1977’s MACARTHUR is largely a forgotten film, by a largely unjustly forgotten director.
Joseph Sargent was a young, new breed of director who would get his start in the 1960s directing TV shows, back in an age where directing TV was the B league, a stepping stone to the A league… directing theatrical releases.
Sargent, credited with 92 directing jobs, would do the vast majority of those jobs for TV, but he had a brief stint of a few theatrical releases, sandwiched in his long TV career as director.
Sargent made his brief leap to the A league with some compelling and gripping features, dealing largely with the strange and dangerous place the late 60s, early 70s found us in. Namely an America and an American people caught in that brief, little understood period, where change and growth was not just a possibility, but an active path. Where we for a moment embraced this idea of a nation of the people, by the people, for the people, could actually be realized; where at the very least the conversation could be had.
This was a time sandwiched between the McCarthy 50s and the Reagan 80s, before America sold out to its corporate overlords, and the last defenders of American liberty and truth, Newspapers, were dismantled. Sargent’s films of the 70s, reflect the growing pains and possibilities of a changing, turmoiled America, at a crossroads between Liberty and Control; In an age before the corporate overloads learned to weaponize our illusions of freedom against us.
Sargent’s movies are gripping sign-posts to hard times, that were still replete with… possibilities. Among some of Sargent’s few theatrical movies are THE MAN (1972 – regarding the first Black President, and woefully unavailable on streaming or physical media) , NIGHTMARES (1983 Horror Anthology), THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 (An undisputed masterpiece from 1974), and the film this post is dedicated to… his followup to PELHAM, 1977’s MACARTHUR.
MACARTHUR sports a gripping score, a superb latter-day Gregory Peck role. Gregory Peck was very much a star as a young man, however his performances could be somewhat limited and wooden, I really find his later performances as an older man, is where he grows into his stardom. His 60s and 70s performances, are all just amazing. Gregory Peck grew into a great actor, and that greatness, and gravity are in full display in his role of MacArthur. In addition to score and acting, the film boasts some tremendous direction, that, seeing it for the first time in 2023, can be called nothing less than enthralling and epic.
Unfortunately this would be Sargent’s last theatrical film of note, and with a few un-noteworthy exceptions, he would finish out his career in TV. Why a film of such quality as MACARTHUR and the previous TALKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3, did not lead to a longer theatrical career is unknown, and seemingly unfortunate.
However thankfully we do have MACARTHUR. You can sample it on Streaming, but I highly recommend the Indicator Blu-ray release that includes both versions, the US and UK version. The US version, is the longer version, and is the way to go. The UK version, cuts minor scenes and adds a small scene between MacArthur and the Emperor of Japan, but that scene actually does not add anything to the story telling, and is a bit out of place, and feels like it weakens and confuses the narrative rather than strengthening it. It was wisely left on the cutting room floor in the US release.
Though with the Indicator release you can view this short minute sequence (that occurs at the 1 hour and 28 minute mark) and then return to the US release to conclude the movie.
All in all this is a fantastic film, and kudos to Blu-ray label Indicator for making this film available on Physical media. Streaming is nice, but ephemeral. I fear for the longevity of films that are left only to the impermanence of streaming. Hopefully a label will also release Sargent’s THE MAN.
In the meantime MACARTHUR, courtesy of British label INDICATOR is a wonderful addition to better home movie collections everywhere. Grade: A-.
Get your copy here!