This film depicts a small-town soldier (Robert Walker) on 48-hour leave in New York City. Confounded by the metropolis and its hurried pace, he latches onto a NYC resident (Judy Garland)who spends her time showing him the sights.
In The Clock, the couple (Joe and Alice)is the focus of the film. Naturally, chemistry between the two is important to the success of the story. Robert Walker would not be my first choice for a romantic lead. On the other hand, he was brilliant playing a quirky role in Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. Others on this site have acclaimed the chemistry in this film. For me, it was a little forced.
Director Vincente Minnelli really tries to convince us that the couple is falling in love. Look closely and you will find his approach is very heavy-handed. During a key scene in Central Park, he practically forces the two into each other's arms by serenading them with sounds of the city, which are then enhanced by a full choir and music that practically shouts "destiny!" as the strings swell.
The City of New York is a major character in this film. The two characters only have 48 hours to fall in love and make something of this relationship. The harried pace of NYC contributes to the feeling that time is running out for them. At the same time, the scenes of Penn Station, Central Park and The Metropolitan Museum of Art are mere backdrops, because the lovers only have eyes for each other.
Minnelli relies heavily on montages to portray the passage of time and, for the most part, he is successful. Joe and Alice encounter all the denizens of the night who illustrate that, as much as NYC is a city of strangers, it is populated by individuals who can be quite giving and interesting. At the same time, city bureaucracy is a formidable obstacle that can only be conquered with the help of individuals who are willing to see a fellow human. And with love, of course.
After the couple wins its race against the clock and city bureaucracy, notice how Minnelli brings the sound level down to a solemn level, then to silence in a pantomime scene. Finally, in a trackside scene, he shows us that Joe and Alice are only one example of the tableaux that are part of the wartime experience.
The Clock is very watchable, even if you don't find the chemistry between Walker and Garland. If you buy into it, this is a fine romance.
In The Clock, the couple (Joe and Alice)is the focus of the film. Naturally, chemistry between the two is important to the success of the story. Robert Walker would not be my first choice for a romantic lead. On the other hand, he was brilliant playing a quirky role in Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train. Others on this site have acclaimed the chemistry in this film. For me, it was a little forced.
Director Vincente Minnelli really tries to convince us that the couple is falling in love. Look closely and you will find his approach is very heavy-handed. During a key scene in Central Park, he practically forces the two into each other's arms by serenading them with sounds of the city, which are then enhanced by a full choir and music that practically shouts "destiny!" as the strings swell.
The City of New York is a major character in this film. The two characters only have 48 hours to fall in love and make something of this relationship. The harried pace of NYC contributes to the feeling that time is running out for them. At the same time, the scenes of Penn Station, Central Park and The Metropolitan Museum of Art are mere backdrops, because the lovers only have eyes for each other.
Minnelli relies heavily on montages to portray the passage of time and, for the most part, he is successful. Joe and Alice encounter all the denizens of the night who illustrate that, as much as NYC is a city of strangers, it is populated by individuals who can be quite giving and interesting. At the same time, city bureaucracy is a formidable obstacle that can only be conquered with the help of individuals who are willing to see a fellow human. And with love, of course.
After the couple wins its race against the clock and city bureaucracy, notice how Minnelli brings the sound level down to a solemn level, then to silence in a pantomime scene. Finally, in a trackside scene, he shows us that Joe and Alice are only one example of the tableaux that are part of the wartime experience.
The Clock is very watchable, even if you don't find the chemistry between Walker and Garland. If you buy into it, this is a fine romance.