Shadows
1959
Cassavetes' jazz-scored improvisational film explores interracial friendships and relationships in Beat-Era (1950's) New York City. Read more
| Starring | Ben Carruthers, Lelia Goldoni, Hugh Hurd, Anthony Ray |
|---|---|
| Director | John Cassavetes |
| Genres | Drama |
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Shadows
Cassavetes' jazz-scored improvisational film explores interracial friendships and relationships in Beat-Era (1950's) New York City.
| Starring | Ben Carruthers, Lelia Goldoni, Hugh Hurd, Anthony Ray |
|---|---|
| Director | John Cassavetes |
| Studio | OPTIMUM HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 12 Sep 2005 Production year: 1959 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Format-breaking social drama by actor-turned-director John Cassavetes who, in this his first film, created a mainly improvised story of three black siblings — Lelia Goldoni, Ben Carruthers and Hugh Hurd — making their way in Manhattan. Goldoni, who passes for white, begins a love affair with a white man, which gives Cassavetes plenty of scope for interracial discussion (unusual in the 1960s), while jazz trumpeter Hurd finds life full of sour notes. Cassavetes' style of ad-lib acting and situations became a benchmark for future independent film-making.
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16mm realistic drama which began a new and essentially dreary trend of grainily true-life pictures with improvised dialogue and little dramatic compression.
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Most helpful member's review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
A Cassavetes classic
Rather appropriate that Charlie Mingus is playing jazz throughout most of the soundtrack here as the film itself is much like jazz - meandering, pleasant enough, and decidedly not for all tastes. If you're going to chart the history of the American independent cinema, this is probably the place to start. A free-for-all about various characters just hanging out in New York City, the main thrust of the plot - if you could call it that - is Goldoni and Ray hooking up, he unaware that this lightskinned lovely is actually black. It's crude and basic but that doesn't stop it being a fascinating, landmark film.
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Most recent members' review
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4 out of 11 people found this review helpful
the emotional line
in each cassevetties film, you need to keep an eye out for the moment of genius, where the style and emotional content combine for a tiny mirical captured on film. in this film for me its the words , 'you have me and you have Benny'. its as if he constructs the whole film in such a way as to alow this moment to live.
the technique he uses of giving the impression of spontinay in the actors is even more remarkable when you realise its scripted. This is simple and beutifull film, and im completeley in love with John, but dont be too amarico-centric about this stuff, as its all homage to truffet et al. but dont be to euro-centric, Lars vo trea needs to stop being so clever and learn from casseveties how to follow the emotional content of the film. -
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