Face of the Fire

source: Face of the Fire

Face of Fire

This takes place in a small American town in 1898. A simple-minded handyman named Monk (James Whitemore) is employed by a kindly doctor (Cameron Mitchell) and is idolized by the doctor's young boy. Then there's a fire. The house burns down and Monk saves the boy but is horribly disfigured by the fire. It's also affected his brain. He's basically harmless but townspeople reject him because of what he looks like. The storyline and message is pretty obvious and the low-key presentation makes this film seem muted but it's still a good movie. It's well-done on every level from the script down to the acting (Mitchell is excellent). This is not a horror film as it is sometimes advertised. It's a drama with horrific touches. You never even get a good look at Whitemore's face after its burned--just quick glimpses or in the darkness. So it's obvious and annoyingly low-key but it works and is well-done. It is available on DVD and pops up on TCM every once in a while.

A troubling story with Cameron Mitchell as the town doctor whose son is saved in a fire by character James Whitmore. As Munk, he is a beloved town figure, who is terribly disfigured and brain injured as a result of the fire. The film becomes one of rejection as the town mulls what is to be done with this savage-like human being. A group of men attempt to hunt him down and put him out of his misery. A group of children make fun of him-including the boy he saved. There is a poignant scene where all that changes and acceptance prevails. A film detailing how society can view a stricken individual as well as the social tenets and mores of the individuals acting collectively. Thank goodness goo common sense prevailed in the end.

I'd recommend this film highly for many reasons, most notably its beautiful black & white photography and the authentic small-town feel it evokes, thanks to very sensitive direction and performances. By the way, in the original Stephen Crane story this film is based on, Monk Johnson is a negro.

In 1972 a man walked into my Flying Tigers Operations office at LAX and asked for help picking up a shipment. I recognized Royal Dano immediately, both face and voice. I asked one of my warehouse men to get the shipment, and then I told Mr. Dano I had just seen Face of Fire on TV, and that I was struck by it. I noted his character was a sympathetic role, opposed to what he usually did. And, I said I thought the cinema photography was excellent. He agreed, and we talked about the film and the Swedish cinema photographer for another 30 minutes. It was a wonderful experience. Years later I considered that Mel Gibson's The Man Without a Face might have derived from Royal Dano's film.

Though the film would have been even more profound had they used the African-American version of Monk (as in the Stephen Crane short story, "The Monster"), Whitmore proves himself among the most neglected character actors in film history as the hideously scarred handyman. Band's direction is poignant -- as is the heartbreaking image of Monk, in his straw boater with black veil attached, showing up for a "date" with his freaked out girlfriend. Along with "Battleground" and "Them!" this is among Whitmore's most memorable work.

One of the most disturbing movies ever made. James Whitmore plays a popular, good-looking, engaged, and successful man. He then bravely rescues a friends young son one night during a fire, but is knocked unconscious and has burning liquid pour all over his face turning him into a hideously deformed "monster". It turns out he has brain damage causing him to later act eccentric and illogically - such as paying a surprise visit to his now former fiance, as though nothing had changed, which was an especially disturbing scene. The reactions of all, including the rescued child, to him is the theme of the movie. Worth seeing, but not on video as of yet.

At times, a minor production such as "Marty" becomes a popular classic. That pleasant fate should have befallen "Face of Fire", which is four years newer. Somehow, though, this film is nearly unknown, and the reasons for that escape me. Whatever Graces there are that smile upon certain smaller productions, elevating them to must-see status, have certainly not been equitable. Has anyone ever seen a film in which James Whitmore and Royal Dano are anything less than terrific? I saw "Face of Fire" in theatrical release, as the second half of a double feature. (The main feature? I've forgotten. But "Face of Fire" remains forever burned into memory.) It's thought-provoking, disturbing, and highly recommended to all.