Trading Places (DVD)

...The premise of John Landis' Trading Places (1983) is simple - do we get where we are through breeding or circumstance? Trading Places examines this issue in quite an exaggerated way but none the less is does make you think (in amongst the odd giggle) about what if life was different. The film doesn't even try to examine this idea in a clever or complicated way. You wouldn't hear anyone discussing this film and saying "ah but what the film is ...
...who own a successful commodities trading firm. Betting is therefore effectively part of their business and this often spills into little personal bets with each other. So what is the premise of their latest bet? Very simply can you take a common criminal and turn them into a successful business man and at the same if you take away all the privilege of a successful and well bred business man, can you turn him into a common criminal?

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This is one of my comfort films - the sort I put on when I'm not feeling very well. I have loved this film for years and it's always a pleasure to watch whenever it is on the television. The premise of John Landis' Trading Places (1983) is simple - do we get where we are through breeding or circumstance? Trading Places examines this issue in quite an exaggerated way but none the less is does make you think (in amongst the odd giggle) about what if life was different. The film doesn't even try to examine this idea in a clever or complicated way. You wouldn't hear anyone discussing this film and saying "ah but what the film is really about is" or "but this scene represented this idea" it rolls its sleeves up and gets right to the point.

I will try not to give too much away but set in Philadelphia in the run up to Christmas, Mortimer and Randolph Duke are two callous individuals who own a successful commodities trading firm. Betting is therefore effectively part of their business and this often spills into little personal bets with each other. So what is the premise of their latest bet? Very simply can you take a common criminal and turn them into a successful business man and at the same if you take away all the privilege of a successful and well bred business man, can you turn him into a common criminal?

The Victims
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Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd at his pompous best) is the shining light of Duke & Duke - he instinctively knows the commodities markets and his insight leads to very healthy profits. He has a mansion style house, man-servant, membership to exclusive establishment style clubs and a beautiful fiancée. He has everything he could wish for and more. Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) on the other hand has nothing and begs and steals his way through life. So when an accidental coming together of these two is witnessed by Mortimer and Randolph (Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy) and results in Billy Ray being arrested for trying to steal Louis' briefcase, the two hatch a plan to deprive Winthorpe of everything to see if he will sink as low as to commit crime and if Valentine, having been given Winthorpe's job, mansion and man servant and privilege would become a successful businessman.

The fall of Louis Winthorpe III
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As previously mentioned Louis Winthorpe III was a Harvard man and successful commodities trader with Duke & Duke. His success was well rewarded by the company. They provided an elegantly appointed and grandly decorated house with a manservant, Coleman (superbly played by Denholm Elliot). He is a member of an exclusive club full of similarly arrogant, snobbish business men and he is about to marry his fiancée Penelope. He dines on lobster and champagne, wears expensive clothes but it is all the back of his work for Duke & Duke.

After his encounter with Billy Ray Valentine and the consequent bet the Duke brothers decide to enlist the services of the Clarence Beeks who is paid (from payroll even though he does not work for the company) to do all of their dirty work, to not only frame Winthorpe in a crime (the nature and severity of this crime is so small in the scheme of things!) but do it in such a way as to totally alienate him from his peers and destroy his reputation. He is arrested and Beeks bribes the police and a prostitute Ophelia (Jamie Lee Curtis) to ensure that when his fiancée comes to the police station with bail and to inform him that he has been sacked from Duke & Duke, even she won't stand by him. To then add insult to injury, having no money on him he has to accept a taxi ride with Ophelia back to his house, only to find that Coleman has been let in on the secret and he refuses to let him in, pretending not to know him. Winthorpe vows to clear his name but needs a place to stay and offers to pay Ophelia a substantial amount of money (when he has cleared his name) in exchange for her help.

The rise of Billy Ray Valentine and further fall of Louis Winthorpe III
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After being arrested for trying to give Winthorpe back his briefcase(!) the Duke brothers have all charges again Valentine dropped and state their intention to give him everything he had ever dreamed of and a job. At first he thinks it's a wind up but as it sinks in a big transformation begins to happen. He adapts quickly, becomes responsible, works hard and proves that he is a quick learner - he proves to be as good as the last incumbent of his position. He establishes a good relationship with Coleman but still tells it how it is!

Whilst this is going on, Winthorpe sinks even lower, although he is beginning to enjoy a close developing friendship with Ophelia. He has to resort to pawning valued possessions like his watch which he is accused of stealing, and seeing Valentine through a restaurant window at a dinner being held in the same esteem as he used to be he finally snaps. Dressed as Santa Claus and drunk he turns up to the Duke & Duke Christmas party intent on framing or killing Valentine. Unsuccessful he goes to leave, whilst getting even more drunk and then something happens which turns the film in its head.

The fall of the Duke brothers and reinstatement of Louis Winthorpe III
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Seeing Winthorpe in such a decrepit way, the Duke brothers realise it is time to settle the bet. Unfortunately they do not realise that Valentine has overheard them and although they acknowledge how well he as done they both agree that they could not keep him on as he was black. As Valentine is leaving he sees Winthorpe and follows him to Ophelia's where he finds Winthorpe in a desperate state and takes him back to his real home. Upon discovering the truth of the situation, Winthorpe, Valentine, Coleman and Ophelia decide to teach the Dukes a lesson that would take away all that they valued - their money - by feeding them false information about a commodity report (which the Dukes had tried to see before it was published - that man Beeks again!) and trading against them.

There is of course something quite stereotypical about the film which seems to reflect American society and was certainly prevalent in 1980s US cinema. You have the race issue - you have a film set in one of the more historical centres of the US with "old" families and the predominantly upper class white business man and then you have the black lower class conman/criminal. You have the typical portrayal of snobbish, 1980s Harvard and Yale college graduates with their pringle sweaters tied around their shoulders, and marrying for money and power. And then you have the tart with a heart and the English butler. And so not only is it looking at class it is also looking at race and in the pivotal moment in the film you realised that no matter how well you did race would get in the way - something which of course you would hope does not apply today.

The characterisation of this film is excellent - Eddie Murphy played all the facets of his role superbly in the Eddie Murphy style - astute and witty, smooth and crude and yet you were convinced that he could grasp whatever was put in front of him. In a way his character had a more interesting story than Winthorpe - he had to go from nothing to everything and fit in. Winthorpe on the other hand may have gone the other way but survival instinct kicks in and when you're poor you don't need to try and fit in - you just do. That said Dan Aykroyd played him superbly as an arrogant snob who gets knocked down a peg or ten and some of the scenarios he tries to get out of on the basis of "Don't you know who I am?" and ingratiating himself on his old "friends" are hilarious. Jamie Lee Curtis plays Ophelia really well - she is trashy, sexy (according to my husband!) and yet genuine. And Denholm Elliott plays Coleman perfectly - he has the right level of contempt for Winthorpe at the start of the film and the Dukes and yet warmth for Valentine as if he wants him to succeed to stick it to those who think they have class. Ameche and Bellamy are well cast as the snobbish, over privileged, immoral business men. The train scene is funny, if not a little contrived, with the avenging quartet taking on different characters. But it determines the fate of one the characters in quite a funny but not really believable way. But that said you could argue that none of the film is really that believable but that doesn't detract from it being an enjoyable film.

It is a great feel good movie which can be watched over and over again with a slightly fresh perspective each time. I couldn't watch it every day or even every week but it is certainly an enjoyable way to pass the time when it is on. It is what I like to think of as a package film - it may not have the crowd pleasing special effects but it has a great story, great acting, a pleasant soundtrack and finishes with the people who you want to win on top. And for the geeks amongst us there are some lovely continuity touches which John Landis is famous for in his films. The prison number Winthorpe has is the same as John Belushi's character Jake has in the Blues Brothers (another Landis film) and there is a poster in Ophelia's apartment with SYNW on which appears in many of his films. It is rated 15 and does have some swearing and some topless scenes but it's very much in character and nothing too over the top by today's standards. It is a charming film that I would heartily recommend - it's a shame that they don't seem to make them like this anymore. 

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