Nonureva Really Surprised!

ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

SincereFinest disgusting, overrated, pointless

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

clanciai Burt Lancaster is the most impressing character here, although both Tony Curtis and Gina Lollobrigida are almost equal to him and many of the other actors as well. The circus world is admirably caught on screen with all its chaotic ingredients of loose ends and relationships, cynical direction bordering on cruelty, elephants and horses, lions breaking loose and of course no limits to intrigue, as there are constant threats of artists quitting. But this is actually a film about the problems of relationships in matters of artistic perfection - they just can't mix. Burt and Tony find each other, but then there is Gina, and Burt, with his greater experience, immediately sees Gina as a mortal threat to the artistry, and so she is, no matter how clever and endearing she appears as she enforces her ambitions at the cost of others. The end is arguable - what actually happens? Will they be able to continue, or will they not? The end is typically abstruse and ambiguous for Carol Reed - he ended a number of his films in the same way with a remaining unanswerable question mark.Above all, the film is a feast to the eyes, after his first colour film "A Kid for Two Farthings" the year before he has considerably developed his artistry for utilizing colours and cinemascope to the full - the film is from beginning to end sparkling with colourful life and actually fathoms the whole circus life completely in all human, animal and artistic aspects. There are some scenes that hit the roof in excellence and unsurpassable top ratings, all the trapeze scenes above all, but also minor scenes, like when Burt and Tony walk on their hands on the street together out of the scene. It's probably the best circus film ever made.

JohnHowardReid It's mighty hard to fit a three-ring circus within the confines of a postage-stamp screen. Cecil B. De Mille tried it with "The Greatest Show On Earth". I always had the feeling that something far more exciting was happening in the out-of-focus background or in the out- of-sight wings than the tin-pot drama unfolding within view.I was right. It took CinemaScope to fully uncover the thrills and excitement a circus has to offer. Mind you, CinemaScope in the eyes of an unimaginative director has little impact (don't see "Ring of Fear"). But in the hands of a great storyteller like Carol Reed, and with the talents of superb stylists like photographer Robert Krasker, composer Malcolm Arnold, and art director Rino Mondellini fully utilized, CinemaScope delivers a mighty punch. In the main, I thought the actors handled their chores engagingly and with charismatic aplomb. With one exception, they all made the script — clichéd though it may have been — come alive for me. That exception was Gina Lollobrigida who played the silly dialogue with far more seriousness than it deserved. But aside from her soap opera posturings, the acting was generally well-judged. Both Lancaster and Curtis, who often seemed to be doing their own stunts, came across appealingly, and there were some attractive portrayals from the support cast — from Thomas Gomez, Katy Jurado, even Minor Watson, and most notably from Johnny Puleo as the dwarf.

ackstasis Carol Reed was one of Britain's most interesting directors, and perhaps most intriguing about his work is his unique brand of stylised realism, the two conflicting moods astutely and unforgettably blended: the handsome, dream-like snow-storm in 'Odd Man Out (1947)'; the woozy war-torn streets of Vienna in 'The Third Man (1949)'; the blending of fantasy against a working-class London background in 'A Kid for Two Farthings (1955).' With 'Trapeze (1956),' Reed deliberately contrasts his use of fantasy and realism. The circus had long held an element of prestige, having spawned a tidy sub-genre of its own, encompassing everything from Lind's 'The Flying Circus (1912)' to DeMille's 'The Greatest Show on Earth (1952).' For decades, the circus has entertained the masses with daring acts of strength and bravery, dangerous animals and extraordinary human performers. But behind this glamour is a less enchanting side of the circus – endless practice sessions, money-hungry managers, and scheming performers who'd place their own interests before those whose lives are being placed in their hands nightly. 'Trapeze' deals with the collision of these two conflicting worlds.Mike Ribble (Burt Lancaster) was once a great "flyer" of the trapeze, one of the few men who could execute a triple somersault. However, a tragic accident left him with a permanent limp, and Mike has since lost all interest in the sport he once dominated. That, at least, is until Tino Orsino (Tony Curtis) arrives in Paris, a keen acrobat who seeks Mike's expert instruction. That Ribble eventually agrees to the partnership is, of course, a given, and their ultimate accomplishments are never in any doubt, but the interplay between Lancaster and Curtis is authentic and entertaining. Reed depicts the indomitable circus prestige through audience applause and the cheerful melody of the "Blue Danube" waltz. When the antagonism being played out behind-the-scenes inexorably spills out into the performing arena, both the applause and the music comes to a standstill. Thus, interjecting into this fantasy world comes the realisation that the circus performers are only human. The reality suddenly becomes clear: one mistake will spell almost certain death.Though Mike and Tino make a formidable team, a romantic complication arises in Lola (Gina Lollobrigida), an ambitious acrobat who'd betray her friends and promise love to anybody whom she thought could aid her career. Lola's exploits are contemptible throughout the film, garnering little sympathy from the audience; one might even suggest that the beating she receives at the hands of her former partners is almost justified by her actions. In any case, the film's conclusion is far too kind to her. Lola chases Mike down a quiet Paris street, perhaps a complementary allusion to Holly Martin's shameful snubbing in the final moments of 'The Third Man (1949).' Maintaining the optimism that Reed displayed previously in 'A Kid for Two Farthings,' this ending offers redemption rather than disgrace to Lola, who is seen to have betrayed her companions, much as Martins betrayed Harry Lime and Anna Schmidt. Most impressive of all is Robert Krasker's creative photography, frequently offering the audience a breathtaking "birds-eye" view of the trapeze routines, like leaning over a precipice into open space.

wes-connors Burt Lancaster (as Mike Ribble), Tony Curtis (as Tino Orsini) and Gina Lollobrigida (as Lola) form a love triangle under the big top. Mr. Lancaster is the older trapeze artist, who continues to fly high, despite suffering from a chronic injury sustained performing the film's famed "triple somersault". Mr. Curtis is Lancaster's brash young protégée; of course, he wants to perform the dangerous "triple somersault". When Ms. Lollobrigida arrives on the circus scene, things understandably heat up for the tightly costumed trio. "Trapeze" is too cliché-ridden to take very seriously. Still, director Carol Reed and cinematographer Robert Krasker create some lovely, colorful, and atmospheric circus scenes. And the performers, particularly Lollobrigida, are in fine form. ****** Trapeze (5/30/56) Carol Reed ~ Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Gina Lollobrigida