually involved in the film, both from a thematic sense and directly within the plot. Religion is at the forefront of the film, and becomes expressed through the character. When “Shell” gets wind of Johnny’s location, he uses an analogy of Johnny being one of his birds, and essentially tries to get a reward for this message from the church. Rather than giving any monetary reward, which they could not offer anyway, they instead give him the promise of spiritual rewards. By delivering Johnny to the church (and by extension, to God) “Shell” is one step closer to salvation.

Johnny preaching his sermon from Corinthians.

As a product of the thick religious theme, Johnny becomes a messianic character. As he is being bandaged up by a local group, his physical health deteriorating and visions increasing, he quotes the bible. He says ““I remember when I was a child, I spoke as a child; I thought as a child; I understood as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things.” This bit of scripture is from Corinthians chapter 13, which is coincidentally enough, the chapter on “Love,” and is often quoted in positive and selfless context. Is Johnny becoming an instrument of God? Through his delusion, is he preaching for people to become more passive, loving, and accepting of God so that they will reach salvation? Is Johnny merely trying to achieve his own salvation out of guilt for his actions and the potential sacrifice to come? The film does not answer any of these questions definitively and it shouldn’t. That is one of its strengths, as it cannot give the answers, but it promotes spiritual and ethical exploration.

Kathleen is instrumental in Johnny’s journey.

One of the constant motifs is about death. Tying into the religious theme, at one point the priest says, “This life is nothing but a trial for the life to come.” It is perhaps Johnny’s trial. In another scene, a character is asked what faith means. “Only one man had it,” he responds, probably referring to Jesus, although possibly in the context of the film, to Johnny. He continues by saying that “It is life.” Much of the film is concerned with whether Johnny will live or die, and it is through his love, Kathleen, that this answer is revealed at the end of the film. I will not give that answer here and spoil the film, but I will say that the ending punctuates much of what I have discussed here. It creates more questions than it answers, and that sort of ambiguity (along with a number of filmic strengths that I have not discussed) is what makes this a classic.

Film Rating: 8.5/10

Supplements

Template for the Troubles: John Hill on Odd Man Out: 2014 interview with a scholar on Northern Ireland.

He calls this the first film to portray the urban Northern Island situation since the partition in 1921. IRA activity had not been significant before the film. During WW2, the members were interned. The film is sympathetic to the organization and Johnny.

The city in Odd Man Out is not named, but is implied to be Belfast. There are some overhead establishing shots of Belfast, but most of the film was shot around Shoreditch, London or in Denham Studio in London. They created a model of the large clock, which would play a major part in the visuals, and they recreated the Crown Bar from Belfast in Denham studio.

Postwar Poetry: Carol Reed and Odd Man Out: This is a short documentary made for Criterion Collection in 2014.

They discuss the film in detail, from its origins when Reed read the book in 1945 and began shooting in 1946, to its legacy. One contributor calls it the British High Noon because you are so aware of the time throughout the film.

An example of some of the great night shots.

They speak about this film in the context of the other Reed films, including his prior and later films. One element that sets apart the three films is that they are shot at night and they exhibit an excellent use of darkness. Previously filming at night was not an option for Reed because he did not have the budget. There were other characteristics of a Reed film, such as that it had a cluttered frame and was shot documentary style.

Home, James: This 1972 documentary is a personal look through Mason’s eyes at his hometown of Huddersfield.

Mason narrates and they show scenes of people living, working, walking and going about his town. Much of the movie is about the economy, population, and industry. He spends a lot of time looking at the various local companies that operate in Huddersfield, and he speaks gushingly of the respectable type of person that lives in the town, whether they are a lower class worker or an upper class business owner. You could call it a fluff piece, as a critical words is hardly uttered.

Mason has a familiar slow and relaxed manner of speaking, which works well in film and his dialog benefits from this manner of speaking. I once joked that Mason’s voice would be enjoyable reading a phone book. After seeing this documentary, my opinion has changed. This film appears to have been created for local educational TV as a way of glorifying the city. Mason indubitably had plenty of hometown pride, but from an outsider, this is not exactly gripping subject material. It actually took me away from the film. A supplement about Mason would have been terrific, but this seemed like it did not belong. Film Rating: 3/10

Collaborative Composition: Scoring Odd Man Out: This is a piece about William Alwyn’s score with Jeff Smith.

I did not discuss many of the exemplary technical elements in my review, but the score is absolutely brilliant. Johnny’s theme is especially memorable and really fits well with his plight. As a result, this was my favorite supplement on the disc and it brought me back after seeing the dull documentary.

In a way, the score was experimental. Alwyn did not believe in “wall-to-wall” score with endless silence. He believed that there should be musical silence in plaes. He worked with sound editor to determine when to use score and when to use sound effects.

Smith plays all of the themes on the piano, which are for the characters of Johnny, Kathleen, Shell. Alwyn only deviated slightly from these themes. For instance he would play a delirium sound when Johnny hallucinates or loses his mind.

Alwyn was a major influence on the merits of pre-scoring a film and working with a collaborative team. Many famous conductors would write the score after the first rough cut of the film was completed. Alwyn pre-scored Odd Man Out based on the script. Others have followed, with the most notable example being Ennio Morricone with Once Upon a Time in the West where he played the theme for the actors.

Even though he had a highly successful career, Alwyn considered Odd Man Out his crowning achievement.

Suspense, Episode 460: February 1952 broadcast with primary cast.

This was another radio broadcast with cast members from the film. Since it is relatively short, it is an easy listen, even if the film language does not translate well to radio. Mason’s voice work is key in this version, beginning with him using his character to establish the heist debacle. “I’m hurt!!!” he yells loudly.

Criterion Rating: 8.5/10

Western films are templates to tell a wide variety of stories, whether melodrama, action, or even an acid western like The Shooting. Many of them were adaptations of previously written material, some of which thinly veiled, and some not (like The Magnificent Seven adapted from Seven Samurai.)

Jubal is a more straightforward adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, a play that has been adapted several times in film. The Moor of Venice may not seem like a fit for the Western frontier, but the basic love triangle and betrayal fits perfectly. The film strays from the play, mostly to adhere to the Western formula, but the core characters of Othello (Ernest Borgnine’s Shep), Iago (Rod Steiger’s Pinky), Desdemona (Valerie French’s Mae) and finally, Cassio (Glenn Ford’s Jubal) are the same. Just like Iago and Cassio, Pinky is envious of Jubal’s unqualified rise to being promoted to foreman, and he plans a scheme to accuse Jubal of having an affair with Mae, thereby turning Shep against him. The rest is no surprise to people familiar with the play. The broad strokes are mostly the same until the final act.

Jackson Hole on display.

Jubal was shot in the shadow of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It may not be as distinctive or common as Ford’s Monument Valley, and that adds to its charm of a location. The Upper Midwest is seldom used in Hollywood films, probably due to the distance from Hollywood. The Southwest frontier, whether in California or Arizona, has been used so many times that it is nearly a cliché of Western films. The towering monoliths of Jackson Hole provide for a welcome backdrop. They are aesthetically gorgeous and give the film a unique flavor. It may not be Venice from the original Othello, but it is comparatively exotic for a Western film. Some of the best shots are when they are on location, even if they are brief transitions from scene to scene.

The acting is the true spark, particularly Borgnine and Steiger, whose contrasting acting styles play off of each other well. Steiger was one of the definitive method actors, and this worked with his fiery, volatile way of reciting -– no, barking — his lines. Borgnine was not a method actor, and instead tried to reach into the emotion of his character. He had just done so successfully the year prior, bringing home his only Oscar for Marty, playing a similar character as Shep. Steiger was only a couple years removed from his notable portrayal of Charlie Malloy, opposite Brando’s Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront.

Ernest Borgnine as Shep

Like Marty, Shep is a gregarious and pleasant guy, but self-conscious and not as self-assured. He has a big laugh and is pleasant company for the guys, if not for the woman (Mae). He has a sense of morality, looking for people he can trust, which he finds in Jubal and appropriately rewards him. He sees through Pinky’s pomposity and finds he would be a good worker, but a poor leader. This decision, however logical, sets off the dispute that will lead to strife later. He just wants to live comfortably on his land, working productively and having a good time. While these are all admirable character traits, they also result in some naivety. He has a rosier picture of life than reality and is blind as to what happens under his nose.

Mae is a philanderer. Her character represents the loneliness of the push west. She married Shep because she knew he had a vast tract of land, only to find that the land is mostly empty. She is bored, not only of her life, but also of her husband. To be fair, Shep’s naivety extends to his own home. He misses the signs of his wife’s world-weariness and has some habits that annoy her. She chooses to live by carousing behind Shep’s back. We can tell early on that Pinky used to be her paramour. She shuns him for the new arrival of Jubal.

Shep, Jubal and Mae.

Compared to the rest of the cast, Glenn Ford is more of the straight man. This could be said for a lot of his roles. He was a good actor, but did not chew scenery like Steiger or delve deep into his character’s inner self like Borgnine. Instead he plays his character stoically. He is stuck in the middle and has the most integrity and the best of intentions. He resists Mae as much as he can, and while he eventually wears down, he does not take the relationship beyond the breaking point. He respects Shep and does not want to double cross him however tempting Mae’s pursuits. He flirts with her early on, showing her a brand and joking that she “better stay away from this or you might get burned,” a line that foreshadows future events.

The tension between Pinky and Jubal is palpable and played to great affect. Steiger’s outbursts, however inarticulate at times, speaks to the pernicious nature of his character. He continually pushes his rival, provoking him with dialog or more aggressively by firing a gun near him, pretending to aim for a nearby wild cat. There is an energy when Steiger is on screen, whether he is whittling away at Jubal, or manipulating the situation to come out on top. As he notices Mae and Jubal ride off during a poker game, he asks, “think your luck has changed, Shep?” He curiously looks at the pair take off, his mind at work, and for a change speaks softly with, “we’ll see.” Steiger is a terrific Iago, wearing both the emotion, the capriciousness, and the deviousness on his shirt sleeve.

I have not mentioned the religious group that takes refuge in Shep’s land. Pinky wants them to be on their way, but Jubal overrides him. In an act of kindness, he agrees to let them stay, to rest and regain some health before pushing further west. This group is used to develop Jubal as a benevolent character. He finds a love interest in a young girl, the daughter of one of the elders, who is promised to marry another member of their worshippers.

These scenes are useful for developing Glenn Ford’s inner conflict as a leading man, but because Ford does not have the same acting chops as Steiger or Borgnine, this is the least interesting part of the movie. Anytime the film veers away from the brewing conflict, it becomes tedious. The third act diverges from the play and relies more on Ford and the religious group to bring the story home. That makes it end with a whimper rather than a bang. If they had stuck to the play, even without the traditional Hollywood ending, the movie could have been much better.

Film Rating: 6.5/10

Supplements:

None.

This is the first of several discs I’ve reviewed that has no supplements. For these I’m deducting 2 points from the film rating to get my Criterion rating.

Criterion Rating: 4.5