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<\/a>By William Kozy<\/strong><\/p>\nKnown for his purple prose monologues, Rod Serling\u2019s opening to \u201cThe Purple Testament\u201d was just that\u2014a testament to his skill at such poetic prose: \u201cInfantry platoon, U.S. Army, Phillipine Islands, 1945. These are the faces of the young men who fight, as if some omniscient painter had mixed a tube of oils that were at one time earth brown, dust gray, blood red, beard black, and fear – yellow white, and these men were the models. For this is the province of combat, and these are the faces of war.\u201d<\/p>\n
The episode has an intriguing premise, but probably could have used a bit more narrative ingenuity to follow it up with in terms of active engagement on the protagonist\u2019s part rather then passivity. Perhaps this is what held it back somewhat in my survey asking, \u201cWhat is your favorite episode of the original Twilight Zone series?\u201d \u201cThe Purple Testament\u201d received only 4 votes, tying it with 9 other episodes for 124th thru 132nd place.<\/p>\n
Lieutenant Fitzgerald (William Reynolds) has found himself, inexplicably, suddenly possessing the ability to know who amongst his comrades is going to die simply by seeing their faces light up with an eerie glow. When the platoon arrives back to base camp after taking a bridge, the sullen Reynolds is stopped by Captain Riker, played here by Dick York who is better in this dramatic role than in the comedic \u201cA Penny for Your Thoughts.\u201d Riker has noticed that Fitzgerald looks bothered, and so offers to share a bottle of Philippine tuba (a coconut wine) back at his tent to talk it out. As he questions Fitzgerald compassionately, Reynolds plays the scene with an off-putting style of defensiveness. He comes off that way throughout the episode and it doesn\u2019t serve him well. Our sympathy for him ebbs a bit every time he answers a question with a tone that sounds like he\u2019d like to pick a fight.<\/p>\n
In this initial conversation, Fitzgerald unloads his burden and shows Riker a slip of paper on which he wrote the names of the four platoon members that died on that day\u2019s mission. The kicker: he tells Riker that he wrote those four names down yesterday. Fitzgerald explains how he looked into 44 faces, and when he looked into those four men\u2019s faces, \u201cI knew they were gonna get it\u201d he says. Riker notes that it is indeed \u201cfunny\u201d but we\u2019re not sure yet exactly what he thinks of it, or of Fitzgerald\u2019s mental health. He tries out a possibility, asking Fitzgerald with vehemence, if he\u2019s sure he wrote the names down yesterday. But Fitzgerald is sure.<\/p>\n
In the next scene, Riker is at the hospital seeking insight from the medical officer Captain Gunther (Barney Phillips, the counterman from \u201cWill The Real Martian Please Stand Up?\u201d). But Gunther has found nothing in Fitzgerald\u2019s records to indicate anything troubling. Gunther suggests they run some tests, which Riker is thankful for since Fitzgerald is \u201cone of our best officers.\u201d Fitzgerald is actually there also at the hospital visiting Smitty, one of his soldiers who is laid up in bed with an injury. Smitty has beads of sweat all over him, and in fact everyone in the cast consistently looks like they\u2019ve walked through a spa mister before doing a scene, to get us to feel the humidity. As Fitzgerald gives Smitty an encouraging word and starts to leave, he looks back at Smitty who has thanked him. But Fitzgerald is horrified to see that Smitty\u2019s face is lit up with that same glowing light, and so Fitzgerald faints.<\/p>\n
He wakes up to see an orderly standing over him, and guess who it is? It\u2019s future film director Paul Mazursky, who helps him to his feet. As they look over at Smitty, he looks as though he has passed on and sure enough the orderly checks his vitals and confirms it. Fitzgerald sulkily walks downstairs where he runs into Riker and tells him the bad news.
\nAnd when Captain Gunther comes out and the orderly reports the death, Gunther says he\u2019ll go up and take look which triggers a temper tantrum from Fitzgerald which feels a bit out of tune, but nonetheless raises the question at least in Fitzgerald\u2019s mind, as to whether he\u2019s causing the deaths, or merely seeing who will die? After Gunther tells him that he\u2019s cracking under pressure, Fitzgerald argues that predicting five out of five is beyond coincidence, but he also raves that \u201cone thing you might do while you\u2019re waiting and scratching, you might put tape over my eyes or poke them out. Do something so I won\u2019t be able to see, so I won\u2019t have to look at any more faces!\u201d And with that he pushes them aside as he exits.<\/p>\n
Next we see Riker giving an overview of the next battle plan to his officers. Actor York is just too amiable-natured and can\u2019t resist a big warm friendly smile as he dismisses them with a \u201cGood luck.\u201d It belies the grimness of war. But anyway, the worst happens. Fitzgerald then sees Riker\u2019s face light up with the death-glow. As Fitzgerald turns away and leans against a tent pole, Riker asks if he\u2019s well enough take a platoon. Fitzgerald warns the Captain not to go, and when asked why, Fitzgerald silently turns to face Riker. Without a word spoken, Riker understands, and York does a nice gesture, reaching up tentatively to his own face, to see if he can feel the glow. But Riker strikes out angrily, snapping at Fitzgerald, \u201cWe\u2019ll talk about it when we get back! We\u2019ll have a drink to it!\u201d It\u2019s a nice psychological moment, as Riker fights back any fear he may have about Fitzgerald\u2019s \u201cgift.\u201d Reynolds responds, \u201cCaptain you won\u2019t be drinking to anything, \u2018cause you\u2019re not coming back!\u201d The writing of that line of dialogue feels inappropriately antagonistic, so it\u2019s hard to blame Reynolds for his belligerent delivery. Fitzgerald storms off, and the scene ends movingly as Riker checks his gun, but then takes out some family photos from his wallet, lays them on the table, and then takes off his wedding ring to lay down on top of the photos.<\/p>\n
As the platoon prepares to board their transport, one scared soldier asks Fitzgerald \u201cEverybody says you know who\u2019s gonna get it and who isn\u2019t. Well how about it Lieutenant?\u201d\u2026\u201dIt ain\u2019t fair if you know who\u2019s gonna get it and who isn\u2019t!\u201d He gets more frantic, but the Sergeant steps in and pulls him off. Riker also steps forward and assures everyone that no one here is a mindreader, to which Fitzgerald gives in and agrees, knowing it\u2019s for the best.<\/p>\n
When they come back from the successful mission, Fitzgerald wanders into the tent and sees Riker\u2019s photos and ring. One can\u2019t help wonder if he\u2019s comforted at least a little bit that this is a sign of Riker believing Fitzgerald, something that Fitzgerald was begging for in previous scenes: \u201cI just want you to believe me!\u201d Fitzgerald takes out dog tags from his pocket and lays them alongside the photos. Riker\u2019s dog tags.<\/p>\n
Captain Gunther shows up and tells Fitzgerald that he\u2019s to report back to Division so that they can take a look at him. Gunther tells him it\u2019ll be a nice rest for him, but he should pack up and get ready. After doing so, Fitzgerald catches sight of himself in a shaving mirror. And yes, his own face takes on the eerie glow. With the glumness of a man walking to his execution, Fitzgerald heads to the Jeep and steps hopelessly into it. Another surprise future star pops up\u2014the driver is a young Warren Oates who would one day star in film classics such as In the Heat of the Night (1967), The Wild Bunch (1969), and Badlands (1973).<\/p>\n
The driver is an affable sort, and tells Fitzgerald to get comfortable since he guesses they have a 4-hour ride ahead of them. To which Mr. Sour Puss says, \u201cDo we? I doubt it.\u201d Maybe if Reynolds didn\u2019t accompany these ornery lines of dialogue with such a combative delivery he could have softened the overall contentiousness. A disconcerted, more careworn portrayal was needed instead of an aggressive one. Actors need to be very aware of the tone that suits a story, even if the dialogue reads somewhat differently. They don\u2019t always have to think, \u201cGee, this dialogue feels very aggressive so I guess I\u2019ll play the part belligerently.\u201d Sometimes, the artistry and color palette of a performance is better when a performer makes tonal choices that offset the color of the written words. This would have added layering to \u201cThe Purple Testament.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll rate the episode a 5.8<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n [si-contact-form form=’2′]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [AdSense-A] By William Kozy Known for his purple prose monologues, Rod Serling\u2019s opening to \u201cThe Purple Testament\u201d was just that\u2014a testament to his skill at such poetic prose: \u201cInfantry platoon, U.S. Army, Phillipine Islands, 1945. These are the faces of the young men who fight, as if some omniscient painter had mixed a tube of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[25633],"class_list":["post-100855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-boxing-news","tag-the-twilight-zone-review-the-purple-testament"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=100855"}],"version-history":[{"count":-2,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100855\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=100855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=100855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=100855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}