Review of James Stewart, Robert Mitchum: The Two Faces of America

While I was always under the impression that Robert Mitchum was a relatively unknown actor (at least by today's standards) this documentary goes to show that he was right up there with Jimmy Stewart in terms of popularity and talent. Because this isn't really a movie, there isn't a storyline, and the focus is purely set on Stewart, Mitchum, and how each one of them contributed to the greatness of film. Along the way, we're treated to interviews with such esteemed people as Leonard Maltin, who seems to show up everywhere. Also interviewed are the daughters of Jimmy Stewart, who provide insight into their father's often bleak and harsh life. Not many people know this, but Stewart was the highest ranking actor ever to also serve in the military. He flew planes during World War 2 and both his grandfathers were in the Civil War. We're told that Stewart was no shirker when it came to his service, as his superiors actually wanted him to stay behind the camera and not fight on the frontlines, convinced he'd be more valuable that way. Jimmy became a pilot anyway. I really have to give him credit because most people would look for a way to escape war. Later, we're shown how difficult Stewart's life was when his son Ronald goes to fight in Vietnam, and is killed there. To put more salt on the wound, Jimmy's other son was an objector to the war. Ronald's death emotionally wrecked Stewart and his daughters say he never really got over it. He continued to treat the war in vietnam as a necessity, even after what happened. This is something that is mirrored by Mitchum, one of the all time classic noir actors. Mitchum traveled to vietnam for himself in order to improve morale, and told the servicemen there that they're fighting the good fight. He didn't echo the viewpoint most people have today, that being the vietnam war was one of the biggest mistakes in US history. Although Mitchum didn't serve in the military during ww2, he still contributed to ultimate victory by helping to assemble fighter planes at a factory owned by Lockheed. This is lucky for him, as he wasn't subjected to the horrible rigors of war the same way Jimmy was. At one point, we're shown how Jimmy's daughters find their father's logbook from ww2 after he died, and large amounts of his squadron mates were killed on missions. They said that sometimes, even looking at him made them sad. Because of his time in the air force, Stewart was able to blow away audiences with his first film made after the war: It's a Wonderful Life. Although not well received back in the 40s, today it's considered one of the most iconic Holiday movies, and Stewart is able to portray a suicidal man so well simply because he experienced war. As for Mitchum, we get to see he was a bit of a troublemaker since he was caught smoking weed once after working for RKO in the late 40s. Despite this, his popularity was still as high as ever. In fact, I think noir fans were happy to see an idol of theirs leading a life of (minor) crime both on and off the screen. In terms of the movies they made together, there's only one that fits the bill. The Big Sleep, released in 1978, is the only movie in which Jimmy and Robert appear side by side. Their respective heights of popularity were long gone, but it's nice to see them together in a film, despite how different they are. Stewart and Mitchum would later both die in July 1997, one day apart from each other. This is a good example of a biographical documentary. It doesn't cover everything about the lives of Robert or Jimmy, because then it would be way too long, but it does hit most of the important points well. I liked how it sort of alludes to Mitchum and Stewart being two sides of the same coin. Stewart was a good example of a good guy, as he mostly played friendly characters who you can relate to. Mitchum was the opposite, and was most well known for his work in noir, where he was often painted as an antihero. Don't forget that protagonists can be malicious too.