IF KATHRYN Ferguson’s splendid and lavishly appointed new documentary Bogart: Life Comes In Flashes confirms one thing over its luxurious 100 minute running time, it’s the simple fact that Humphrey Bogart was never your standard Hollywood leading man.
There was that oddly fey moniker for starters. “With a name like Humphrey DeForest Bogart, you’ve got to be tough” the man himself remarks drolly at one point when asked about the millstone of having perhaps the least street-wise name in Hollywood history.
Then there’s that famously sleepy New York drawl and well lived-in face, which actress Helen Hayes memorably compares to “an old shoe” at one point. Nobody looked quite like Bogie, or sneered with quite the world-weary wonder that he could muster.
Add that all together and you have the makings of a highly unlikely sex symbol and leading man.
Yet, Bogie was undoubtedly both: in a mere two-and-a-half decades he clocked up an impressive 80-odd film appearances, including a selection of certified cinematic classics like Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon.
Read more
- Belfast director Kathryn Ferguson on why Nothing Compares to Sinéad O'ConnorOpens in new window
- Cult Movies: In a Lonely Place finds Bogart perfectly cast for top-notch noirOpens in new window
- Cult Movies: Bogart classic The African Queen sails on in style in pristine new 4K restorationOpens in new window
Never traditionally handsome, his image as the gun-toting, cigarette-sucking, fedora-wearing wise guy just seemed to connect with audiences and it’s a combo that still resonates with film fans to this day.
Ferguson’s documentary traces the story of this strangely charismatic screen icon in a simple, linear format, allowing ‘Bogey’ to tell his own tale via archive footage or words spoken by an actor.
She doesn’t always stick to the format, admittedly - there are ‘experts’ wheeled out to give historical context throughout - but mostly that’s the selling point here.
Life Comes In Flashes is a straightforward Hollywood biography told, mostly, from the star’s very personal viewpoint. Everything rips along at a mighty pace and a hell of a lot of material and wonderful movie clips are squeezed into that generous running time, which means there’s little room for much in the way of detailed film reviews.
What’s lost in film criticism, though, is more than made up for in juicy personal details. Born into money, Bogart gets married four times and dodges ongoing accusations of communist leanings impressively while boozing and galivanting for his country.
Bogart gets married four times and dodges ongoing accusations of communist leanings impressively while boozing and galivanting for his country
There’s clearly a dark side to the man’s persona which this Bogart-estate endorsed production doesn’t avoid, but never really dwells on either.
Framing much of the narrative around the actor’s troubled relationships with the women in his life - from his mother to his wives, including Lauren Bacall - ensures our attention is held throughout.
It’s also a story that’s impressively wide in its scope. Unwound against the backdrop of an ever-changing world that includes the Depression, a brace of World Wars and the ‘Reds under the bed’ scares of the 1950s, this is a fascinating primer for those who maybe know a little about the star but perhaps less about the man himself.
It’s not a production heavy on revelation, but as a lovingly crafted, stylishly made study of one the greatest actors ever to grace the silver screen, Bogart: Life Comes In Flashes is a definite success.
