Suddenly, Last Summer
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Movie Reviews of Suddenly, Last Summer
Movie Review: raw power, nightmarish events, an untimely death--and amazingly stunning performances
Summary: 5 Stars
Suddenly, Last Summer is an excellent film adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play of the same name. The cast couldn't be better: Katherine Hepburn, Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor star in this horrifying drama. Although two hours long, you'll never stir once in your seat. The excellent dialogue holds your attention and the convincing acting is nothing short of stellar.
When the film begins, a wealthy middle aged widow named Violet Venable (Katherine Hepburn) still suffers the pain from the loss of her son Sebastian the previous summer. Although Violet wants to remember her son as a "chaste" man, her niece Cathy Holly (Elizabeth Taylor) unconsciously remembers the actual events that led to Sebastian's tragic and untimely death. Violet can't stand the fact that Cathy remembers just a bit too much about Sebastian, so she tries to bribe a doctor (Montgomery Clift) to lobotomize Catherine so that her son's memory will never be defiled.
It's a race against time as Dr. Cukrowicz (Montgomery Clift) becomes intrigued by Catherine's story and unusual memory loss. The doctor is under intense pressure to lobotomize Cathy from both Violet Venable and his boss at the asylum where Catherine is being kept. However, Dr. Cukrowicz wants to see if Catherine can be made to tell the truth--and avoid a lobotomy at the last minute.
The plot moves along very well and certain images could scare sensitive people. Sebastian's garden is an eerie place that reflects superlative set design; and the split screen at the end when Cathy finally does remember exactly how Sebastian died will stay in your head for quite a while after you view this film.
The DVD contains few real extras; we do get the theatrical trailer for the film and you can select scenes to view and setup the audio as you wish from several options.
Suddenly, Last Summer is one of those rare films that are truly memorable well after you've seen them. Although you can't be squeamish in order to handle the ending of this film, I believe this is one of the best films ever made. When you watch this film you will be riveted by the action and plot development just as I was.
I highly recommend this film for film buffs and for people who want to see Katherine Hepburn perform a tour de force as a ghastly villain. People who enjoy films with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift will also appreciate this movie.
Movie Review: A Creepy Adult Mystery!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Suddenly, Last Summer" is one of my favorite films for many reasons. The lush writing is Tennessee Williams at his best. The Screenplay is far superior to his original work, which was a short stage play. Due the bizarre subject matter of the story and because it was the late 1950's, much of the plot was considered taboo by the film censors. William had to then mask and conceal much of the questionable and unpleasant subject matter in a way that would insure getting the film approved. For example instead of using the word rape, Williams had to describe a character as "loosing her honor". Gore Vidal helped Williams adapt his work for the film and these great writers produced a script that is both poetic and dripping with lurid prose. Because of this the film takes on a surreal and dreamlike state that is heightened further by the glorious black and white photography. I don't think this film would have been nearly as effective in color!
The basic plot, without giving away too much, concerns a New Orleans Brain Surgeon (Montgomery Cliff) who is asked by a wealthy widow (Katherine Hepburn) to perform a lobotomy on her demented Niece (Elizabeth Taylor). Hepburn wants to erase from Taylor's mind a horrific memory of what happened the prior summer while Hepburn's beloved son was on vacation with Taylor. Taylor witnessed his death on a tropical island. There is much more to the story but half the fun of this creepy film is letting it unfold to its unbelievable climax. I especially love the last twenty minutes which is shown in flashback. We get to see exactly what Elizabeth Taylor experienced that made her go crazy. Both Taylor and Hepburn were nominated for Academy Awards for their work in this film...and it shows! Special mention goes to Taylor for allowing herself, in the first half of the film, to be photographed looking disheveled and a bit frumpy. Later though we are treated to seeing her in all her glory as one of the most beautiful women ever put on film!
This movie isn't for everyone though. You must love old black and white movies and invest some thought into just what Williams and Vidal were trying to say. There are long deliciously written monologues that some may find boring. To me it's a well acted gothic mystery that only gets better with repeated viewings.
Movie Review: A White Hot Summer for Sebastian and Cathy
Summary: 5 Stars
Suddenly Last Summer is one of my all-time favorite films --- a truly Gothic Tennessee Williams drama, reflecting Williams' genius at exposing the dark side of a venerable Southern family. Filmed exquisitely and effectively in black and white, it involves a doctor (Montgomery Clift) who is hired by a wealthy matriarch Mrs. Venable (Katherine Hepburn) to perform a lobotomy on her institutionalized niece Cathy (Elizabeth Taylor). Clift is unconvinced (as well he should be) that Cathy needs this lobotomy and wants to get to the bottom of what happened "suddenly last summer" to have put her in a state of shock and temporary memory loss. Mrs. Venable would like to see the lobotomy performed so that the memory is permanently erased.
Ooh, this is a delicious one. From the sultry hothouse, dripping with metaphor, where Katherine Hepburn makes her dramatic appearance in a cage to the last frame where in split screen, Taylor recalls what happened "last summer," "Suddenly Last Summer" is a luscious, over-the-top shocker and acting tour-de-force for three powerful leads. Clift obviously was suffering on painkillers, and yes, it does show, as he hangs back and allows Hepburn and Taylor to do the major emoting, but his chemistry with good friend Taylor is so palpable and strong that it really doesn't hurt the film at all. He still registers well as the concerned doctor. Taylor is, as another reviewer aptly put it, surreally beautiful (wow), and her exquisite face is seen in close up in the split screen montage at the end in which she delivers her soliloquy and also appears in that provocative white bathing suit which appears in so many ads for the film. Again there is an unspoken subtext of homosexuality, this time in the form of a character, Sebastian Venable, whose face is actually never seen, and some ambiguity as to what nefarious deeds Mrs. Venable and her poor niece were actually engaged in, but it's all fabulous fun.
Love to hear the actors beautifully manage Williams' wonderful, literate dialogue. Boy, do I miss writers who knew how to use language -- even if the script was undoubtedly watered and camouflaged a bit so that the true nature of the evil remains enigmatic. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: really puts the "gothic" into Southern Gothic...
Summary: 5 Stars
SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER is one of the strongest Tennessee Williams film adaptations, and that is due in no small part to Gore Vidal's fiery screenplay and the first-rate main players of Taylor, Hepburn and Clift.
The story opens in 1937. Eccentric and wealthy Southern widow Mrs Violet Venable (Katharine Hepburn) enlists the services of prolific mental health surgeon Dr. Cukrowicz (Montgomery Clift). Cukrowicz specialises in performing the revolutionary frontal lobotomy procedure on those patients whose entire lives are consumed by their illnesses.
Mrs Venable introduces Cukrowicz to her troubled young niece, Catherine Holly (Elizabeth Taylor). Ever since Catherine accompanied Violet's dead son Sebastian on his last trip to Europe, Catherine has been plagued by fearful fits of insanity. In return for some important funding for his surgery, Mrs Venable wants Catherine to be the next patient for Cukrowicz.
But what exactly happened to Sebastian on that fateful final trip...and why does Mrs Venable desperately want Catherine to forget it...?
Here in SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER, a horrifying journey into sweat-stained asylums and heavily-veiled secrets, Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn deliver tour-de-force performances. A lot of people still find Montgomery Clift somewhat lacking here, but a lot of that does come back to the character he plays, who is very much overshadowed by the two women. There is also some fine work from Mercedes McCambridge as Catherine's weak-willed mother.
Taylor was nominated for an Academy Award (in addition to Hepburn), but failed to win, partly because this was during the period when her tumultuous private life essentially got her blackballed; though she did manage to grab the Golden Globe for her performance--in direct competition with Hepburn.
SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER remains a searing and shocking movie experience. If you have never seen it, do yourself a favour and buy it today. You'll be riveted from beginning to end.
The DVD includes a bonus video montage of stills; talent profiles for the main players, and the trailer for "28 Days". (Single-sided, dual-layer disc).
Movie Review: Had An Unforgettable Summer? It Can't Compare To Cathy's!
Summary: 5 Stars
Tennessee Williams SOUTHERN GOTH masterpiece a la dark black and white Hollywood film style with Joseph (All About Eve, Guys & Dolls) Mankiewicz at the director's helm and screenplay adapted by Gore Vidal.
Elizabeth Taylor plays beautiful and crazy Cathy and Mercedes McCambridge (the actress who provided the voice of the demon in The Exorcist) plays her protective mother. Katherine Hepburn is Auntie Venable and wants niece Cathy to have a lobotomy to help her forget what she witnessed in regards to her son and Cathy's cousin, Sebastian and his untimely & somewhat mysterious "death" involving Sebastian's sexual secrets...
This all happened in front of Cathy's young & virginal eyes, "Suddenly, Last Summer". Last summer, Cathy and Sebastian travelled to Europe on an extravagant, decadent & obviously quite hedonistic vacation. Mrs. Venable was already quite traumatized by a baby sea turtle massacre last summer on the Galapogos Islands and Kathy was raped that very summer but what happened to cousin Sebastian in Europe was something that completely broke Kathy's fragile mind.
Auntie Venable gets the help of Dr. Cukrowicz, played by Montgomery Clift to see if he can help poor Cathy out with a prescibed lobotomy and mainly to save the selfish & overbearing Mrs. Venable from having people know about her son's secrets that got him killed.
From the opening scene, the viewer is riveted to the screen and left wondering... wondering... WHAT really happened so suddenly, last summer? The film builds and builds into the last 20 minutes of this film where Taylor gives a tremendous soliliquy and overview of just what DID happen to poor Sebastian. The split-screen effect that is used in this ending scene is fabulous. You never see Sebastian so what you are conjuring up in your mind is MUCH MORE horrific than they could have filmed back then. Wonderful cast with excellent performances from all but Clift who was quite medicated during the grueling shoot due to an accident before filming. If you are a Tennessee Williams, Elizabeth Taylor or Katharine Hepburn fan this is a MUST SEE!
Happy Watching!