Thumps from 1 to 5: Thumps of 4.5
The
film “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” is “Ferocious and fascinating.
Done by superior talent” says Crowther of the “New York Times.”
The real emotions and true dialogue of Tennessee Williams’ 1955
Pulitzer Prize play rumbles like aftershocks from an earthquake, and
ends by blowing off its top like Mount Saint Helens. The film stars
Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman and Burl Ives, all performances are
magnetic and fiery. This picture was nominated for six Academy Awards
including Best Picture.
Paul
Newman earns his first Oscar nomination as a handsome aging drinking
former football hero Brick. Elizabeth Taylor catches her second Oscar
nomination as Brick’s wife Maggie the Cat. Maggie the cat offers a
coy performance as a passionately loyal, but disturbingly independent
character. Burl Ives repeats his triumphant Broadway performance as
mendacity-loathing Big Daddy. The performances were disturbingly real
and a breath of fresh oxygen in this time of political correctness.
In today’s world, if they had acted-out as refreshingly honestly,
they would have been labeled potentially violent.
As
many of Tennessee Williams plays do, this film deals with conflict
resolution between individuals. In one of the scenes Maggie the Cat
scratches, “I’m not living with you. We just occupy the same
cage, that’s all.” The point of this film is being honest may
resolve archaic conflicts into consideration, understanding and love.
Without honesty and truth, then there is only mendacity, abuse of
power, lies and more deceptions.
This
film is a tale of a family in crisis with relationships that are
conflicted, Big Daddy and his wife, Brick and Maggie the Cat, and a
brother and his wife. No one communicates the truth, but all is okay
as long as the façade of deception and lies are in place to protect
each member. At risk of failure is the family unit. They need to
resolve sexual indiscretions and orientation, medical reality,
effects of aging, neglect, greed and suicide. The entire storyline
revolves around Big Daddy’s final birthday party at the family
estate in Mississippi. The mendacity unfolds into a tumultuous array
of intense dialogue, accusations and smack of reality.
Some
of the more memorable quotes include when Maggie says, one more crack
queenie, just one, and I will not only spit in your eye but I will
punch it black and blue. Or when Big Daddy asks, why do you drink so
much? And Brick replies, Gimme another drink and I'll tell you. The
subject matter is adult, but it is an important film to view in this
age of political correctness of not saying how we feel, mendacity!
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