The Day of the Locust (B or 3/4 stars)
'The Day of the Locust', based on a novel & directed by John Schlesinger, is an epic that focuses on the nightmarish seedy side of 1930s Hollywood - a land of dreamers, losers, & misfits that operates like a cold, heartless, well-oiled machine. The film tells the story of talentless aspiring actress Faye Greener (Karen Black) who lives with her father, Harry (Burgess Meredith), an ex-vaudevillian, now a lowly door-to-door salesman. Recognizing her limited prospects, Faye becomes a regular on the casting couch of producers with the hope that she'll finally break through; craving fame & legitimacy. Despite her dubious nature, Todd (William Atherton), a selfless art director from the east coast, falls in love with her; but she gives him the cold shoulder ... at first.
She soon enjoys toying with him. And this becomes a pattern. With time, when she finds herself destitute, she moves in with a sensitive but dim-witted accountant, Homer Simpson (Donald Sutherland), who is obsessed with her, yet sexually repressed. She uses & ridicules him as he lumbers through life; he is particularly vexed by a nasty neighborhood kid named Haley. Everything culminates in the gruesome climax of the film - one HUGE traumatic spectacle at a movie premiere. For those who like to wonder about the glory days of Hollywood, 'The Day of the Locust', based may be a startling eye-opening experience. Mixing the glamour with the grime, I enjoyed this grim look at 1930s L.A. And this is a must-see for serious movie buffs.
Karen Black portrays a floozy with intense movie ambition perfectly - beguiling, but shallow, & conniving. She represents all the beautiful, yet completely replaceable actresses in Hollywood that have populated the city since the 30s -- only a select few starlets ever make it big. Donald Sutherland gives a stellar performance as the cloddish but sweet outsider whose lack of care for films is evident. I can only describe his performance as subtly intense; it grabs you, even thought he is always quiet. This film boasts great supporting players; William Atherton as the savvy art director, Burgess Meredith's Harry, & Billy Barty as a sinister dwarf named Abe. And many of the characters in this story are inspired by historical Hollywood figures.
'The Day of the Locust' exudes authenticity: from the typecast characters, to the magnificent set design, to the automobiles, to the exotic clothes & the period hair styles. Watching it is hypnotic. I also liked some truisms that the movie offers: the idea that America always did & still does cling to the fantasy of what a Saturday night can bring; because daylight often offers misery. The dire conclusion to this film, coupled with the unsavory story/characters may dissuade viewers from loving it. And there are a few too many out-of-left-field moments that occur throughout the proceedings; not pleasantly out-of-left-field. Nevertheless, I tapped in to this film's dark moodiness, surrealist satire of the movie industry, interesting performances, & gorgeous imagery.
She soon enjoys toying with him. And this becomes a pattern. With time, when she finds herself destitute, she moves in with a sensitive but dim-witted accountant, Homer Simpson (Donald Sutherland), who is obsessed with her, yet sexually repressed. She uses & ridicules him as he lumbers through life; he is particularly vexed by a nasty neighborhood kid named Haley. Everything culminates in the gruesome climax of the film - one HUGE traumatic spectacle at a movie premiere. For those who like to wonder about the glory days of Hollywood, 'The Day of the Locust', based may be a startling eye-opening experience. Mixing the glamour with the grime, I enjoyed this grim look at 1930s L.A. And this is a must-see for serious movie buffs.
Karen Black portrays a floozy with intense movie ambition perfectly - beguiling, but shallow, & conniving. She represents all the beautiful, yet completely replaceable actresses in Hollywood that have populated the city since the 30s -- only a select few starlets ever make it big. Donald Sutherland gives a stellar performance as the cloddish but sweet outsider whose lack of care for films is evident. I can only describe his performance as subtly intense; it grabs you, even thought he is always quiet. This film boasts great supporting players; William Atherton as the savvy art director, Burgess Meredith's Harry, & Billy Barty as a sinister dwarf named Abe. And many of the characters in this story are inspired by historical Hollywood figures.
'The Day of the Locust' exudes authenticity: from the typecast characters, to the magnificent set design, to the automobiles, to the exotic clothes & the period hair styles. Watching it is hypnotic. I also liked some truisms that the movie offers: the idea that America always did & still does cling to the fantasy of what a Saturday night can bring; because daylight often offers misery. The dire conclusion to this film, coupled with the unsavory story/characters may dissuade viewers from loving it. And there are a few too many out-of-left-field moments that occur throughout the proceedings; not pleasantly out-of-left-field. Nevertheless, I tapped in to this film's dark moodiness, surrealist satire of the movie industry, interesting performances, & gorgeous imagery.