Tonight's Essential Cinemas found us back with Fritz Lang in this American made film from 1936. It's B&W, the subject is lynch mob mentality, revenge, justice, death penalty and love. Spencer Tracy and Sylvia Sidney provide brilliant dramatic performances. The opening scene of them discussing their future marriage before she leaves for a better paying teaching job is one of the most realistic romantic scenes I've seen on film. No fluff, just peanuts, torn jackets, a decision to not have twin beds, sets the stage for a relationship that you want desperately to succeed. When you think it might not, you're heartbroken.
While Chale Nafus' extensive notes (4 pages tonight) offer great behind the scenes info about Lang's collossal difficulties with cast and crew, MGM and Louis Mayer you also are made aware of Lang's enormous sensitivity to the human condition, fairness, justice. It seems he loved humanity but had a real hard time with people.
This is a beautiful film that captures so well the ugliness of people in a mob as well as the transformation of a character when he is able to rethink his need for revenge and what he will lose if he carries out his plan.
As an aside. Sylvia Sidney was an absolutely beautiful woman and talented actor. She was born in the Bronx to Jewish immigrant parents (Romanian and Russian) who divorced and then was adopted by her step-father, Sigmund Sidney,a dentist. She attended a well known acting school in NY to overcome shyness and from the earliest time was encouraged by her parents to pursue her acting career.
(Forgive me for putting in that bit of NYC nostalgia. I couldn't help myself). Night y'all.
I am writing it in my book right this very second. I love the NYC nostalgia!
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