This was a very tough movie to watch--far tougher than other Tennessee Williams adaptations that I have seen. The viewer is left almost breathless from all the many, many plot elements that occur so quickly. There is practically no sin that not been committed in the two hours of the film--hypocrisy, adultery, fornication, drug and alcohol abuse, physical violence and abortion all are dealt with in this movie! In many ways, this film made CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF and some other Williams plays look like Disney productions! As a result, you eventually get to the point where there is almost an overload of evils--you get numb due to all of it. There literally was enough going on in this movie to make two or three movies.
Now the acting was exceptional throughout and technically it was an exceptional film as well. In particular, I felt that Ed Begley (who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this film) and Geraldine Page were standout performers. In Begley's case, it must have been difficult to be THAT violent and malevolent. His extremes in mood and the very violent outburst with Madeleine Sherwood was exceptionally well acted. However, the even more difficult performance was that done by Geraldine Page who played a broken down and chemically dependent actress that still manages, from time to time, to have some amazing periods of lucidity and insight. Her part easily could have been like parody, but she infused it with realism. Now, of course Paul Newman was as always a wonderful actor in the film, and Rip Torn played a guy you just loved to hate.
All in all, a very good but exceptionally difficult film to watch and one I would NEVER recommend children watch! It's just way too adult in content!
SUPER-DUPER SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW HOW THE MOVIE AND PLAY DIFFERED. I WARNED YOU--STOP READING UNLESS YOU ARE REALLY CURIOUS.
It turns out that this movie was toned down for the silver screen. In the play, Shirley Knight does not have an abortion due to becoming pregnant by Newman, but gets an STD and has a hysterectomy! Plus, in the end, Newman does not have his face mildly disfigured, but he is castrated! This puts a MUCH DIFFERENT spin on the film and there is no way Ms. Knight and Mr. Newman would have ever driven off together in the happier Hollywood version of the film. I can understand their need to tone it down, but it does severely lessen the impact.
Now the acting was exceptional throughout and technically it was an exceptional film as well. In particular, I felt that Ed Begley (who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this film) and Geraldine Page were standout performers. In Begley's case, it must have been difficult to be THAT violent and malevolent. His extremes in mood and the very violent outburst with Madeleine Sherwood was exceptionally well acted. However, the even more difficult performance was that done by Geraldine Page who played a broken down and chemically dependent actress that still manages, from time to time, to have some amazing periods of lucidity and insight. Her part easily could have been like parody, but she infused it with realism. Now, of course Paul Newman was as always a wonderful actor in the film, and Rip Torn played a guy you just loved to hate.
All in all, a very good but exceptionally difficult film to watch and one I would NEVER recommend children watch! It's just way too adult in content!
SUPER-DUPER SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW HOW THE MOVIE AND PLAY DIFFERED. I WARNED YOU--STOP READING UNLESS YOU ARE REALLY CURIOUS.
It turns out that this movie was toned down for the silver screen. In the play, Shirley Knight does not have an abortion due to becoming pregnant by Newman, but gets an STD and has a hysterectomy! Plus, in the end, Newman does not have his face mildly disfigured, but he is castrated! This puts a MUCH DIFFERENT spin on the film and there is no way Ms. Knight and Mr. Newman would have ever driven off together in the happier Hollywood version of the film. I can understand their need to tone it down, but it does severely lessen the impact.