Review of The Gypsy Moths (1969) by Mike M — 15 Jul 2011

A man who jumps out of airplanes meets a woman who's afraid to jump out of a loveless marriage. "You have to want to," he says. She does, but does she want to enough? Strong thematic relationship with Seconds, another Frankenheimer film dealing with questions of age and meaning, whether to live before you die, or die to desire and simply grow old.

Kinship between two films is supported by fine cinematography and performances, and some sharp dialogue, notably the nightime stroll with Kerr and Lancaster. I've read this is a minor Frankenheimer, and I'd say it's a minor story, a small melodrama set in Kansas, but it deals with issues that strike a chord, and there's something about seeing these people make this film.

It obviously has little commercial appeal, and the punch it packs is blunted by a sombre seriousness (no Sirkian darkwit here), but is a meaningful story, and a meaningful film for the time. I liked it more than I expected and I'm glad I found it cheap in a second-hand store.

Comes with a Frankenheimer commentary which I know I'll enjoy.