A disillusioned banker is promised a botched American dream in this bleak, unique picture of America’s capitalist values.
John Frankenheimer’s Seconds starts in a straightforward manner, a simple yet intriguing premise that mutates into a maddening vision of the American dream. Middle aged Arthur (John Randolph) works a boring and mediocre existence as a banker. He goes day to day uninspired and his relationship with his wife seems tepid at best. But one day he gets a call from a friend whom he thought was dead asking him to meet at a secret location. These early scenes are signposted with dream sequences contrasting Arthur’s usual indifferent demeanour. Intrigued and tired with his meagre reality he takes the plunge and decides to find out what’s going on. Upon arriving he’s offered the chance to start over at life complete with a fake death, a new handsome face and a friendly if a bit Stepford Wivesy neighbourhood. Eventually Arthur agrees and turns into Tony Wilson (Rock Hudson) an artist living in Malibu. He’s given a butler of sorts to help with the adjustment process but soon discovers his new life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Beyond the strong premise is a film that twists and turns not particularly narratively but extremely stylishly through unexpected and disorientating imagery and direction. Sometimes it feels like having a quiet existence is somehow unworthy, the constant pressure to attach a grandiose meaning to life is something that seems to bother every “average Joe”. These themes also bleed into contemporary life and social media emphasis giving the film a modern feel despite being nearly 70 years old. Frankenheimer’s direction is extraordinary, and his technique confidently captures people and situations from bizarre angles and composition that pops and unsettles on screen. This is matched by the masterful camerawork from legendary cinematographer James Wong Howe, beginning his career in 1927, he’s a true trailblazer and it comes creativity to the fore here in Seconds. There are fish eyed POV and over the shoulder shots that make scenes feel sickly and strange and the way the camera is bolted into place while characters move around draws the audience into the mindset of Arthur / Tony and his lack of individuality.
Despite his image as an actor in romantic melodrama Rock Hudson gives a sturdy and mature performance as Tony that feels ahead of its time. Often acting from the 1960s or before naturally seems a touch stilted and unpolished due to certain restraints of the era but Hudson makes the character feel fully rounded through vulnerability mixed with his classic leading man good looks. Seconds is quite obviously a film that other greats afterwards have picked up from, there’s a gloriously bizarre scene involving grape stomping that reminded me of the construction and world of films like The Wicker man or Midsommar.
Yet Seconds is completely its own thing, a confident and ultimately depressing examination of the futility of the way we are structured to live. I suppose it’s saying it’s hard to accept that we can just live. We get up, go to work, eat, sleep, repeat.
Seen on 23/05/25 at BFI Southbank.