Review by Thumper: Thumps from 1 to 5: Thump 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!
Review by Thumper: Thumps from 1 to 5: Thump of 4.5
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