{"id":112791,"date":"2020-11-16T08:52:40","date_gmt":"2020-11-16T05:52:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/castle-keep-sees-the-real-and-surreal-collide-during-wartime\/"},"modified":"2020-11-16T08:52:40","modified_gmt":"2020-11-16T05:52:40","slug":"castle-keep-sees-the-real-and-surreal-collide-during-wartime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/castle-keep-sees-the-real-and-surreal-collide-during-wartime\/","title":{"rendered":"#&#8217;Castle Keep&#8217; Sees the Real and Surreal Collide During Wartime"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2ceda61438d\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2ceda61438d\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/castle-keep-sees-the-real-and-surreal-collide-during-wartime\/#What_is_%E2%80%98Castle_Keep_about\" >What is \u2018Castle Keep\u2019 about?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/castle-keep-sees-the-real-and-surreal-collide-during-wartime\/#What_makes_%E2%80%98Castle_Keep_sublime\" >What makes \u2018Castle Keep\u2019 sublime?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/castle-keep-sees-the-real-and-surreal-collide-during-wartime\/#And_in_conclusion%E2%80%A6\" >And in conclusion\u2026<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#&#8217;Castle Keep&#8217; Sees the Real and Surreal Collide During Wartime<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\">\n                <\/aside>\n<p><!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 3.7.8--><em>Welcome to\u00a0<strong>The Prime Sublime<\/strong>, a weekly column dedicated to the underseen and underloved films buried beneath page after page of far more popular fare on Amazon\u2019s Prime Video collection. We\u2019re not just cherry-picking obscure titles, though, as these are <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">movies<\/a> that we find beautiful in their own, often unique ways. You might even say we think they\u2019re sublime\u2026 and this week we\u2019re watching American soldiers push back against fascism (and maybe a little bit of madness) in Castle Keep.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cSublime \/s\u0259\u02c8bl\u012bm\/: of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>When you think war-<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">theme<\/a>d tales of off-kilter narratives and oddball characters, the films that most likely come to mind are <em>Catch-22<\/em> (1970), <em>Slaughterhouse-Five<\/em> (1972) and <em>The Ninth Configuration<\/em> (1980). All three are interesting movies, but one that doesn\u2019t get the same level of attention is <strong>Sydney Pollack<\/strong>\u2018s late 60s adaptation of William Eastlake\u2019s novel, <strong><em>Castle Keep<\/em><\/strong>. So let\u2019s change that, shall we? It\u2019s on Amazon Prime, we gave it a watch, and we think you should too!<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_%E2%80%98Castle_Keep_about\"><\/span>What is \u2018Castle Keep\u2019 about?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>World War II is waning, but death, destruction, and madness still reign across Europe. Eight US soldiers, part of a ragtag group made up of survivors from otherwise decimated units, arrive at a castle in Belgium called the Maldorais. The Count and Countess who look after the place welcome the soldiers in the hopes that they can protect it and its contents from being destroyed by the Nazis. The couple are odd \u2014 they dress as if themed to the 10th century castle itself, and when Maj. Falconer (<strong>Burt Lancaster<\/strong>) begins an affair with the Countess, the Count is not only aware of the relationship but actively encourages it.<\/p>\n<p>Their time there is peaceful at first, outside of minor squabbles, but it also grows increasingly odd. Sgt. Rossi (<strong>Peter Falk<\/strong>) meets a baker\u2019s widow in town and im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely falls in love with both her and a renewed interest in baking \u2014 to the point that he leaves the unit and becomes the town baker. Cpl. Clearboy (<strong>Scott Wilson<\/strong>) falls in love too, but it\u2019s with a Volkswagen Beetle. Pvt. Benjamin (<strong>Al Freeman Jr.<\/strong>), meanwhile, is a hopeful writer taking notes on their stay\u2026 and maybe even narrating their fate?<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_makes_%E2%80%98Castle_Keep_sublime\"><\/span>What makes \u2018Castle Keep\u2019 sublime?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cSomeday the world is gonna be populated by nothing but Volkswagens,\u201d says Clearboy, and it\u2019s not even the strangest utterance in Sydney Pollack\u2019s <em>Castle Keep<\/em>. While it opens like many other war films with its motley crew of soldiers and varying personalities, the film quickly begins revealing its quirks. The threat of war hangs in the air despite the initially deceptive calm, and the increasing uncertainty builds a tension that plays off the film\u2019s surreal and blackly comic beats.<\/p>\n<p>The script, by Daniel Taradash and David Rayfiel, makes an effort to offer each of the characters their own distinct personality traits. We learn who they are through actions both alone and together, and it works well to add a level of humanity to each of them. Two standing guard enter into conversation with an unseen German hiding in the bushes over a broken flute, and what seems friendly takes a dark turn. A group of straggler soldiers (led by <strong>Bruce Dern<\/strong>) roam the streets preaching and singing about being celibate conscientious objectors. Capt. Beckman (<strong>Patrick O\u2019Neal<\/strong>) finds himself torn between his own barely concealed attraction to the Countess and his even stronger infatuation with the castle\u2019s artwork.<\/p>\n<p>These recognizable traits make their individual and inevitable fates all the more affecting. We\u2019ve watched them living \u2014 not killing or leading rote soldier lives \u2014 and seeing them die lands with more than a generic hit. This remains the case even as the action moves between the epic (a tank driving through a church) to the absurd (the ladies who work at the Red Queen \u201cwhorehouse\u201d joining in and tossing Molotov cocktails at the approaching Germans). War is hell, and hell is bloody confusion and mayhem.<\/p>\n<p>The action in <em>Castle Keep<\/em> is kept to a minimum and occurs mostly in the film\u2019s third act, but it\u2019s no less exciting and thrilling for it. After more than an hour of character beats, surreal humor and wonder, and an increasing uncertainty as to the soldiers\u2019 location in space and time, the violence is a stark reminder for characters and audiences alike. As much as they might wish to be elsewhere or in different situations, they are at war \u2014 and there may not be any escape. \u201cYou\u2019re a dreamer,\u201d says one of the men to Benjamin. \u201cThey\u2019ll get you first.\u201d It\u2019s a personal statement, to be sure, but it\u2019s also an angry observation about how the world targets our most vulnerable and necessary at times. It\u2019s tragedy paired with a slightly askew grin, and the film leaves viewers thinking which is never, ever, a bad thing.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"And_in_conclusion%E2%80%A6\"><\/span>And in conclusion\u2026<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><em>Castle Keep<\/em> is a war film, but it\u2019s as much of an argument for the necessity of violence as it is against it. That\u2019s a rarity for the subgenre for obvious reasons, but it works well here alongside a surreal atmosphere. The reality of it all comes into question throughout, but the characters and the humanity remain.<\/p>\n<p>Want more sublime Prime finds? Of course, you do.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/castle-keep-1969\/#utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=castle-keep-1969\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#&#8217;Castle Keep&#8217; Sees the Real and Surreal Collide During Wartime&#8221; Welcome to\u00a0The Prime Sublime, a weekly column dedicated to the underseen and underloved films buried beneath page after page of far more popular fare on Amazon\u2019s Prime Video collection. We\u2019re not just cherry-picking obscure titles, though, as these are movies that we find beautiful in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":112792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/castle-keep.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[1394,80156,1396],"class_list":["post-112791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-amazon-prime","tag-castle-keep","tag-the-prime-sublime"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112791"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112791\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}