Twilight Time celebrates the passing of the seasons with these two extraordinary films
It’s the time of year when stores are wheeling out their Christmas decorations and holiday music, forcing “the most wonderful time of the year” onto the general public. This wouldn’t be so bad if it weren’t for the fact that many, myself included, have barely had enough time to embrace autumn. For those similarly still in summertime mode, it seems there has never been a more fitting time to delve into two recently restored titles from Twilight Time dealing with that time of the year where the days are long, the nights are blue, and emotions have the power to run totally out of control. Although the season now belongs to Transformers and superheroes, it can oftentimes be forgotten that summertime on film opens up many avenues of storytelling which know no bounds in terms of content and depth.
Twilight Time seems to be well aware of this fact, as evidenced by the release of two summer-themed films; both are heavy moody character pieces spilling over with dramatic conflict from start to finish. Making things all the more enticing is the fact that both offerings come courtesy of some of the 20th century’s most revered artists, making the experience of watching the two movies even greater. In Suddenly, Last Summer, Joseph L. Mankiewicz directs the film version of Tennessee Williams’s dark family drama from a script courtesy of Williams and Gore Vidal. Meanwhile, Woody Allen takes a look at the crossroads of life through multiple perspectives in the underrated September. As separate and distinct as two films can be, both titles feature tortured characters suffering through the most relatable of crises against the poetic backdrop that is summer.
Suddenly, Last Summer
Based on the scandalous play by Williams, Suddenly, Last Summer opens on Dr. Cukrowicz (Montgomery Clift), the top surgeon at a slowly prospering mental clinic. When he is offered a huge sum of money for the institution courtesy of wealthy widow Violet Venable (Katharine Hepburn), he goes to her large estate for a meeting. Alone and still mourning the loss of her only son Sebastian, the eccentric Mrs. Venable tells the doctor that she wishes him to assess her niece Catherine Holly (Elizabeth Taylor), whom she feels requires a lobotomy as a result of what happened the previous summer when she and her cousin were on vacation. After talking with the strong-willed, yet unquestionably troubled Catherine about the events concerning last summer which led to Sebastian’s death, Dr. Cukrowicz must discover whether the girl is genuinely insane, or if her aunt is trying desperately to hide an ugly truth.
Right off the bat, the one element of Suddenly, Last Summer which hits the audience like a literary sledgehammer is the story’s exceptionally bold content. This begins with the way the subject of a lobotomy, an operation kept very hush hush back in the day, is so openly discussed, setting the tone for the movie’s boldness. Not just a film about family secrets which cannot stay buried, Suddenly, Last Summer presents its incestial undertones without hesitation, specifically Violet’s attachment to Sebastian and the way she says people referred to them as a couple. Equally shocking is how the film’s treatment of Sebastian’s homosexuality is played out, both discreetly and directly, such as when Catherine states, “Blondes were next on the menu,” referring to the way both she and Violet would often find willing partners for her cousin. There’s also great intensity and a nightmarish brilliance as rape, and even cannibalism, are explored in the final act’s flashback, just as shocking now as they must have been then. Steering the film’s action is the stunned, yet fiercely determined doctor tasked with deciphering the dark truths hidden within. Accomplishing this feat depends on a newfound instinct which he finds himself developing as he ventures into a world he doesn’t know and cannot escape.
The film’s endless amount of fascinating dialogue represents the perfect merging of two of the most esteemed artists who ever lived. While the initial text proves to be the quintessential example of Williams’s work, the way Vidal’s screenplay helps bring the various themes to the forefront makes Suddenly, Last Summer one of most provocative films of its time. Although both men were unhappy with the results and would later speak unfavorably about the finished version, there’s no denying both authors’ brilliance in the various lines uttered throughout the film. “Most people’s lives, what are they but trails of debris,” Violet states at one point. “Long, long trails of debris, with nothing to clean it all up but death.” There’s an unmistakable pensiveness mixed with cynicism throughout, echoing both writers’ voices. “Who was it that said we were all a bunch of kindergartners trying to spell God’s name with the wrong alphabet blocks?” asks Catherine. “Is that what love is? Using people? And maybe that’s what hate is — not being able to use people,” she declares. Suddenly, Last Summer begins with a nervous breakdown and ends with delusions of grandeur. In between is an extremely sensational film with many involving qualities, not least of all a trio of standout performances. Elements such as Violet’s Venus Flytrap, Southern Gothic trappings, and the strong influence of the dead on the living, among others, conspire to make the world of Suddenly, Last Summer one of shocking poetry.
September
In 1987’s September, troubled Lane (Mia Farrow) is a still recovering from a deep depression which led to a failed suicide attempt. Determined to change her life, she has put her Vermont country estate on the market and has decided to move to New York. This saddens next door neighbor Howard (Denholm Elliott), who is secretly in love with Lane. Unfortunately, the fragile Lane only has feelings for Peter (Sam Waterston), a sensitive writer living in the guest house. By Lane’s side is best friend Stephanie (Dianne Wiest), a married mother of two whose marital woes have led her to Lane’s home for the summer and into Peter’s sights for what turns into a strong mutual attraction. Making things more interesting is the appearance of Lane’s famous flamboyant actress mother Diane (Elaine Stritch) and husband Lloyd (Jack Warden). As the group gathers to say goodbye to the summer, revelations will be made and strong feelings will come to a head.
September may not one of Woody Allen’s most memorable offerings, but there’s much to be admired in the way that the director just drops his audience into these people’s lives with little or no pretext, as if we are flies on the wall, piecing together who they are and then who they REALLY are. As every character worries at different stages about the past, present, and future, September quickly and eloquently becomes a film not just about the passage of the season, but rather about the passage of time and all the melancholic reflection which comes with it. If the characters feel a tad sketchily-written at certain times in terms of their structure and make-up, their struggles and worries make them real and give them life. Everyone in September is damaged, putting themselves back together and existing in the only ways they know how. The level of rich human drama achieved here, full of regret, longing, and reflective qualities, is the kind so many audiences thrive on, and the film delivers them all in spades.
If September became notable for one thing, it was how Allen shot the whole film twice, re-casting the majority of the actors in between when he wasn’t happy with the initial results. I can see why he did this. At the time of the film’s production, Allen was a director still trying to make his mark as a serious filmmaker. There’s such a delicate tone and feel that he’s going for here, that one can see how he wouldn’t be satisfied with his work upon first glance. While he borrows one of the film’s subplots from the life of Lana Turner, the film remains incredibly literary in a manner similar to that of Paul Auster and Peter Cameron, especially in the way it plays with the philosophy of everyday life. “We’re all temperamental,” Diane states at one point, defending herself during an argument with Lane. “It’s what makes us so fascinating.” It’s not hard to see why September flopped since not much actually happens in it. The film doesn’t contain the most commercial of plots and the content may hit a little too close to home for some. Allen would comment years later how he would have shot the film again if he could. With all due respect Mr. Allen, there’s simply no need to.
Suddenly, Last Summer and September are now available on Blu-ray from Twilight Time.
