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Oops, I thought it was Suddenly, Last Winter

B


Well, Suddenly, Last Summer pretty much has the usual Tennessee Williams ingredients: barely hidden homosexuality, controversy, murder, stereotypes and mental illness. Williams' material has been subjected to better adaptations in the past (see: A Streetcar Named Desire), but Suddenly, Last Summer is still a fine film on its own, carried by its cast performances.

Katharine Hepburn steals this film and she shines in every dialogue scene with Montgomery Clift's Dr. Cukrowicz. Sure, the acting may be a bit theatrical and over-the-top, but that certainly fits the source material. Elizabeth Taylor who also has been nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for this film delivers an uneven, but ultimately overly convincing performances as the traumatized Catherine Holly. Montgomery Clift rounds off the cast with yet another solid turn.

To me it felt too much like watching a theatre play at times, though it did make good use of cinematic means especially towards the end of the film. It's all implied, little is shown, but heavy symbolism doesn't leave much to interpretation. I realize that some stuff was quite controversial back then, but it still bothered me a bit that they stuck with heavy implications all the way without actually ever showing or saying much. However I did like the character work here and that the dead son wasn't actually shown as a simple victim, but also as a twisted and shady character who had his fate coming.

The film's problem lies in the screenplay which is seemingly never sure as to whether sell it as a serious drama or rather as a dark comedy...because it does have elements of both. That said, there's not much left to mention about the film. A solid affair, not much more or less.

I have read every single Tennessee Williams play, and murder is hardly a usual ingredient. You are obviously correct about repressed homosexuality and mental illness, however.