A Face in the Crowd

(1957)

"A guitar beats a woman every time!"

The film many (including myself) consider to be Elia Kazan's masterpiece is a searing political drama and satire of commercialism that is still relevant today. "A Face in the Crowd" tells the story of Lonesome Rhodes (Griffith), a charismatic guitar-playing drifter who is discovered by radio executive Marcia Jeffries (the husky-voiced and classy Patricia Neal) while in jail on a public drunk charge.





He catapults to radio and TV stardom under the guise of being an aw-shucks homeboy who loves his fans, while in fact, Lonesome Rhodes is a greedy, egotistical, manipulative womanizer with underhanded political aspirations and nothing but contempt for his gullible audience.



The film was far ahead of its time in its theme and telling, and Andy Griffith, in his pre-Mayberry days, gives a blazing performance. That "A Face In The Crowd" wasn't even nominated for any awards is very surprising.



The stellar supporting cast includes Patricia Neal, who shines in an Oscar-worthy performance, perfectly balancing Griffith's Lonesome Rhodes; Walter Matthau, Tony Franciosa, and a breathtaking Lee Remick in her first film role.





"A Face in the Crowd" is a must-see film, and should eradicate any opinion you may have that Griffith was only capable of his wholesome TV roles of Sheriff Taylor and Ben Matlock. He has said that the part was very difficult for him, depicting such an unsavory character, and he did not want to do another like it...and the rest is TV history.

The DVD of "A Face In The Crowd", released in 2005 (I had been waiting for years for this film to be released on DVD), also features a fascinating documentary about the HUAC (House UnAmerican Activities Committee).

Elmer Gantry

(1960)

"You're all sinners! You'll all burn in hell!"

"Elmer Gantry" is an amazing film that has lost none of its bite or appeal with the passing of time. Taken from the classic Sinclair Lewis novel of the same name, director Richard Brooks garnered an Oscar for Best Screenplay for his adaptation, and Burt Lancaster won his sole Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Elmer Gantry. Gantry is an over-the-top opportunistic traveling salesman who teams up with evangelist Sister Sharon Falconer (Jean Simmons) to promote religion in 1920's America. Gantry turns out to be the perfect publicity compliment to Sister Sharon, who, unlike him, is a true believer. Where she is quiet and gentle with her manner of preaching, he is all fire and brimstone, literally throwing himself about the audience and inflaming them into repentance.

Burt Lancaster commands the screen: all flashing teeth, athletic energy, charisma, and wild hair, using his own physical prowess to great advantage.



The angelic and lovely Jean Simmons, who had legions of adoring male fans when she was in her ethereal prime, portrays Sister Sharon (loosely based on a well-known real-life revivalist of the early 1920's, Aimee Semple McPherson, about whom I'd heard from my grandmother) in a manner reminiscent of her character in "Spartacus" - she was the perfect choice for this role, as was Lancaster for his.



Shirley Jones was awarded the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her vivacious portrayal of prostitute Lulu Bains, whose past history with Gantry comes back to haunt him - gleefully laughing as she dances about a room full of her fellow prostitutes, she recounts that "He rammed the fear of God into me so fast I never heard my old man's footsteps!"



Burt Lancaster's natural grace and athletic ability in his prime (he was a circus acrobat before he became an actor) helps make his performance truly electrifying. He also manages to believably evolve Elmer Gantry from loud-mouthed salesman to sympathetic and honest human being over the course of the film.

The top-notch supporting cast includes Arthur Kennedy, Patti Page, Dean Jagger, and John McIntire.

Viva

(2007)

"She was a housewife seeking kicks, in a world of swingers, drugs, playboys and orgies in the lurid '70s!"

Director, writer, artist, and organ-playing independent filmmaker Anna Biller has created a visual feast of a film with "Viva." Set in 1972 Los Angeles, it tells the story of a bored, neglected housewife who decides to find some adventure in life in the midst of the sexual revolution.

"Viva" is a film one might imagine as a campy, comical version of the classic film "Belle De Jour", as it might have been in part envisioned by Russ Meyer (director of such camp classics as "Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!”), with sing and dance numbers, nudity, and a dash of (soft-core) sex thrown into the mix.



What struck me first about "Viva" were the visuals: specifically, the amazing usage of color in every scene, and the authenticity of the decor and clothing. I'm 51, so am of the age to have been a teen in the 1970s. Watching the film has a lot of deja-vu moments for me, in that sense. I have watched it several times and still get caught up completely in Biller's use of color.

Every scene has the colors tied in to each other, in some way, from the colors of the clothing, down to the smallest detail, for instance a loud necktie in one scene is well-coordinated with the wall hanging behind the person wearing it. The colors and sets in films of the 1960s and 1970s had a look and a texture, almost, that is very recognizable, and Biller has gone to great lengths to revisit the look of the time, including a lot of crochet, and other obviously vintage items and clothing from the time. Many of the paintings shown in the movie were painted by Biller and other cast members.

The film is very funny in general, with campy dialogue and great delivery by the entire cast (Biller has mastered the perfect raised eyebrow/pouty lip expression), including the musical numbers (songs written by Biller), and the appropriately 1970s cheesy elevator music in the background adds to the overall effect. If viewing the film without knowing otherwise, it would be easy to think that "Viva" was filmed in 1972.



"Viva" is an instantly classic camp film, and a creative tour de force - I'm looking forward to seeing more of Biller's work.

Note: this review is of the unrated version of "Viva". I first saw the film in its theatrical version when I rented it. The version I bought is the unrated one. Unless memory fails me, the main difference between the two is that the unrated version has more nudity, specifically in a nudist camp sequence. I don't find the nudity offensive; it fits in with the theme of the time depicted, and in fact is funny at times. I personally find the image of Biller's dressed character sitting primly while a couple of naked men standing behind her sway unself-consciously to music irreverantly hilarious, while at the same time relevant to the depiction of her character. It never fails to amaze me that the public can easily view actual photos of brains blown out and other acts of real and simulated violence on regular TV, much less mainstream films, but nudity and sexual themes still never fail to get the censors in a huff.

Click on the link below to go to Anna Biller's website:
LIFE OF A STAR