Darling (1965) 57 years after its release, this film still managed to impress us.......in its eviscerating snapshot picture of the mid-1960's zeitgeist and its prescient view of the worthless obsession with celebrity culture that's overtaken us today.
Let's return a bit to this era as we remember it......
"Darling" arrived at the very peak of England's reign of the pop culture universe in film, music, fashion.....and all the celebrities along for the ride. James Bond.....the Beatles....Carnaby Street mini-skirts......the 'angry young men' of the explosive 'New Wave' in British cinema, bringing with it a host of hungry young actors writers and directors. (All of whom quickly migrated across the pond into Hollywood movies.....)
Director John Schlesinger ("Midnight Cowboy", "Marathon Man") and the stunning, young and vivacious Julie Christie shook the pillars of world cinema with this freewheeling account of vapid model-actress Diana Scott.
Diana's a gorgeous live wire star of magazine covers everywhere and even starting to score memorable bit roles in films. Though saddled with a husband from a marriage done too young, she attracts the predatory attentions of sophisticated TV personality Robert Gold (Dirk Borgarde) who's also married and the vulpine dissolute advertising exec Miles Brand (the perfectly cast Laurence Harvey).
Bored with the staid, literary lifestyle of the the adulterous Gold, Diana aborts their baby and flies off with Brand for a whirlwind tour of a Paris as swingin' as London. Their itinerary throws in a Fellini-esque bash where preening uppercrusts wound each other with hurtful insults while they try on each other's clothes.... whoopie-doo!.
Yessir, it's the very soulless pit of the swingin' 60's, which director Schlesinger brings to life with all the bells and whistles of the daring 'new cinema'.....freeze frames, photo montages, startling (for the era) depictions of homosexuality, bisexuality, random sex and nudity. And yet with all the post-war shake-ups in British society and culture, the the film sharply shows that the country's old school class-system snobbery still survives, even amid the discos and derpravity.
Christie tackles all the ups and downs of Diana's never-ending pursuit of fame with the pure charismatic ease of a born superstar, snagging a Best Actress Oscar. And it was a well deserved accolade, since from beginning to end, you can't take your eyes off her.
Anyone coming to this film for the first time, may find its third act, where Diana's ultimate fate is cruelly doled out to her, as a too obvious, blunt moral lesson. But we didn't mind so much, since "Darling" does indulge in some nasty satiric fun at Diana's expense, in the form of a newsreel clip of her new glamorous and empty life.......the grand prize for her.....or no prize at all, depending on your point of view.....and hers.
All together, a must-see-at-least-once for all movie buffs. A 4 star (****) essential.
No comments:
Post a Comment