This is the first time I'll be talking about Katharine Hepburn, which is much needed and the second time I'll be talking about a Tennessee Williams classic. The story is about Catherine Holly played by Elizabeth Taylor she has had a mental breakdown and was sent to an institution due to her cousin Sebastian who died under mysterious circumstances whilst on holiday. Sebastian's rich mother Violet Venable played by Katharine Hepburn denies her son's truth over what happened, and tries to bribe by getting them a new wing for the hospital. Dr Lawrence J Hockstader and Dr John Cukrowicz both played by Albert Dekker and Montgomery Clift to perform a lobotomy to Catherine.
There's a million and one things that happen in this story that just so juicy, but that would be ruining such a brilliant story and I can't do that to you guys. First of all this story is quite an adult based one as its very dark and deals with some quite serious issues. Elizabeth Taylor's acting performance in this is just beautiful, she delivers a woman who is struggling with the terms of her cousin's death, going through a mental breakdown and having her Aunt want her to have a lobotomy thinking that will make things better.
Katharine Hepburn is fantastic, although it is slightly predictable as thats the kinda character she usually plays, the sharp tongued, outspoken sometimes bitter woman. She did do a very good job, despite thats the role she usually plays but that can't be helped. I've always been a big fan of Katharine Hepburn's voice and backstory in particular as she is very intriguing she came from a political family with a suffragette mother and her brother committed suicide when she was only 10, it had a real affect on her growing up into the woman she is. I find her quite sharp voice very interesting and brilliant to listen to as there wasn''t that many Actresses at that time who had that sort of voice.
Montgomery Clift was brilliant at conjuring what happened, he was the audience in the story if you will, he was asking all the questions that we as the audience were asking as to what was going on, and what happen to Sebastian. This was during Montgomery's later career, when he was even more moodier and sensitive, Albert Dekker was brilliant even though I haven't seen him in that many things he was very good. Montgomery's facial expressions were just brilliant he delivers the words so perfectly its just off the cuff and no second thoughts about it they were said they way they needed to be said.
The costumes of the film were brilliant if a little boring, but then again the costumes for a film like this shouldn't be stylish but Elizabeth Taylor's swimsuit was beautiful, and her dress it fitted with her character so well, as did Katharine Hepburn's it was stylish for the elderly and that sounds like a backhanded compliment, but I didn't mean it that way, if I dressed the way Katharine Hepburn dresses in this film when I'm that age I'll be a very happy girl. Although her hair has alot to be desired, but each to their own.
I love the dynamic between Catherine and Violet as they are so unique characters in their own right. Catherine is so vulnerable and Violet is very hard faced and a part of me wants to say she's conservative, if thats how you describe someone. The differences between them as actresses is amazing, you already have the age difference and different styles of acting overall they both act upon instinct, but Katharine Hepburn has had a much more formal training that Elizabeth as she's been doing it since she was a little girl.
I just want to reiterate how impressed I was with Elizabeth's performance she was going through a really tough time in real life. Her husband Mike Todd had just died in an airplane accident, and she cleverly used her real life situation while explaining what happened last summer with Sebastian, Catherine's cousin. When she was telling Dr John Cukrowicz about what Sebastian did to her on the beach and what he made her wear last summer, it was just one of the most emotional pieces of dialogue and acting I ever saw. In her performance I could feel all her emotions and I just got her, and it was brilliant.
This story is amazing and it is hard to get into at first as I can agree its not the easiest film to watch. But when you get into it and you will, you won't regret it It is quite an adult film in terms of themes but its amazing with brilliant actors and the brilliant dialogue. I will talk to you all later and have a lovely weekend.
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