All the necessary superlatives have been used and rightly so. I wish to add that this film is a must for all thinking, feeling human beings. Geraldine Page is beyond all reasonable bounds of negative criticism, and almost above the highest extreme of praise. Her performance is from another world and is guided by her profound intellect and talent as an actress; artists rarely approach this level of control and mastery. All comments pertaining to a wooden performance by Paul Newman, must have been made by people who have no idea of the science of acting or of the process of characterisation, Newman has proved many times to be in control of his artistry and to a secure talent in the theatrical arena, in this work, he proves to be at the very edge of brilliance. Shirley Knight has come under attack for being vague and various other unflattering descriptions, watch her carefully here as Heavenly, think about Heavenly's upbringing, the home life the manipulation and the power base and scope of women generally in her generation and geographical placement, and think again! She has the character gripped with steel binding and she plays this sad, torn beautiful young woman with the greatest dignity and truth imaginable. Madeleine Sherwood and Rip Torn showing the world how character playing can be, and is, an art form in its own right when your head rules your ego and you realise that there are no small parts, only small players.
Ed Begley takes character playing to the stars here, with what is essentially a character lead role, where he is able to transcend the limited dimensions of even the wide screen, by not only projecting the threat and power of Finley, but his very breath and body odour, at the same time invoking loathing and even fear from his audience, Begley's playing is a model for all time, of how a real actor can take a worthy character right to the knife edge, even to the grave danger of overplaying, yet keep it in perfect control. Those who complain about the watering down of TW and the differences between the stage production and the movie are either disappointed that the movie could not have been more focused on the original text, or are just unaware or plain stupid. The movies must have mass appeal, or at least the next best thing, they are also subject to much stronger censorship laws than the legitimate theatre and producers and directors must do the best they can, even today; this was the 1960s
Ed Begley takes character playing to the stars here, with what is essentially a character lead role, where he is able to transcend the limited dimensions of even the wide screen, by not only projecting the threat and power of Finley, but his very breath and body odour, at the same time invoking loathing and even fear from his audience, Begley's playing is a model for all time, of how a real actor can take a worthy character right to the knife edge, even to the grave danger of overplaying, yet keep it in perfect control. Those who complain about the watering down of TW and the differences between the stage production and the movie are either disappointed that the movie could not have been more focused on the original text, or are just unaware or plain stupid. The movies must have mass appeal, or at least the next best thing, they are also subject to much stronger censorship laws than the legitimate theatre and producers and directors must do the best they can, even today; this was the 1960s