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ONE,TWO,THREE(BillyWilder,1961)|DennisGrunes

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DennisGrunes
Image:StillfromL'eclisse.1962.DirectorandwriterMichelangeloAntonioni

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ONE,TWO,THREE(BillyWilder,1961)

June2008

June 1, 2008 by grunes

One,Two,ThreeisBillyWildersmostconsistentlyhilariousandmost
gorgeouscomedy.PartlydrawnfromFerencMolnrs1929playEgy,
ketto,hrom,thefilmreceivedamonkeywrenchfromhistorywhenthe
CommunistsputuptheBerlinWallduringtheonlocationshoot,
requiringthatthefilm,whoseactionfreelypassesbackandforthbetween
thenonCommunistandCommunistsectors,beconvertedintoayear
earlierflashback.Thiscataclysmicpoliticalchange,however,perfectly
suitsthetransformationalnatureofWilderandcoscenaristIzzy
Diamondsthematicmaterial.
Hopingtosecureapromotion(andthereforelinkedtoratracingC.C.
BaxterinWilderspreviousTheApartment,1960),C.R.MacNamara,a
BerlinbasedCocaColaexecutive,ishostinghisbosss17yearold
daughter,Scarlett.AdealheispushingtohaveCokedistributedbehind
theIronCurtaincausesMacNamaratobealaxsubstituteguardian
Scarlett,pregnant,driftsintomarriagetopoor,unkemptOttoPiffl,an
EastGermanCommunistbeatnik.WithScarlettsfolksflyinginfrom
Atlanta,MacNamarafranticallyattemptstoremakeOttointoanimageof
bothenterprisingcapitalismandtitlednobility.
Thebreakneckpaceconformstotheinstructionthatheadsthescript:
Thispiecemustbeplayedmoltofurioso.Theunderpinningdelight,on
themark(adoublemeaningthere),ishowOttosideologicalresistance
flowsintocomplicitywiththeefforttoturnhimintoarichcapitalist.Horst
BuchholzisspectacularlyfunnyasOtto.
CommunismtakesallsortsofjabsfromMacNamara,whomercilessly
verballyassaultsOtto,theKremlinKid,whomheinstructs,whentheboy
threatenstoagitateCocaColaworkersintorebellion,Pullupyourpants,
Spartacus.ButMacNamaraisasleazewhocheatsonhiswifeandis
perpetuallydrivenbyselfinterest.Forhim,democracyissynonymous
withcorporateprofit.
JamesCagney,asMacNamara,perhapsgiveshismostbrilliant
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