I'm watching the American Masters program, Arthur Miller, Elia Kazan, and the Blacklist: None Without Sin on the local PBS affiliate here in Washington, DC. The program deals with the relationship between the two Hollywood titans during (and after) the years of the Hollywood Blacklist, one of the most disgraceful periods in recent American political history.
Elia Kazan, the brilliant director. Arthur Miller, the superb playwright. It is a complex relationship
One of Kazan's defenders is Arthur Miller, much to the disappointment of many on the left. Miller is one of the heroes of the McCarthy Era. He defied the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) in 1956, and refused, unlike Kazan, to name those whom he knew to be "fellow travelers." For this he was held in contempt of Congress, fined, and sentenced to jail time.
Follow me.
Whatever one thinks of Elia Kazan and his 'snitching,' there is no doubt in my mind that he was a great director, having directed what one British magazine called the greatest five minutes in movie history.
When I lived in London over a decade ago in grad school, Timeout magazine described the Marlon Brando-Rod Steiger scene in the back seat of a car in the movie On the Waterfront as the best ever in movie history. If you've seen this great movie, you'll remember the memorable lines from Brando
You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.
Nominated for twelve, 'On the Waterfront' won eight Academy Awards including Best Actor (Brando), Best Picture (Sam Spiegel, Producer), Best Director (Kazan), and Best Supporting Actress (Eva Marie Saint).
I don't pretend to be a sophisticated movie critic or reviewer. Rather, I am, I suspect like many of you, a movie buff. The older the movie, the more interested I am in its history, how it came to be made, and the techniques used by the director. To state that good acting is subjective is to state the obvious. It isn't something that there is unanimous agreement about but I think, as a US Supreme Court Justice once said about porography, you recognize it when you see it.
So, what are some great movie scenes that you are aware of? I've listed a few off the top of my head from movies that I've seen and am impressed by. And some from this list. No list is going to be complete or perfect. Neither is this one. But, have your say.
And, in a tip of the hat to Meteor Blades, remember to take the poll.