Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 198: Practise What You Preach

Next up a look at how religion became big business and how preaching the Lord's name for profit can sometimes be a bad idea. The film in question is Elmer Gantry, with the titular hard-drinking salesman being played with verve and vigour by a game Burt Lancaster. In the early part of the film, Gantry is portrayed as a man who likes women, whisky and gambling but his world soon changes when he encounters public evangelist Sister Sharon Falconer. After several attempts to attract her attention, Elmer finally weasels his way into her roadshow team and gradually becomes part of the service himself. Elmer and Sharon quickly develop a good cop/bad cop routine where he tells everyone they're going to hell before she promises to save their souls. Meanwhile, the pair's exploits attract the attention of sceptical journalist Jim Lefferts who gains notoriety himself after trying to expose Gantry for the fraud he is. Despite Jim's criticisms, Sharon and Elmer continue to build-up a following and start taking their show to larger cities, drawing bigger crowds as they go. Elmer is also able to talk himself into presenting a radio show and tells the locals to shut down known speakeasys and brothels. However, when Elmer breaks into one of these brothels, he encounters an old flame of his - Lulu who has fallen on hard times since Elmer left her. Lulu attempts to get revenge by staging a scene in which Elmer is seen giving her money and planting a kiss on her lips. When Sharon, who has since become Elmer's lover, sees the pictures she resolves to pay Lulu the money she wants but the pictures make it to the paper nonetheless. As Elmer's reputation is muddied, the roadshows are almost empty with most of the congregation made up of people who want to heckle and throw things at Sharon and Elmer. But, after Elmer comes to Lulu's aid, she recants her tale and admits that the whole thing was a set-up just to avenge the way Elmer treated her. As the crowds return to Sharon's show, it seems that her life is back on track but one more tragedy hits that changes everything.

I have to say it did take me a while to warm to Elmer Gantry, mainly because the first twenty minutes were simply spent building up to Elmer's first meeting with Sharon. I felt director Richard Brooks' script, which was partly based on Sinclair Lewis' novel, really presented an interesting character in Elmer. Throughout the film you didn't know how much of what he said was genuine and whether he really believed in what he was saying or that he was simply trying to make a fast buck. Similarly, Sharon's motives are initially questioned, as it seems as if her preaching the name of God is simply to get famous, however we later learn the truth about where the money is going. While the film presented a number of interesting characters, including Jim and Lulu, I never felt it was visually stunning until the final ten minutes. The final disaster of the film, which I won't ruin in this post, is presented in a way in which you really fear for the lives of all of the characters. Elmer Gantry's other strength is the Oscar-Winning central performance from Burt Lancaster who really steals the show as the fast-talking conman. From the very first scene, Lancaster is truly captivating as he wanders around with a big smile on his face and preaches the word of the Lord with such conviction. Jean Simmons was also brilliant as Sister Sharon, a character whose motives change several times during the film. I'm surprised that Simmons wasn't even nominated for an Oscar seeing as her performance is just as engaging as Lancaster's. The film's other acting award went to Shirley Jones, who is captivating in the film's second act as the damaged and vengeful Lulu. While some of the scenes in the film could've been slightly shorter, I felt that Elmer Gantry had a lot to offer with its themes of whether religion can ever be used as entertainment. It's odd that this film isn't as well-remembered as some of the other films from this decade; however I'm now going to go out and preach the word of one Elmer Gantry.

Next time we step on board two very different ships.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 197: Many Hur-dles to Jump

Obviously this blog has already covered many iconic films most of which have gone on to win the Best Picture prize. It has also allowed me to fill in a lot of gaps in my cinematic viewing as there are many classic films that I have never watched. One such film is Ben-Hur, which grabbed the top prize at the 1960 Academy Awards. Obviously I was aware of the film's iconic chariot race but at the time I didn't realise how much of it relied on the characters' religious beliefs.

In fact some of the early scenes in the film revolve around us seeing Joseph and Jesus at the former's carpentry warehouse. However, as you probably guessed, the film is mainly based around Charlton Heston's titular character. At the beginning of the film, Ben-Hur is a wealthy prince who is glad to have his old friend Messala back in town as the new Roman tribune. However, the two fall out after Ben-Hur doesn't give Messala the names of the Jews who criticise the Romans. As revenge, Messala condemns Ben-Hur to the galleys after a roof slate falls during a parade for the Romans. Now a slave, Ben-Hur finally gets to prove himself when their ship is attacked by Macedonian forces and he frees the boat's commander Arrius. Ben-Hur stop Arrius committing suicide and the two are later rescued, with Arrius successfully petitioning for Ben-Hur's freedom. Arrius then adopts Ben-Hur as his son and treats him to the finer things in life but Ben-Hur eventually decides he needs to return to Judea. On return to his hometown he meets his old slave's daughter Esther who informs him that his mother and sister have died. In actuality, the pair have contracted leprosy and are now living in a commune, but they don't want Ben-Hur to know about it. Filled with rage, Ben-Hur agrees to compete in a chariot race for wealthy Sheik Ilderim so he can defeat Messala once and for all. After being successful in the chariot race, Ben-Hur sees Jesus perform the Sermon on the Mount and later witnesses his crucifixion. He also attempts to give Jesus water, as Jesus had given Ben-Hur water earlier on, and in return for this Jesus miraculously cures Ben-Hur's mother and sister.

Ben-Hur is definitely a film that is of its time. I think if it came along today then it wouldn't receive the same praise as it did back then. Indeed Ben-Hur has gone down in Oscar history as one of three films, along with Titanic and Return of the King, to win 11 awards. Among these was a Best Actor Award for Charlton Heston who essentially played the same role as he did in The Ten Commandments. Heston's brooding Ben-Hur was certainly compelling but I feel he over-did his performance at some points. Hugh Griffith, as Sheik Ilderim, was also rewarded with the Best Supporting Actor Award for what was a primarily comic turn. Indeed I believe the best performance in the film came from Jack Hawkins as the emotionally tormented Quintus Arrius. I felt Hawkins excelled in the scenes in which his ship comes under attack and he attempts to kill himself only to be freed by one of his slaves. Obviously the film is best remembered for the chariot scene and I felt that was visually spectacular. Indeed, this was what I'd been waiting to see and it didn't disappoint with both director William Wyler and cinematographer Robert L Surtees going out of their way to make this scene completely thrilling. Elsewhere I really enjoyed the scenes in which Ben-Hur was a slave on the boat and found the award-winning Art Direction was also in full force during the section of the film that was set in Rome. I have to say though, and I know this may be seen as heresy, but I felt that the film took a good while to get going and could've been trimmed down by at least thirty minutes. Having said that, I can at least argue that Ben-Hur deserved its Best Picture Oscar as this was a visually-stunning and bold epic which audience wouldn't have seen at the time. While it's far from perfect, it has enough going for it to be a rightful winner and I have no problem with this being one of the eighty or so Best Pictures that I will encounter on this blog.

Next up we continue our religious theme with a very different film.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Days 195 and 196: Girls in Love

Regular readers of this blog will know how often I like to group two or three films together in one post. Usually, I've planned this in advance but occasionally I'll do a double film post out of the blue. This is one such post as I noticed a link between two that being young women routinely getting their heartbroken. The stories are centuries apart but both centre around young lovers and hurdles put in their way to stop them finding love. 

Of course we all know the hurdles that are put in the way of Romeo and Juliet - family rivalry, mates being killed and ridiculously large balconies. Obviously Shakespeare's play has had many different screen versions however Fraco Zeffirelli's adaptation, which was nominated at the 1969 ceremony, is one of the most famous. In fact at the time the film was the most commercially successful film version of a Shakespeare play ever partly due to its contemporary feel. Another reason for its appeal is that it was the first time that the two actors playing the titular lovers were of a similar age. Teenage viewers saw the film in their droves due to the fact that fifteen year old Olivia Hussey and seventeen year old Leonard Whiting played the lead roles. Indeed their casting caused controversy not least because of Hussey appearing in a very brief nude scene. I personally felt that their casting added a lot to the overall believability of the story and can see why it would appeal to a younger audience. Hussey especially excelled at portraying Juliet's naive qualities and really made you believe that Romeo was her first love. Personally I wasn't as much a fan of Whiting, however he was still compelling in the scenes in which Romeo kills Tybalt and essentially ruins any chance of happiness he had with Juliet. While we're on the subject of the cast I felt that Michael York was perfectly snide as Tybalt while Milo O'Shea was a great choice to play Romeo's confident Friar Lawrence. The whole film was also given a bit of Shakespearian authenticity by the fact that Laurence Olivier provided the voice-over for the film, even though he was never credited. 

Away from the casting, the other reason for the film's success was its use of colour and setting to convey the story. I personally loved the Oscar-winning costume designs which were used to differentiate the two warring families. While the Montagues war drab greys and blues, the Capulets were decked out in brighter colours and were definitely viewed as the richer of the two tribes. The fact that the whole film was shot in Rome added to the authenticity of the film and the exterior shots were particularly impressive. Indeed Pasqualino De Santis' cinematography also won an Oscar and I felt his visuals shone throughout the film. I personally felt that the balcony scene and the duels which saw the deaths of both Mercutio and Tybalt were brilliantly filmed. Even though the style and the casting were spot on, I can't say that I was completely wowed by the film. At well over two hours, I found the film dragged and there were some scenes that still didn't really work on film. Overall though, Zeferelli was the first director to give Romeo and Juliet that cinematic flare that it so richly deserved. The use of colour, setting and age-appropriate actors all added to the original text and I ultimately found this film to be a rewarding watch. 

We now rewind back seven years for the second film in this double bill. The film in question is Fanny, whose titular character is played by Leslie Caron of Gigi fame. In the 1950s we saw Caron star in two musicals, An American in Paris was the other one, however here Fanny is a musical with the songs removed. Caron's Fanny is an eighteen year old fish-seller who is desperately in love with young bartender Marius. Marius has been ear-marked by his bar owning father Caesar to take over the family firm but his son dreams of becoming a sailor. Fanny later receives an offer of marriage from elderly bachelor Panisse but turns him down as she wants to be with her true love Marius. Fanny eventually realises that Marius feels trapped and doesn't want to pressure him into a relationship. The two spend one last night together, but she still encourages him to go abroad and tells him that she's rather marry Panisse for his money. Two months after Marius' departure, Fanny discovers she is pregnant with his child and accepts Panisse's offer of marriage mainly to save face. Even though Panisse realises he'll be raising another man's child, he wants his family name to continue and feels this will be the only way to do so. Marius soon discovers the truth but finds out that Panisse will not let Fanny takes his child away and so she turns down Marius once again. Obviously Fanny is torn between her love for Marius and for her young son, and so will be left heartbroken either way.  

I have to say it took me a while to warm to Fanny, mainly because the first twenty minutes or so all revolved around the characters either selling fish or playing cards. It was only after Marius and Fanny had their first heart-to-heart that I really got into the story and found myself really caring about the characters. Indeed Fanny has at least four stand-out performances not least from Caron who is much improved from her turn in Gigi. It's also interesting to see veteran actors Charles Boyer and Maurice Chevalier appear here as both have featured in films on this list since the early 1930s. Boyer, the only member of the cast to get an acting nomination, anchors the film as the passionate yet lonely Caesar. But it was Chevalier who impressed me most in what was a fairly dramatic role, his Panisse was a man who'd never truly found love and used his money to marry Fanny. However Chevalier played a man who really did care for this young woman and longed for her to love him. Horst Buchholtz was a brilliant Marius and had great chemistry with Caron and Boyer meaning that his relationships with both characters were utterly believable. Jack Cardiff's Oscar nominated cinematography captured the French shipping town well and really added to the overall mood of the film. While Fanny was by no means perfect, I found myself getting rather emotional towards its climax and ultimately found it to be an affecting and well-played romantic drama. 

And as I've revealed my soppier side here, I feel the only way to go next is with an iconic sword and sandals epic. 

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 194: Another Day in Court

In the 1950s we had two courtroom films that were nominated for Best Picture in the same year. The 1960s has also had its fair share of courtroom films, so join me as I spend another day with two more legal movies.

The first movie is almost solely set around the trial of a man convicted of shooting another man in cold blood. The film in question - Anatomy of a Murder has often been hailed by law professors as the greatest pure trial movie in history and after watching it it's easy to see why. James Stewart stars as Paul Biegler a former DA who now runs a failing law firm alongside a loyal secretary who sticks by Paul despite his lack of cases. Biegler is contacted by Laura Manion who wants him to defend her husband Paul who has been charged with the murder of innkeeper Barney Quill. It transpires that Biegler went to Quill's inn after discovering that Quill had raped Laura but once getting there shot him in cold blood. As Biegler realises the case will be a tough one to win, he decides to go with a defence of temporary insanity. This involved explaining to Paul exactly what he wants him to say on the stand and hopes this will be enough to get him off. Meanwhile Paul also tells Laura to dress more demurely in court as her seductive outfits may give the wrong impression to the jury. Paul's other issue is that the prosecution have drafted in a hot new attorney in the form of Claude Dancer who initially rungs rings around the world-weary Paul. It is only when Paul does some digging that he discovers the relationship between Quill and his barmaid Mary. Paul implores Mary to come forward as a witness as he feels that his case would depend on her testimony. But with Dancer getting the best of Paul, is Mary going to be enough to win the case?

I would agree that Anatomy of a Murder is a great trial movie and one that bases most of its action in and around the gathering of evidence. Despite being over two and half hours long, Anatomy of a Murder flew by thanks in part to Wendell Mayes' script which is incredibly well-paced, and giving a lot of time to each individual part of the story. Even though the vast majority of it is set in the courtroom, Otto Preminger still manages to make his film seem utterly stylish. The film is also given a contemporary air thanks to the Duke Ellington soundtrack which makes Anatomy of a Murder seem a lot less stuffy than other trial movies of the time. This is also true of the film's content, as it was one of the first to deal with both rape and sex in graphic terms as they both play heavily into the trial itself. Of course the cast are all terrific, with James Stewart earning a Best Actor nomination for his role as the once great DA who has now fallen on hard times. New kid on the bock George C Scott was also awarded a nomination for playing the young and hungry Dancer with some of the film's highlights being their courtroom sparring. Elsewhere, Lee Remick's sexuality makes you question whether or not Quill did force himself on her, while Eve Arden is on brilliantly comic form as Biegler's secretary Maida. Overall, Anatomy of a Murder is a fantastic film, full of intrigue, great performances, an amazing soundtrack and a well-paced script. It's also probably the best film I've ever seen that's largely set in a courtroom.

The other film covered in this post isn't largely set in a courtroom, but is still all based around trial. The film in question is Robert Mulligan's adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. For those who have never read the book, the film is all seen through the eyes of 'Scout' Finch a young girl with a big imagination. Along with her broth Jem, she lives in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama where their father Atticus is a pioneering lawyer. Atticus believes that everybody should be given a fair trial regardless of their race, sex or beliefs and this ethos often gets him into trouble. The middle section of the story sees Atticus defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a local girl with a violent father. A lot of the irrational townspeople take against Atticus defending Tom and want to kill Tom before he even gets to court. The pivotal scenes in the film do take place in the court as Scout and Jem sneak into the courtroom to see their father in action. These scenes allow us to witness how innocent Tom actually is however the racist jury don't see it that way and find Tom guilty. From there the tension in the film rises as the people of Maycomb take against Atticus for pleading Tom's innocence and for wanting him to take part in a retrial. Atticus' actions also put Scout and Jem in danger however they are eventually saved by an unlikely guardian angel.

As someone who hasn't read the book, I went into To Kill a Mockingbird with no prior knowledge of the story. What I found this to be was an innocent observer's view of an unjust society and another of cinema's most iconic courtroom scenes. I thought watching this and Anatomy of a Murder as a double was interesting as that film's protagonist may well be guilty, while Tom Robinson is blatantly innocent. Russell Harlan's cinematography is keen to make us feel like we're watching the entire story through Scout's eyes and makes sure the camera is at her level. Robert Mulligan also makes the whole town of Maycomb seem like a sweltering, confined environment where prejudice is rife and where everybody knows each other's business. I was personally entranced by the performances from the two young actors, Mary Badham and Philip Alford, who played Scout and Jem respectively. Badham was brilliant as the narrator of the piece and was rewarded with a Supporting Actress Nomination for her part in the film. Meanwhile, I found Brock Peters to be absolutely enticing as the tragic Tom Robinson as he really made you feel sorry for his character. However this film will be most remembered for Gregory Peck's Oscar-winning turn as the mighty Atticus Finch. Peck is captivating throughout the film's run and is able to make Finch into one of cinema's biggest heroes of all-time. Peck's Finch is admirable without being preachy and he is able to anchor the film perfectly. While To Kill a Mockingbird may not be as stylish or compelling as Anatomy of a Murder, it is full of heart and real character and that's why I fell in love with the film.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Days 192 and 193: It's All Greek To Me

As some of you've who've been following my quest since the beginning will notice that I often group films together that have a similar theme. However, I think I'm stretching that format a little bit here by concentrating on two films that have Greek protagonists. But America America and Zorba the Greek have very little else in common.

Firstly America America is a very personal project helmed by On the Waterfront director Elia Kazan. Kazan actually narrates the start and end of this semi-biographical account of his uncle's attempts to come to America. The approximation of Kazan's uncle is Stathis Giallelis' Stavros who is a Greek living in Anatolia that is constantly being ruled over by the Turks. Stavros is opposed to his father constantly befriending their Turkish neighbours and dreams of escaping to America. Stavros is glad when his father tells him that he is to go to meet his cousin in Constantinople as he sees that as his way to get closer to the shore. However the gullible Stavros is tricked into giving away all of the possessions and money that his family gave him, leaving him penniless by the time he arrives in Constantinople. As he doesn't want to enter into the arranged marriage his cousin has set up for him, he instead decides to become a pack horse for wealthy merchants. Just as Stavros has saved up enough money to go to America, he is tricked by a prostitute who steals everything he's earned. Eventually he has to go crawling back to his cousin and agrees to be married to the homely Thomna although her father's view of domestic life doesn't suit Stavros. Stravros' American dream rears its head once again as he meets a wealthy businessman and his young wife who have journeyed from the USA. His fascination at Sophia's stories sees the two form a friendship which leads to something a little bit more romantic. However his liaison with Sophia could jeopardise Stavros' American plans when her husband attempts to shop him into the authorities.

It's incredibly easy to see how much passion that Kazan had put in to crafting America America. The film is both visually and narratively stunning and deserves to be remembered much more than it is. Kazan is able to chronicle Stavros' story by almost separating the films into sections each showing stumbling blocks that he must overcome if he is to reach his ultimate goal. I found the cinematography from Haskell Wexler to be one of the film's biggest strengths as a lot of Stavros' journey is told through the vast exteriors of the Andalusian  countryside. I also thought the idea to cast unknown actors in the lead roles was a stroke of genius as it makes you believe that these characters are real people. In particular I want to praise the performance of 22 year old Greek actor Stethis Giallelis who is in almost every scene of the film. Giallelis takes on Stavros' journey as he goes from naive country boy to a well-rounded man of means.  Giallelis' portrayal of Stavros really makes you sympathise with the lead character and route for him in some of the film's tougher scenes. Despite America America being almost three hours long, I have to say the time flew by as this story didn't feel overlong by any means. Kazan took time to tell an epic story which was well worth watching and was a film that really did deserve its Best Picture nomination so much so that it probably deserved to win.

A year after America America was nominated for the Best Picture Award, we saw Zorba the Greek pick up a nod for the same award. Zorba the Greek is an adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis' novel and stars Alan Bates as reserved English gent Basil who travels to Crete to look at his father's estate. On the way to Crete, Basil meets up with the exuberant Zorba who talks Basil into taking him on as a companion as he thinks he can be of use. When the pair arrive in Crete they create a stir and they eventually decide to try to create a logging area on the forest opposite Basil's father's mine. Meanwhile Zorba ingratiates himself with the community by getting the local monks drunk and beginning a relationship with hotel landlady Madame Hortense. As Basil sends Zorba off to a nearby town to buy more supplies, he becomes besotted by 'the widow' a young woman who has been teased by the townsfolk for never remarrying. Though 'the widow' has an admirer in the town, she is drawn to Basil and the two spend the night together. When Zorba returns, Basil explains what has happened however he hasn't realised that his liaison has caused the widow's other admirer to kill himself. From there the film become a lot darker as the community turns against 'the widow' while Madame Hortense begins to get incredibly ill. However Zorba the Greek does end on a somewhat happy note even if it took its time getting there.

Unlike America America, I found Zorba the Greek dragged at times especially in its final act. Madame Hortense's illness and eventual death felt incredibly drawn out but at least seemed to result in a Best Supporting Actress award for actress Lila Kedrova. What the two films do have in common is their stunning scenery which, in the case of Zorba, is beautifully captured by cinematographer Walter Lassally. I also loved the friendship between the two men which changes both of their characters as Basil learns to let loose while Zorba becomes a little bit more thoughtful. Anthony Quinn is great as the titular Greek and excels both in the comic and dramatic pieces especially in the scenes where he is attempting to protect the widow from the townspeople. Meanwhile Alan Bates is the perfect foil for Quinn's broad performance and was quietly engaging from beginning to end. Irene Papas is also worthy of a mention as the widow as she was able to convey bucket loads of emotion without saying much at all. Despite dragging in places, the film is thought-provoking throughout as it explores small town mob mentality and how quickly people can turn on one another. I can't talk about Zorba the Greek without also mentioning its theme tune which has become more iconic than the film itself. In fact the final scene with Zorba and Basil on the beach together is probably the movie's most famous. Although Zorba the Greek is nowhere near as great as America America it still had its moments and was bolstered by an incredibly strong ensemble cast. If nothing else, both of these films have portrayed the Greeks in a positive light and that's always a good thing.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 191: A Boy's Best Friend is His Mother

It always amazes me how easily films adapted from popular literature can be nominated for Oscars. A case in point is Jack Cardiff's adaptation of DH Lawrence's Sons and Lovers which was nominated at the 1961 ceremony. The fact that Sons and Lovers isn't even one of Lawrence's better-regarded works seemingly doesn't matter to the academy. In fact I believe that any work based on English literature is seen as instantly prestigious and therefore more likely to receive an Oscar nod. Cardiff's film focuses on the second half of Sons and Lovers as he explores the relationship between Gertrude Morel and her second son Paul. Those who are unfamiliar with the novel won't know that Gertrude's relationship with miner husband Walter isn't great and deteriorates even more when their youngest son dies in a mining accident. Instead Gertrude focuses all of her time on Paul, who dotes on her more than anyone else. His relationship with his mother affects his romances firstly with the homely Miriam and later with the much more experienced married woman Clara. Artistic Paul is also offered a scholarship to London but turns it down as he doesn't want to leave his mother alone with his father. Eventually Gertrude starts to become ill and it seems that she will soon die, a fact that Paul finds it hard to cope with. As Getrude pops her clogs, Walter convinces Paul to go off to London and make his mother proud.

While I wouldn't necessarily say Sons and Lovers was a bad film, there is certainly nothing particularly memorable about it. Even sitting here now, a couple of days after watching it, I've had to struggle to remember the finer parts of the plot. To be fair to the film it did make the most of its Nottingham scenery with Freddie Francis winning a Best Cinematography award for his camera work. In terms of the cast, Trevor Howard was the only nominated star from the film even though I didn't really think much of his Walter. Meanwhile I found Dean Stockwell's Paul to be a little sickly and even the usually great Wendy Hiller suffered with the thankless task of playing the needy Gertrude. Ultimately Sons and Lovers doesn't really have a lot to say about anything and instead is simply a book to film adaptation. While that suits some people, I have to say to me this seemed like just another film and certainly didn't deserve its Best Picture nomination.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 190: The Swingin' Sixties

One of the reasons for me conducting this project was to see how much the films of a certain decade drew influence from their surroundings. To me it seems that a lot of the movies from the 1960s go back to the past rather than deal with issues in the present. That's why I found Darling rather refreshing as it gave a portrait of the Swingin' Sixties era of London as seen through the eyes of its protagonist Diana Scott. When we first meet Scott she is a bored young model trapped in a loveless marriage. Luckily she soon meets journalist Robert Gould and the two begin an affair leading to them becoming a trendy couple. Robert and Diana are soon part of London's fashionable elite however nothing is ever enough for Diana and she soon ends up in the bed of advertising executive Miles Glass. As Miles helps Diana's career soar, Robert becomes increasingly jealous and leaves Diana after she returns from a trip to Paris with Miles. Robert's rejection results in Diana questioning her life and considers becoming more religious during a trip to Rome. As Diana's star rises she decides to abandon her career and move to Italy for good as she takes one character up on their offer of marriage. However it remains to be seen if Diana can truly ever be happy. 

I personally found Darling to be a great snapshot of life in London during the 1960s while Diana Scott was the perfect embodiment of that time. Here's a pretty girl who is often exploited by men and then wonders why she is never truly happy. In a lot of ways Darling felt a little bit like Alfie, as both are narrated by their lead characters and both end on a bit of a downer. The cinematography of Kenneth Higins and the editing of James Clark both contribute to portray a London where everything is constantly moving forward. Though the film is seemingly a collection of scenes, rather than a completed movie, I feel that John Schlesinger still packs in enough memorable moments to make the film stand out. However I feel Darling will mostly be remembered for the brilliant performance from Julie Christie who is able to portray a woman whose life is never as perfect as she makes out. Christie's Diana is someone who always believes that things will turn out okay and when they don't she wonders why. Christie, who won a Best Actress Award for her role, is ably supported by Dirk Bogarde as her loyal partner and Laurence Harvey as the smarmy advertising executive. While Darling is quite a light film I still enjoyed it thanks mostly to the lead performances and Schlesinger's assured direction. It also perfectly encapsulated the carefree mood of the 1960s and the dangers that lay beneath the surface.