Very Cool!!!

Amateur movie with Big budget

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

I wanted to comment on BACK FROM ETERNITY. I don't think the remake, as fine as it is, was really justified. Unless I am missing something, it does not seem an improvement over FIVE CAME BACK in any way and is virtually a shot-for-shot reproduction. Usually, a studio (in this case, RKO) will remake a property to take advantage of newer technologies-- here they could have filmed it in Technicolor but did not. Or something is re-filmed, because there might be a way to get around the production code and push the story in a slightly new direction. But Farrow, who directed both films, plays it safe. He is no Otto Preminger, and he keeps his actors rather restrained. I think the remake could have included more horror in the second half, when they are stranded in the jungle. And even a bit of science fiction might have been added, giving us a slightly different reason why their plane was forced down and who put them on that island. RKO could have ensured the remake turned out to be something a bit different, something a lot more daring, and something that was even more of a masterpiece than the original.

Back from Eternity (1956)A surprisingly well made movie. The plot is a big contrivance in a way, a calculated drama of conflicting character types in a survival situation. But the acting is excellent, the script tight, and the direction and pacing really strong. Robert Ryan leads the group, literally as the pilot of the doomed plane, and he's in great, restrained form. Eventually he is matched, as an actor, but the nuanced, quirky Rod Steiger, who plays a criminal of sorts. The two leading women are Anita Ekberg, who is here as an ornament as usual, but ends up being a decent character after all, and Phyllis Kirk, and dependable secondary actress.It's probably coincidence, but here is a movie about an airplane by the studio (RKO) run by Howard Hughes, and aircraft industrialist. And it was one of RKO's last films, being ruined (along with all the studios) by the collapse of Old Hollywood. While not a big budget movie, the sets are contrived to work within their limitations, being stuck, as it were, in the jungle. The weirdest thing here might be that the director (and producer), John Farrow, made the same movie in 1939. The first one is supposed to be better, but I haven't seen it, and this one holds its own. Partly it's just the searing acting of Steiger, and of Ryan. If the plot were not quite so improbable, and the inevitable weeding out of the survivors from the victims, the movie might be considered really excellent. It never wavers (except maybe the girl fight in the pool, which is stupidity), and it has lots of nuances and romantic touches.

The long list of great movies attributed to Robert Ryan span from here to eternity and beyond. This film which is among his best is entitled " Back From Eternity. " It tells the story of a group of nine passengers traveling aboard a plane destined for remote locations. Unfortunately, the plane is forced to crash in the uncivilized, headhunter jungles of South America and the audience becomes more acquainted with the passenger list as they are exposed to indigenous danger. Robert Ryan is Bill Lonagan, the tired, world weary veteran pilot, who dreams of a place in the sun. Rod Steiger plays Vasquel, a condemned man facing the gallows. Keith Andes is Joe Brooks, the ever stalwart Co-Pilot. Gene Barry, Fred Clark, Jesse White and Jon Provost add definite color to the cast as does Anita Ekberg, Phyllis Kirk, Louise Melhorn, Beulah Bondi, Martha Spangler as the Stewardess. Each have reasons to live and a couple the courage to die. In between we learn just how deep convictions are and what we believe is not what we expect from appearances. Rod Steiger gives a sterling performance which should have earned him an Academy Award. The film has a certain panache worthy of a Classic and we who view it should be fortunate to have seen it. Recommended to any looking for a great movie.****

There were two problems with Back From Eternity which is not the fault of the people who actually made this film. RKO Studios was going out of business as Howard Hughes was busy folding it up. The film was released and then very quickly was on television as the entire RKO film library was. The second is unfortunately the film came out in the wake of The High and the Mighty. Most airplane pictures suffer in comparison to that one.Not mind you that it could have been given better productions values. Color for the jungle scenes and maybe some location shooting instead of dusting off the same sets used for Five Came Back, for that matter for King Kong. Remember RKO was owned by one of aviation's biggest boosters in Howard Hughes. Not that he couldn't have afforded some better productions values. But then again he was getting out of the film business at this time. Then again had he put some money into it, we also would have had more Hughes control and the results might have been interesting. Not necessarily good, but interesting.That being said the cast does a fine job for director John Farrow. Like John Wayne in The High and the Mighty, Robert Ryan is fine as the able veteran airline pilot in charge of getting his passengers and crew back to safety after they've force landed in the South American jungle. Of course with the pulchritudinous Anita Ekberg on board and interested that's enough to give anyone a morale booster. Rod Steiger plays the criminal on the way to his execution, a part done by Joseph Calleia in the original. Both are fine and are an interesting contrast in acting styles.John Farrow added a few things here that were not in the original. One of the dumber things added was a chick fight between Phyllis Kirk and Anita Ekberg while they are stranded in the jungle. I mean was that really necessary John? Added nothing to the plot and kind of stupid when you come to think about it.Still, chick fight and all, Back from Eternity is a good solid piece of entertainment that also asks some important questions about the quality of life collectively and the quality of how one spends his allotted time on earth.