BOXCAR
BERTHA (1972)Director: Martin Scorsese
MGM Home Entertainment
BOXCAR
BERTHA (1972)The release on DVD of Martin Scorsese's first Hollywood film should be cause for celebration. But buyer beware, this is a Roger Corman-produced, low-budget crime flick more on the level of BLOODY MAMA or DILLINGER but not nearly as violent or camp.
The trouble begins immediately
with production values that suffer from that Cormanesque trait of cutting corners
at all costs. The wardrobe is an afterthought and in many cases not authentic
for the period. If it were not for the vintage railroad cars, there 
would
really be no film at all.
This is a painfully slow and surprisingly dull affair lightened only by Barbara Hershey's numerous nude scenes and gratuitous sexual encounters that try to offset the lack of bloodshed. It is obvious that Corman was trying to make a BONNIE AND CLYDE on $1.98.
Like Bonnie Parker, the character
of Bertha Thompson has fascinating possibilities and if Scorsese had been allowed
the luxury of scripting the true life exploits of Bertha (who spent most of
her life riding the rails and living in boxcars), "Sister of the Road"
the autobiography of Boxcar Bertha told to Dr. Ben I. Reitman, he would have
had a minor classic, not to 
mention
a better movie.
The performances of David Carradine
and Barbara Hershey are the glue that holds whatever there is to keep BOXCAR
BERTHA on the right track. Carradine is more believable than anyone else in
the film and one can see this as a dry run for his star turn as Woody Guthrie
in BOUND FOR GLORY. Hershey does not fare quite so well as this film was made
at the height of Flower Power and AIP was very hip to that. Hershey is more
of a hippie than a Depression-era rebel. And the Southern accent comes and goes
but not a
s
bad as co-stars Barry Primus and most of the extras that camp up their accents
to no avail.
Scorsese is a hired gun in every sense of the word on this film yet his talent is obvious and the ending of BOXCAR BERTHA is the only reason anyone remembers or cares about this opus. It is with this (shall we say) Biblical ending that the reputation of BOXCAR BERTHA rests. This is a film to see mainly as a historical footnote to a great director's career.
Some
of the touches are worth noting. David's father, the great John Carradine, has
a small but significant cameo as the railroad baron who sets in motion the revenge
to be meted out on our dime store Bonnie and Clyde. Two of the thugs are called
Pressburger and Powell in honor of that mythic collaboration of the Archers
that Scorsese would lionize later on in his career. It is to his credit that
the violence is downplayed but nothing could save the lack of funds and threadbare
script to make this film a real Scorsese production. For trivia buffs, try and
catch Scorsese's cameo in the film.
The music (by Gib Guilbeau and
Thad Maxwell) is one of the most auth
entic
touches the film has to offer with a Southern bluegrass flavor that compliments
the period perfectly.
The transfer of BOXCAR BERTHA is excellent and undoubtedly is the best this film has ever looked outside of the drive-ins that played it upon its original release. The supplementals consist of the original theatrical trailer and a widescreen anamorphic presentation of 1.85:1. The film is subtitled in English, French and Spanish and is also close captioned along with Dolby Digital sound.
Let's hope that the balance of AIP's output is made available in the near future. Are you listening, MGM Home Entertainment? (Christopher Dietrich)