Although it does not fully follow the great essence of the original work, in terms of form, this movie is still very much like a stage play. A multi-act play under the big house. Through the relationship between father and son, husband and wife, and homosexual relationship, the internal contradictions of a manor’s family are shown centered on Brick and Maggie. Conflict between father and son, mistrust between husband and wife, prying eyes on money between children, and general social problems such as alcoholism, homosexuality, money inheritance and upstarts. Although after a strong interpretation of contradictions and conflicts, but finally returned to the traditional Hollywood track, the misunderstanding was cleared up, the prodigal son turned around and reunited. After all, the works produced in the conservative era are like this. They avoid homosexuality and try their best to maintain the traditional family relationship. These elements weaken the power of the original work and bring the deep-seated society to the traditional society arising from the rapid economic development. The disintegration of order only focuses on the individual's lack of moral value or self-consciousness.
I really like this kind of photography that follows the characters, and the control over the scene and space is very prominent. Because there is no open space at all in the whole movie, the shots are mostly switched between close-ups of the characters and the mid-range that accommodates one to a few people. The technique is very natural and smooth. Most indoor scenes are dominated by light colors, which are dim and contrast with the characters. Therefore, the movement of the characters is very clear in the lack of changes in the indoor scene.
There are only six main actors, and the rivalry between Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor has become a classic. The feeling of the whole play is very dramatic, so the performance of the actors sometimes appears perverse and a little overdone, which can also be treated as an alternative style. Madeleine Sherwood's performance in the supporting role is very wonderful, and the interpretation of the spiteful woman is in place.
It is difficult to define whether this is a movie or a drama. The overly neat style also makes him lack a bit of excitement. Compared with the rigorous and solemn style, the first shot impressed me the most. Brick swayed and ran on the empty playground alone, rushed towards the camera, crossed the first and second hurdles, and fell in front of his eyes. At the moment of crashing to the ground, he was extremely calm, and contained tremendous power in silence.
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