NATALIE WOOD: WEB SITE: SPLENDOR IN THE GRAS (1961)

"SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS" (1961) Natalie Wood, Warren Beathy, Pat Hingle, Audrey Christie, Barbara Loden, Zohra Lampert, Gary Lockwood, Sandy Dennis, Sean Garrison, Lynn Loring, Phyllis Diller. Directed: Elia Kazan. The movie "Splendor in the Grass (1961)," is one of the best movies I have seen so far. I am a male in my early thirties and the film has touched me in such a way that I have never been touched by an old movie before. Even though I have not lived in that time era the film portrays. However, I have seen many old films that are from the "older" version, and I have yet to see a film that projects human feeling as much as this film has done it for me. Genuine love between two youngsters who have yet to experience the world's bad side, a side that affects plenty of flowers from blossoming; went astray. Discrimination on the basis of wealth is the main cause for Deanie's bad end, which is no different than other forms of discrimination that Bud's family put on the not-so well to do young lady, Deannie. It is unfortunate that Bud ended up having a "normal" traditional life that rich and well to do young ladies longed for at the time. The character played as Deanie longed for basic love from Bud to which he was unable to deliver due to his family's constant intervention on his son's personal life; it is his father that denied him pleasure of having 'happiness' with his high school sweetheart. Happiness, which he would have preferred over controlling his family's business could bring him. Unfortunately, not all people have the same lens of view of seeing life from different angle. In the opinion of the writer of this comment, wealth is not only gained from money, wealth is gained from all the riches of satisfying life, life that is fulfilled with little achievements. In this particular film, the young man's family translated wealth as a source of pride and happiness. Despite, in the eye of a capitalist's vision of happiness, his father did what he thought was best for his son. After all, who wouldn't wish the best for his or her child? It was also sad to see Deannies' father unable to do anything to counter the rejection of his daughter, except resent his inablity to supply his family with the riches other men do. The writer/director played Deanie's character in a very exposed emotion laid for the audience to smash it open and be ashamed of it to its end. I was close to tears at times, especially at the end when she discovered that her Bud was married with a toddler and pregnant wife. It made his new wife cry with envy, as to who he gave up to be with her. It is visible to see from Deanie's eyes the disappointments, it just reminds me of my other favorite movie seen, "Carlito's Way," the character played by Al Pacino, when he was attempting to convince his love interest played as "Gail." In that seen, he meets her at a place of her work and very disturbed by what she does for living, strip joint dancer. He tries to hide his feeling of disappointment, but she learns his judgment when her fans came to express their joy for having to see her dance. Right at that moment, when she mentioned something he has been dodging to avoid, his eyes tell it all. In my view the seen captured is by far the best of all movies I have seen capturing the emotional disappointment visually being captured. "Splendor In The Grass," has captured that sort of emotion from a female perspective, the writer/director added dignity to the expression of disappointment. That was heartbreaking to have to witness such devastating reality Deanie has to swallow. Her eyes tell it all, as they were hungry to see her own life find that very end, an end she would have been very pleased to see. It teaches the audience that time is a river, unlike a lake (pond) it travels, Bud did what was normal for him to do, find another girl and fall in love with. It also shows that no two loves are equal, the love Deanie and Bud had for each other was not at equilibrium. If it was, he would have married her after discovering of his father's death. At the end when she came out of her madness to remember him as he was, while he has forgotten all about her and moved on. I find the film very soothing to the soul, and took me back to reminisce my own past life.

Production Credits
Director - Elia Kazan
Screenplay - William Inge
From Story - William Inge
Producer - Elia Kazan

Associate Producer - William Inge
Associate Producer - Charles H. Maguire
Assistant Director - Don Kranze
Assistant Director - Ulu Grosbard
Script Supervisor - Marguerite James
Continuity - Marguerite James

Cats Credits

Natalie Wood - Wilma Dean Loomis--Deanie
Warren Beatty - Bud Stamper
Pat Hingle - Ace Stamper
Audrey Christie - Mrs Loomis
Barbara Loden - Ginny Stamper
Zohra Lampert - Angelina
Fred Stewart - Del Loomis
Joanna Roos - Mrs Stamper
Jan Norris - Juanita Howard
Gary Lockwood - Toots
Sandy Dennis - Kay
Crystal Field - Hazel
Marla Adams - June
Lynn Loring - Carolyn
John McGovern - Doc Smiley
Martine Bartlett - Miss Metcalf
Sean Garrison - Glenn
William Inge - Reverend Whiteman
Charles Robinson - Johnny Masterson
Phyllis Diller - Texas Guinan

Awards

Win

Best Original Screenplay - William Inge - 1961 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Nomination

Best Director - Elia Kazan - 1961 Directors Guild of America
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama - Warren Beatty - 1961 Hollywood Foreign Press Association
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Natalie [act] Wood - 1961 Hollywood Foreign Press Association
Best Picture - Drama - 1961 Hollywood Foreign Press Association
Best Actress - Natalie Wood - 1961 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

CRITICA EN EL PERIODICO "LA VANGUARDIA" (27-12-1962)

El argumentista de "Esplendor en la yerba" William Inge es uno de los más significados cautivadores del neorrealismo norteamericano. Con Miller y con Tennessee Williams constituye una especie de terrible trinidad de la literatura tremendista de su país. Algunas de sus obras han sido llevadas con enorme éxito al celuloide tales como "Bus Stop" y "Picnic". Al pasar al cine las obras de Inge suelen ser despojadas de sus aristas más hirientes, lo que probablemente ha debido ocurrir también con este argumento, escrito por su autor directamente para la pantalla. Pero continúa siendo, a pesar de todo una historia ácida y fuerte con personajes retorcidos y claramente desalentadores, aunque posiblemente lógico y realista. En el film, Inge entrelaza las vivencias de dos familias de Kansas, que siendo del mismo origen popular, gozan de situaciones económicas diferentes. El rico tiene dos vástagos: un varón en quien cifra todas sus ilusiones, y una fémina ligera de cascos, alcoholizada y cínica. El otro matrimonio sólo tiene una hija, muchacha bonita y seductora. El hijo del rico se enamora de la chica modesta. Este amor seria en la pluma de cualquier otro escritor, un drama pasional o un idilio romántico. En manos de William Inge se trans forma en una madeja complicada de sorprendentes derivaciones y de situaciones angustiosas. Sucede que el temor a llevar demasiado lejos su pasión, hace al galán tan circunspecto temeroso y huidizo que la pobre muchacha enamorada tiene que pasar por culpa suya dos años en una clínica psiquiátrica. A su temperamento pasional se le hace incompresible la fuga a lo casto José, de quien se mostrara hasta entonces tan ardientemente enamorado. Por su misma complejidad y por los estados morbosos que emergen de la historia, la película de un gran interés y no obstante, el final melancólico e inesperado alcanza una fuerte tensión emocional. El personaje llamado "Bud" es una típica figura del neorrealismo a la americana: un ser predestinado a la frustración de su existencia, y a forjar, inconscientemente, el infortunio de los demás. La película tiene un buen estilo y el vigor narrativo de su realizador, el maestro Elia Kazan. Pero no del Kazan de "Río Salvaje" inexpresivo y vago, sino del magnifico director de "La ley del Silencio" y "Al este del Edén". Natalie Wood reafirma lo excepcional de su temperamento artístico y la admirable lucidez de su talento. La figura de "Deanie" exigía una variedad de matices y una intuición dramática sólo susceptible de ser dados por una gran actriz. Sorprende que Natalie Wood, tan joven -solo tiene 22 años- haya podido penetrar su hondura y enriquecedor el personaje con una gama de expresiones tan hondamente humanas. La frase "esplendor en la yerba" que da titulo al film, procede de un poema de Wodswoth, que responde a la ambición de simbolizar paradójicamente la situación dramática que se crea el la pantalla. Cuando acaba la historia. para la pobre "Deanie" el esplendor primaveral, el verdor de sus ilusiones mas queridas es solo un recuerdo marchito y melancólico. El protagonista masculino, Warren Beatty, es hermano de Shirley MacLaine. Su labor de una gran vibración, apunta atisbos de la calidad artística que corresponde a la familia. Empezó su labor menos convincente que la de su extraordinaria partenaire.-A. MARTÍNEZ TOMAS.