The Long, Hot Summer
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Movie Reviews of The Long, Hot Summer
Movie Review: They had a lot of fun making this movie.
Summary: 5 Stars
The first time I saw this movie was on television presented by Schaeffer Award Theatre, a product of the '50's that periodically broadcast a full length feature with one commercial break, roughly at the half-way point of the film. The intermission consisted of an infomercial of the Schaeffer Brewing Company, extolling the highlights of its history.
A N Y W A Y . . .
Even as a kid (and not knowing they were married) I could see something was simmering between Newman and Woodward. I was also certain that Orson Welles was an incarnation of self-made, without-any-smooth-edges Southern gentry in pursuit of a blousy Angela Lansbury(At the time the only other thing I had seen Welles in was Macbeth and I did not connect the bloody Scot with Will Varner). Lee Remick glowed and Tony Franciosa was convincingly lost as everything he took for granted was his was deftly removed, like a razor taken from his hand mid-stroke during his morning shave. The supporting cast only clunked once or twice, but for the most part fit in with the "gestalt" of the film. I realize that Faulkner might have ended the story with Ben Quick vanishing as quickly as he had appeared and Daddy Varner would have bought the farm in flagrante delicto, but this is a piece of '50's Hollywood, when we still had stars, and actors who could act without having to rely on close-ups and electronic tweaking to give their voices range. Watching this with an appropriate mind-set will add to its appeal.
I recently watched this with a young southern belle and enjoyed her watching as much as the movie, almost 50 years having elapsed from having seen it for the first time, compliments of Schaeffer, the one beer to have when you're having more than one.
Movie Review: A Sizzling Summer: Romance Amidst Tragedy and Triumph
Summary: 5 Stars
An amalgam comprised of a three short stories from Faulkner, this sizzling, enthralling drama couples difficult themes with lighthearted sometimes sharp banter. Ben Quick is a misunderstood, stoic, and hot-headed young man with a reticent,determined nature who finds himself in a Missisippi sharecropping community dominated by a family known as "Varner."
As it turns out, Clara, the daughter of Will Varner, offers Ben Quick a ride, although not a little begrudgingly. Beautiful and creative, Clara is stifled by her father's outlandish expectations because he views marriage as a merger rather than a matter of heart.
What happens when two strong-willed people find themselves connected by a father's mechanations and the draw of one long hot summer: propelled by three different romances, a myriad of accusations, a slew of barn burnings, strained family relations, repressed desire, humorous, sharp-tongued Southern belles, a troubled brother who exercises his demons, and ultimately a community's efforts to ban together in the face of adversity?
The wonderful answer: a film brimming with chemistry, heat, passion that boasts a intelligent interpretation, memorable dialogue, and that fully showcases the passion Newman and Woodward displayed on and offscreen as well as a pleasingly somewhat comical ending.
The lesson: appearances can be deceiving; don't ever judge a book by its cover.
A must own for anyone's DVD collection!
Movie Review: Smokin' Hot
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a real gem. I never read the Faulkner source material(I unstand it's derived from three works) but this could lead to the bookshelf. Director Martin Ritt, in his second effort after "Edge of the City"(soon to released on DVD) shows the sure hand that he displayed in his other Southern-fried works. The film is both sultry and ribald that it will leave you in stitches. The dialogue is as cutting as anything this side of "The Sweet Smell of Success". The casting here is impeccable. Paul Newman is quite good here. He demonstrates a little bit of the method that informs a lot of his early work but his work does suggest the assuredness that came later in "The Hustler" and "Hud". Joanne Woodward, however, is masterful as the plain Jane daughter who Newman has designs on. On paper you wouldn't think that Newman and Woodward would be a good coupling but they have kinetic chemistry onscreen that was also demonstrated in their successful offscreen marriage. Many have compared Orson Welles' work as a Big Daddy knock-off but I found it to be a truly original rendering. Welles walks the tightrope here between chewing the scenery and hamming it up but his daring portrayal of Will Varner is one for the ages. Tony Franciosa gives a sympathetic turn as Varner's neglected son and Lee Remick exudes eroticism whether in a sundress or a slip. Essential viewing on so many counts.Movie Review: A '50s classic
Summary: 5 Stars
Here are several William Faulkner stories in an excellent screen
version.The movie benefits greatly from being filmed on location
in Mississippi.Joseph LaShelle's gorgeous CinemaScope DeLuxe color photography and Alex North's brilliant score give it a
sensual glow.Martin Ritt's powerful direction and the literate,
well-written Irving Ravetch-Harriet Frank Jr. script show how to film a book perfectly.But what really puts the movie over are the wonderful performances by its top-notch cast.Orson Welles,Anthony Franciosa,Lee Remick,and Angela Lansbury are
all outstanding.However,the movie belongs to its two stars.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward absolutely smolder in two starmaking performances.It is evident throughout the film that they are falling in love with each other on and offscreen,which
makes their work here that much more convincing.All in all,this is a 1950s classic.
Movie Review: Entertaining Southern Soap Opera
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a very entertaining melodrama. Paul Newman is incredibly handsome as a charismatic drifter and Joanne Woodward is perfect as a repressed yet spunky schoolteacher. Orson Welles plays Woodward's father in a manner that brings Boss Hogg to mind. His fake Southern accent, though, is so tough to understand it is fortunate that this film is close captioned. Lee Remick is lovely as a brainless Southern belle but Tony Francioso seems miscast as Welles's despised weakling son. Angela Lansbury is also at hand and does a passing Southern accent for a British gal. The ending is not at all what I expected but I'm sure it pleased 1950's movie audiences. An AMC channel "Back Story" is included with Newman, Lansbury and Woodward sharing their memories of making the film.