|
One day a schoolmate returns to town (played wonderfully by James Olsen) and seduces her. She immediately falls for him, and so ardently that she frightens him away. The whole incident, though, has shaken her into action, and at movie's end she's heading to Oregon and a new life (maybe). She lives with her mother and her life is so insulated she doesn't know how to even talk to anyone outside her limited circle. Joanne Woodward plays a sexually suppressed and totally sheltered middle-aged school teacher. But at the same time there are some things that work very well - especially the flashbacks, some only a few seconds in lengh. Worth a watch. But it's got something to say, however minor, and says it well.
Hopefully it will make to DVD soon. The movie is slow and spare, deliberately so, and at times seems to be weighted down into inertia. Everything is done so carefully and meticulously that there is hardly any room for anyone to breathe. Paul Newman debuted as a director with this movie and it shows. Then she thinks she's pregnant, which forces her for the first time to think of her own life, but it turns out to be only a cyst.
|
|
Spending too much time in Joanne Woodward's characters head would make anyone feel miserable. What if. The film is very dark, very moody and miserly. This film was all serious all the time, too heavy to bear. No character, no story, no plot, no living anything.
Instead, the viewer is left bored to death, with endless monotony. Her dreary life is overshadowed by a domineering mother with few demands. Fans of this film would fall into a very narrowly defined category. To sustain a melancholic character of sheer misery for any length of time takes skill. As an example of how poorly made the movie was, I left the room to work with laundry, came back, and nothing had happened. Recommended Alternative Films: Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman did a remarkable job with "The Glass Menagerie" with John Malkovich in 1987.
What if the school had a crisis. Fortunately, she asserts her individuality at the end by accepting a job out of town and moves with her mother to leave the town she's known, waving goodbye to memories and hauntings of a miserable childhood. There is no need to watch this film. "I never thought anything alive could grow in me", Joanne Woodward says in an end scene.
A good film defies a total description. Socially and sexually awkward, she has childhood memory flashbacks and a fantasy life that erupts with each person she meets. Not a classic by any means. Although a cliche, this film borders on being marginalized as an "artsy" film, neglecting an audiences need to be entertained as well as informed. The performance by Joanne Woodward is remarkable however. In a small town, her uneventful life is running the risk of becoming an old spinsters life with cats in the house. She is utterly believable. The film is set to the tune of Joanne Woodwards inner life, which is nothing much to watch, as she remembers childhood memories of witnessing an embalming preparation; an awkward touch; conversations with people; walks in a grassy field.
I imagine I could have made dinner, ate it, sewn a sweater, and watched a foot ball game, and Joanne Woodward's character would still be having a fantasy of who she wished she was. No comedy, or any levity. A film that can be reduced to 3 or 4 paragraphs is not a good film. This film is added to the list of the most boring and miserable films I've seen. Not a mass appeal film, could have been made to appeal to a wider audience.
This film is more about the fantasy life that Joanne Woodward's character has than anything else. A horrible film. What if she had a disease. Check that out if you can. I never thought this movie could be more boring. If you've read my description of the films story, you've already seen the film. .
The script would have benefitted greatly with some additional story idea, like what if she was a widow. This film badly needed a joke, or some humor, put some where, to show some humanity and relieve the audience, and make it more accessible. What if she was attacked. It would have been better as a stage adaptation than a screen adaptation. She has what resembles friendship with 2 characters, an evangelical church going friend and a visiting high school teacher from the city, who meets her at a social gathering and he courts her awkwardly. Nothing was growing in this movie. I missed nothing because there was nothing to miss.
Towards the films end, the irresponsible schoolteacher from the city abandons her, and she is left to her fantasy dream life that she was pregnant with his child, which turns out to be only a cyst, which is removed. Joanne Woodward plays a 35 year old schoolteacher who lives with her mother tending to her needs. What if a storm wreaked havoc on the town.
|
|
If any potential viewer is the type that leaves the room to do something while the movie is on, and then comes back to pick it up again, he or she shouldn't even bother as its message will be lost. Rachel's world is very limited, due in part to her mother's constant nagging and neediness, and Rachel's own-self doubt. The fact that the subject of homosexuality was even addressed was rare for a major studio release at that time. Woodward received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her sensitive portrayal of Rachel Cameron, a 35-year-old New England spinster who lives with her domineering, possessive mother. By the end of the story Rachel realizes that the only person that can give her true validation is herself. Estelle Parsons also gives a stellar oscar-nominated performance.
RACHEL, RACHEL is a melancholy masterpiece that should not be missed. . Early on, finding a man and having a child is the only way Rachel knows to find validation and meaning to her life. This is the story of a lonely, isolated woman who looks to find love with a man from her haunted past and how she breaks out of her shell.
I will also add, however, that this film is very intense and meant to be watched with no distractions, as its message is meaningful; the symbolism is at times subtle. This incredible film from 1968 continues to stand the test of time. Ahead of its time, RACHEL, RACHEL also gives a positive view of lesbianism and acceptance. Paul Newman's directorial debut has a powerful impact. Also, they invested much of their own money to get its deep message across.
It was so important to Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman that they make "a little film that meant something", that they didn't even take a salary from Warner Brothers. Parsons plays Rachel's emotionally tormented friend and co-worker, Calla, who is also lost within herself and is desperately trying to grasp at something.anything.
|
Home
Bookmark This Page
View Cart
