Ace in the Hole (a.k.a The Big Carnival; 1951)
Director: Billy Wilder
This must be one of the first movies that take a swipe at the evil of the media and the way they exploit the situation with only one intention on their mind, for financial gains. That is all. The apparent concern and empathy is all just show. Even though the media helps to showcase to the world, it has its own personal agenda. Put in Kirk Douglas, a smirk journalist with an attitude problem and some punchy line and you have it- a blockbuster which is eternally carved in the annals of time as a great film.
Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas), lands in an Albuquerque newspaper office after thrown out disgracefully of many papers back in the East. He is dreaming of a break which would put him at par with a Pulitzer winner. He dreams on.
He is sent to cover a rattlesnake show. En route to the venue, at a stopover for petrol, Chuck and his rookie photographer hear about a cave-in at an Indian reservation site. The owner of the petrol station, Leo, is trapped. The reservation area is filled with stories of curse and superstitions. Grabbing their chance, Chuck and his assistant report the story and hog the headlines for the next few days. They manage to garner the attention of people from miles away.
Leo's wife, Lorraine, is a bored ex-waitress at a nightclub joint which is tied down by an unfulfilling marriage. She cannot wait to scoot off from all these and be in the midst of the bright of the city once again. She thinks that this is her chance, but Chuck talks her into staying put and act as an anxious wife at least for the media.
As Leo lays trapped in ruins, the popularity of the run-down town soars.
A corrupt power crazy Sheriff uses this opportunity to improve his chances for re-election. Actually, the idea was given by Chuck!
Lorraine is not complaining either. Her small cafe had not ever seen so much business. Somebody even starts collecting money at the reservation site. Scores of busloads and trainloads of people join in the fracas while Leo stays trapped and is slowly dying. Even the circus comes to town! A rescue fund is launched.
On the sly, Chuck gets exclusive rights to visit Leo in the cave and the rights to the story. He holds his office at ransom and throws his weight around. To drag on the story, he manages to convince the unsure rescue worker the longer way to get the victim, just so that the rescue mission and the story stays on longer!
As the story goes on and Leo's life is in a limbo hanging by a thread, he sees the love that Leo has for his wife and how his wife does not care a damn about him. Chuck realises his own mistake and tries to make amends...
A gripping tale which was based on real events.
The lesson that one can learn at the end is that no one actually cares what turns out for others. All they are interested in is their own agenda. And churning money and making a business out of everything in spite of your misery while appearing to sympathise and empathise to your predicament. Beware, it may be fake. People who seem too good to be true may not just be!
Director: Billy Wilder
This must be one of the first movies that take a swipe at the evil of the media and the way they exploit the situation with only one intention on their mind, for financial gains. That is all. The apparent concern and empathy is all just show. Even though the media helps to showcase to the world, it has its own personal agenda. Put in Kirk Douglas, a smirk journalist with an attitude problem and some punchy line and you have it- a blockbuster which is eternally carved in the annals of time as a great film.Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas), lands in an Albuquerque newspaper office after thrown out disgracefully of many papers back in the East. He is dreaming of a break which would put him at par with a Pulitzer winner. He dreams on.
He is sent to cover a rattlesnake show. En route to the venue, at a stopover for petrol, Chuck and his rookie photographer hear about a cave-in at an Indian reservation site. The owner of the petrol station, Leo, is trapped. The reservation area is filled with stories of curse and superstitions. Grabbing their chance, Chuck and his assistant report the story and hog the headlines for the next few days. They manage to garner the attention of people from miles away.
Leo's wife, Lorraine, is a bored ex-waitress at a nightclub joint which is tied down by an unfulfilling marriage. She cannot wait to scoot off from all these and be in the midst of the bright of the city once again. She thinks that this is her chance, but Chuck talks her into staying put and act as an anxious wife at least for the media.
As Leo lays trapped in ruins, the popularity of the run-down town soars.
A corrupt power crazy Sheriff uses this opportunity to improve his chances for re-election. Actually, the idea was given by Chuck!
Lorraine is not complaining either. Her small cafe had not ever seen so much business. Somebody even starts collecting money at the reservation site. Scores of busloads and trainloads of people join in the fracas while Leo stays trapped and is slowly dying. Even the circus comes to town! A rescue fund is launched.On the sly, Chuck gets exclusive rights to visit Leo in the cave and the rights to the story. He holds his office at ransom and throws his weight around. To drag on the story, he manages to convince the unsure rescue worker the longer way to get the victim, just so that the rescue mission and the story stays on longer!
As the story goes on and Leo's life is in a limbo hanging by a thread, he sees the love that Leo has for his wife and how his wife does not care a damn about him. Chuck realises his own mistake and tries to make amends...
A gripping tale which was based on real events.
The lesson that one can learn at the end is that no one actually cares what turns out for others. All they are interested in is their own agenda. And churning money and making a business out of everything in spite of your misery while appearing to sympathise and empathise to your predicament. Beware, it may be fake. People who seem too good to be true may not just be!
Quotable quote...
It's a good story today. Tomorrow, it'll be yesterday's news and they'll wrap a fish in it.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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