It’s been decades since I first read the novel SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE
by author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and a little less since I saw the filmed version of
his book. The book was released in 1969 and was perhaps the main novel that
Vonnegut was recognized for. An anti-war science fiction novel it would be no
easy task to adapt the story to film. And yet in 1972 director George Roy Hill
did just that.
The film revolves around Billy Pilgrim (Michael Sacks), an
unassuming young man who is “unstuck in time”. What this means is that Billy
travels back and forth in time from various points therein and we as observers
witness this take place. That’s because the film does the same thing, starting
at one point and suddenly jumping us to another.
When the film opens Billy is typing a letter to the editor
complaining about his not taking him seriously when he’s written about his life
previously. And then suddenly we’re transported to a fox hole in WWII Germany
where Billy falls into the hands of fellow soldiers having lost his company.
One of those soldiers is Paul Lazzaro (Ron Leibman), an easily excitable and
overpowering sort.
Then we’re whisked away to another planet where Billy is
living with a beautiful starlet named Montana Wildhack (Valerie Perrine). As he
tells her to kiss him he’s whisked back to the foxhole where Lazzaro thinks
he’s talking to him at which point he calls him out as gay and threatens him
just as German soldiers capture the men.
The back and forth in time and location continues as the
story of Billy unfolds, taking us from the concentration camp in Dresden prior
to it’s being bombed to Billy returning home and marrying the daughter whose
father runs the optometrist school Billy attends to his time on the planet of
Tralfamadore where he is basically put on display in a glass cage. It is there
that Montana is brought to be by his side in order for the Tralfamadorans to
watch them “mate”.
The movie does not take a straight forward method of
storytelling here and while it might confuse some the end result is actually
quite enjoyable and not near as difficult to follow as one might think. Instead
it allows us to see the various points in the life of Billy to learn what those
moments brought to his life without the added baggage of details that tell us
nothing. We’re presented with a greatest hits type image of his life, one
moment showing us what resulted in another years later.
The film was a first for Sacks who never pursued a career in
acting that lasted long. That was a wise choice on the part of director Hill
who could have completely upset the story by casting someone who viewers would
have focused on as a star rather than the simple character of Billy Pilgrim. It
works to perfection here.
The entire cast here works to perfection providing enough
information in various clips and scenes that are joined together to reveal who
they are, why they think and behave the way they do and giving them motivations
for their actions or lack thereof. This includes actor Perry King who was
making his second appearance in a feature film as Billy’s son here before
moving on to a solid career.
Hill, coming off the back to back successes of THOROUGHLY
MODERN MILLIE and BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID was given the opportunity to
make this film based on those hits. Unfortunately this film was released and
only mediocre business at best. That didn’t stop it from being an award winner
and from finding itself in cult status with film lovers. Hill would recover
after this film directing THE STING and 4 years after that SLAPSHOT.
This film is one of those kinds of movies you love or hate
and yet can’t describe quite why you feel either way. Most who hate it just
don’t get the whole time jumping non-linear form of storytelling here. Get past
that and you find an interesting story about people, about how humans treat one
another. It’s move I recommend and would suggest watching.
Arrow Video is releasing the film in their usual spectacular
way with a gorgeous looking new 4K restoration from the original camera
negative, produced by Arrow Video exclusively for this release. In addition to
that they’re including extras like a new audio commentary track with author
Troy Howarth, a new video appreciation of the film with author and critic Kim
Newman, PILGRIM’S PROGRESS: PLAYING SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE a new video interview
with Perry King, ONLY ON EARTH: PRESENTING SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE a new video
interview with Rocky Lang the son of producer Jennings Lang about the
distribution of the film, UNSTUCK IN TIME: DOCUMENTING SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE a
new video interview with behind the scenes filmmaker/producer Robert Crawford,
Jr., FINALLY CONNECTED: COMPOSING SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE a new video interview
with film music historian Daniel Schweiger, the theatrical trailer and a
reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Corey
Brickley.
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