Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302655896
Format: Black & White
ISBN: 6302655897
Label: Sony Pictures
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Release Date: 1997-09-26
Running Time: 138
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: 1959-12-22

This black-and-white film adaptation of Tennessee Williams's Southern gothic play is perhaps more famous for the rumored off-screen shenanigans of its stars than for its over-the-top repressed sexuality (only Williams could pull off that paradox, and pull it off he does). Supposedly, stars Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor battled for screen time; Hepburn warred very publicly with director Joseph Mankiewicz; and a postaccident Montgomery Clift relied heavily on painkillers and support from friend Taylor during the grueling shoot. Even this, however, cannot top the events of the film itself, revolving around the unseen playboy Sebastian and his mysterious death, which has something to do with young boys, a decadent European vacation, and Taylor in a provocative wet, white bathing suit. To give away the plot would spoil the fun, but suffice it to say that what Taylor saw was so horrible it drove her nuts, and Sebastian's mother (Hepburn) wants her to have a lobotomy in order to keep it from coming out; Clift is brought in to do the procedure. It's all a hoot and a holler, but as played by the two leading ladies (both of whom nabbed Oscar nominations), it's also compelling, chilling, and utterly gothic. Taylor gives a fierce performance, as the climaxing monologue that reveals Sebastian's "secret" rests entirely on her shoulders, and Hepburn plays brilliantly against type as Sebastian's manipulating, overbearing mother. Only Clift, saddled with a dreary character in charge of plot exposition, fails to deliver. Adapted by Gore Vidal. --Mark Englehart

Customer Rating:
Summary: The Sweet Bird Of Youth Gone Awry
Comment: The first couple of paragraphs here have been used as introduction to other plays written by Tennessee Williams and reviewed in this space. This review applies to both the stage play and the film versions with differences noted as part of the review

Perhaps, as is the case with this reviewer, if you have come to the works of the excellent American playwright Tennessee Williams through adaptations of his plays to commercially distributed film you too will have missed some of the more controversial and intriguing aspects of his plays that had placed him at that time along with Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller as America's finest serious playwrights. Although some of the films have their own charms I want to address the written plays in this entry first (along with, when appropriate, commentary about Williams' extensive and detailed directing instructions).

That said, there are certain limitations for a political commentator like this reviewer on the works of Williams. Although his plays, at least his best and most well-known ones, take place in the steamy South or its environs, there is virtually no acknowledgement of the race question that dominated Southern life during the period of the plays; and, for that matter was beginning to dominate national life. Thus, although it is possible to pay homage to his work on its artistic merits, I am very, very tentative about giving fulsome praise to that work on its political merits. With that proviso Williams nevertheless has created a very modern stage on which to address social questions at the personal level, like homosexuality, incest and the dysfunctional family that only began to get addressed widely well after his ground-breaking work hit the stage.

"Suddenly Last Summer is an odd little beauty of a play. Odd in that the appetites of the main (unseen in the play) character Sebastian seem to be both beyond the pale and obsessive. Odd, also that his protective monster of a mother is determined to keep the truth about her "genius" son from the world even after his `untimely' death ......last summer. As if to add fuel to the fire of an already bizarre tale of exploitation, sexual and otherwise, Sebastian's beautiful lure of a cousin used as bait for Sebastian's appetites is to be permanently taken out of the picture in order to keep this world beautiful. Nobody believes the sordid tale she has to tell about dear cousin Sebastian. The play ends with the `hope' that there may actually be someone to believe the girl's story before she becomes one more sacrifice to `beauty' in the world. Frankly, old Sebastian got what was coming to him over in the islands.

In the movie version, the stories that have to be told verbally in the play get told as flashbacks as well. Katherine Hepburn is in high dudgeon as Sebastian's mother and `keeper of the flame'. Montgomery Clift is a more sober, somber and searcher for the truth psychiatrist than the one in the play and Elizabeth Taylor is the beautiful lure cousin is a mass of confusions whose memories of last summer have to be erased ....some way. Old Sebastian and his twisted sense of life and his place in history is still a guy who had it coming to him. Well, he did, didn't he?

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Customer Rating:
Summary: wonderful movie, excellent condition,
Comment: Love the movie! It was here quickly and it had no problems, skips or any defects.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Classic Movie Ahead Of It's Time!
Comment: I finally got the chance to see this movie in it's entirety on Turner Movie Classics a few weeks ago and enjoyed it so much, I purchased the DVD here at Amazon! A very deep, somewhat dark movie (which I love) with solid performances by Ms. Taylor (absolutely beautiful!), Montgomery Clift (filmed after his unfortunate car accident, so sad!), Katherine Hepburn and Mercedes McCambridge (a big change of character from Johnny Guitar!).

Get ready for a 1950's film addressing homosexuality, aging, religious beliefs and mental institutions..............how times have changed as far as films addressing this touchy issues!

Very well done, don't miss this one!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Not bad! But not astoundingly wonderful either.
Comment: I was recommended this film not long ago and finally watched it tonight. I think the person, who recommended it to me, gave away too much of the story which more than likely deflated the last 20 minutes for me.
I guess I am being overly fastidious when it comes to facts but I don't recall Spain having a city named "Cabeza de Lobo." I've even tried to google it with not much success. Was it fictional? Okay that's fine but I don't remember Spain having historical "temples" either. They have very old churches and cathedrals which are catholic. I was impressed how Elizabeth and Katherine pronounced Cabeza like a Spaniard as in "Cabetha." And I thought to myself, "way to go ladies with your "Castilian accent!"
The horrendous act that follows in this scene remind me of what would more logically happen in historic Mexico or certain parts of Latin America, not Spain. I don't want to give away details for the few of you who haven't seen this film already so you'll just have to watch it in order to know what I'm referencing. :)
I thought all performances were quite good. Some people harp on Montgomery Clift for not doing so well, accusing him of being like "cardboard." But that's how a lot of doctors generally are, in real life so many lack emotion. In contrast I thought he was a doctor who truly "cared."
Without giving away much of what "Suddenly, Last Summer" focuses on I would like to recommend "The Children's Hour" with Shirley Maclain and Audrey Hepburn. The story has a similar scandal dealing with the same topic and is so very well done. It's a gorgeous black and white film as well and all the performances are mesmerizing. It sort of reminds me of an old black and white Twilight Zone movie with its haunting like style.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: eh...
Comment: Interesting movie, sad, a little depressing. I had to buy this for a film class. Didn't love it for its entertainment value. It was thought-provoking.

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