Review of Trapeze

Introduction

Burt Lancaster is best known for action films, exciting westerns or swashbuckling adventures. He was one of Hollywood`s earliest action heroes, long before the likes of Bruce Willis or Arnie, but later in his career he took a wider variety of roles, often challenging the establishment as in The Swimmer or playing against type, either that or adding gravitas to small independent films. He practically stole the movie in Field Of Dreams and was memorable in Local Hero. An early Burt Lancaster production, one that may not have been made under the auspices of a studio system was the 1956 film Trapeze.

Tino Orsini is a fledgling young acrobat who comes from a long line of flyers. But he wants to be the best, so he travels to Paris and the Cirque de Bouglione to persuade veteran trapeze artist Mike Ribble to teach him the elusive triple somersault. However, Mike is a washed up cripple who hasn`t flown since a disastrous accident attempting the triple destroyed his leg. It takes all of Orsini`s charm to persuade Ribble to go back to the trapeze, but they look to be on to a sure thing. That is until the Italian firebrand Lola enters their lives. Desperate for the spotlight and the glory, she uses every trick she has to inveigle her way into the act, and plays both of them off against each other to keep the spotlight. But as she has both of them wrapped around her finger, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with one of them. This desperate drama will be played out in front of an audience, a hundred feet above the ring.

Video

The film is presented in the original 2.35:1 anamorphic ratio. It`s a strictly by the numbers transfer with little to recommend it. There weren`t any sign of digital artefacts, but the film itself is hardly in the best of condition, suffering from dirt, scratches, blips and colour bloom throughout. Having said that, most people will only have seen this film on television and the widescreen ratio is a revelation.

Audio

A simple and functional DD 2.0 mono track in English, strangely enough for an MGM release there are no other language tracks. The dialogue is clear and the soundtrack is relatively unsullied when compared to the print. The music is typically melodramatic with excessive use of the Blue Danube.

Features

The theatrical trailer with unwarranted cheese, as well as subtitles in English, Greek and Dutch are the extras on this disc. Again this is strangely barren when compared to the myriad of subtitles on the average MGM disc.

Conclusion

The biggest draw of this film is undoubtedly Burt Lancaster himself. Renowned for his athleticism, he reputedly did most of his own stunts, and seeing him swinging from rope to rope in Trapeze meters above the ground, you can imagine insurance companies having conniption fits just watching the film. The only modern actor with similar chutzpah is Jackie Chan, and when you see modern Hollywood fare with CGI doubles risking pixel and polygon to preserve the dignity of their real life counterparts, you begin to lament a certain golden age of Hollywood that is gone now, never to return.

Having said that, the film isn`t up to much in terms of story. It`s basically a soap opera played out thirty meters in the air. The young Orsini played by Tony Curtis is a well-meaning eager young performer who lures the bitter Mike Ribble, played by Lancaster back onto the trapeze. Just as they are perfecting their act, Gina Lollobrigida`s Lola enters the frame. I remember a Sylvester and Tweety cartoon years ago, set in Venice. Sylvester is water-skiing in pursuit of Tweety until he smacks face first into a bridge. The gag being etched onto the stonework, "Danger, Gina Lollobrigida!" Danger indeed as the volatile Lola cheats, lies and connives her way into the spotlight, not caring about the human detritus she leaves in her wake. Naturally the naïve Tino Orsini doesn`t stand a chance.

But as I said it is a soap opera with few redeeming characters, Bouglione (Thomas Gomez) will stop at nothing to keep the best trapeze act in his own circus, Orsini will do whatever it takes to learn the triple, Ribble wants to relive past glories and Lola wants the spotlight in New York`s Madison Square Garden. The supporting cast is similarly self-centred and the circus becomes a microcosm of human failure.

If the story is less than inspiring, the visual extravaganza goes a long way to make up for it. If the trapeze isn`t enough for you then there is the whole of circusdom to entertain. Horse acts, jugglers, animals, there is hardly a scene, which isn`t visually enticing in some way. Even better, this is a circus where the clowns are heard and not seen, remaining thankfully of screen at all times. Also there is a memorable role for Sid James as a down on his luck snake salesman, who pops up from time to time with some memorable lines.

Trapeze is a turgid melodrama redeemed by a visual smorgasbord of colour and circus entertainment. The disc is barely adequate but I suppose it`s the best treatment this film will receive. Give it a spin if you are in the mood for something different.