Schaffner. He’s far from the greatest auteur working in Hollywood from 1968-1978—but the run Franklin Schaffner went on from Planet of the Apes through The Boys from Brazil (especially the stretch from 1968-1973 with four films in the archives) is very impressive. He’s a style-minus director though, his strength here is inarguably the filmography.  He does have a consistency though—Schaffner made epics—just a few years removed from when they largely fell out of favor.

Best film: Patton. Schaffner is a bit in the shadows of George C. Scott’s towering performance and rising star Francis Ford Coppola’s screenplay. But the opening giant American flag set-piece puts forth the tone for the film.

Schaffner is a bit in the shadows of George C. Scott’s towering performance and rising star Francis Ford Coppola’s screenplay. But the opening giant American flag set-piece puts forth the tone for the film.

total archiveable films: 6

top 100 films:  0

top 500 films:  0

top 100 films of the decade:  1 (Patton)

most overrated: I don’t have an overrated film for Schaffner. Planet of the Apes is doing pretty solidly on the TSPDT consensus list- it sits at #1324—a good spot. Patton is the only other film that shows up at all—and that’s underrated.

most underrated :  Papillon should be somewhere in the TSPDT top 2000 and isn’t—but the big travesty here is definitely Patton– it sits at #1810 on the TSPDT consensus list.

Papillon should be somewhere in the TSPDT top 2000 and isn’t

 

gem I want to spotlight :  Papillon. It is a story of endurance, and Schaffner takes his time, so that will be a test for many. However, for those with a little patience, there’s much to admire in the big epic world Schaffner creates, and in the strong dueling lead performances from Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman.

for those with a little patience, there’s much to admire in the big epic world Schaffner creates, and in the strong dueling lead performances from Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman.

stylistic innovations/traits:                             

  • Big brilliant set pieces— big ones, the American flag in Patton, the statue of liberty finale in Planet of the Apes

Big brilliant set pieces— big ones, the American flag in Patton, the statue of liberty finale in Planet of the Apes

  • Maker of epics– big budget prestige pictures
  • He’s an old-school director who worked in the middle of the American Movie brat new wave era. These films could have come out from 1968-1978, or easily could have come out from 1938-1948, or 1988, etc

Maker of epics– big budget prestige pictures– this from Nicholas and Alexandra

top 10

 

  1. Patton
  2. The Planet of the Apes
  3. Papillon
  4. Nicholas and Alexandra
  5. The Boys from Brazil
  6. The Best Man

 

By year and grades

1964- The Best Man R
1968- The Planet of the Apes HR
1970- Patton MS
1971- Nicholas and Alexandra
1973- Papillon HR
1978- The Boys from Brazil R

 

 

*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film

MS is Must-see- top 5-6 quality of the year film

HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film

R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives