John Cassavetes

[Unoriginal]

It's about time I actually discussed the beautiful man who adorns my avatar. He's most well known as an actor with his prominent roles being in The Dirty Dozen and Rosemary's Baby, but his cult reputation stems from his directorial work. His films have always split opinions among critics and one in particular, Pauline Kael, was vociferous in her hatred for his works and for him as a person.

He was a notoriously eccentric figure who loved living in the fast lane 24/7, a preference that would ultimately result in his early demise but was core to the type of films he directed. In a directing career that spanned almost 30 years and nearly bankrupted him, Cassavetes created, in my mind at least, some of the greatest films in American history. Shunning the Hollywood world that he relied on for the income to make his films, Cassavetes created uncompromising works that mainly focused on the rich, seedy and highly strung who surrounded him in LA. Managing to extract incredible performances from actors who either lacked any experience or were not known for being actors of emotional intimacy, most famously his best friends Ben Gazzara and Peter Falk who you may know as Columbo, his films were intense explorations of people who were not only afraid to open themselves up to new ways of thinking and experiencing but often didn't know how to.

Despite coming across as 'macho' and your stereotypical schmoozer, his films revealed a man acutely aware of the ways we shut ourselves off from others and from the posturing and stoic nature of proud, brooding types that betrayed a deep insecurity and was not celebrated unlike in many Hollywood works back then. The main tension in most of his films came when a character such as this was confronted with their polar opposite: someone who was exuberant and open to life, not caring whether they made a scene in front of strangers or defied social norms. However, while in a sense celebrating this way of being, which reflected another part of his personality, he also portrayed the consequences of this, most brutally in his most well known film, A Woman Under the Influence.

By essentially putting a mirror up to the affects and attitudes of so many in the elite art circles of LA and New York at the time, he became an even more unpopular figure in Hollywood. His films inspired a rage rarely witnessed in American film critics and audiences at the time but a contrasting deep reverence also emerged. Those who felt that he was a crazy genius would ensure that his films were not lost to the dustbin of history, where so many great American films of this era would find themselves, and by being one of the first truly independent film makers, he has proved an inspiring figure to independent film-makers since, his influence extending to countries such as the Philippines, Japan and of course France among others.

So, if that has interested you, I would recommend you start with Shadows or A Woman Under the Influence. If you like those, Husbands, Minnie and Moskowitz and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie are good places to carry on in terms of accessibility. After that, Opening Night, which is more difficult but one of his most profound films, and then Faces, which is by far the most difficult but for me his best. Finally, watch his true farewell to cinema (ignore Big Trouble), Love Streams, made more poignant by the fact that he knew he was dying by this point.

Of course you may hate him from the start and that's fair enough. If you haven't watched anything of his though, give it a chance.

Anyway, some interesting links if anyone is interested:

http://www.filmbrain.com/filmbrain/2006/10/john_cassavetes.htm - An article dealing with his relationship with Pauline Kael. Features a funny story involving her shoes and a moving car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsVBySqgIbQ - A legendary interview with Falk and Gazzara on the Dick Cavett show. Despite the many difficult interviews Cavett had to deal with back then, this has to be near the top. Predictably, all three were very drunk the whole time.

If you really like his films, be sure to buy Cassavetes on Cassavetes. Featuring innumerable superb quotes and incredible stories that you can barely believe are real, this book really helps you to understand the sort of man Cassavetes was, flaws and all, and helps you appreciate his films even more.

[Glebe]

I've only seen two of his films, both extended versions, but loved them both. I found The Killing of a Chinese Bookie really immersive, yes it goes on a bit but it has an honesty and naturalness to it that kept me involved. Ben Gazzara is just so likeable that you can't help but root for him. Husbands really rambles on, but I could watched the main characters for days. Again I found it honest and real and life-affirming. He obviously loves his characters and that humanity really comes through.

[Unoriginal]

I've only seen two of his films, both extended versions, but loved them both. I found The Killing of a Chinese Bookie really immersive, yes it goes on a bit but it has an honesty and naturalness to it that kept me involved. Ben Gazzara is just so likeable that you can't help but root for him. Husbands really rambles on, but I could watched the main characters for days. Again I found it honest and real and life-affirming. He obviously loves his characters and that humanity really comes through.

The original version of Husbands was I think about four hours long or something like that. That version no longer exists to my knowledge but it didn't get past the first viewing.

I didn't forget about Gena Rowlands by the way. Another thread could be created dedicated just to her. Probably my favourite actress of all time just for her incredible performances in her husband's films. If there was any justice she would have won an Oscar for her performance in A Woman Under the Influence.

[benthalo]

I finally saw Opening Night about a week ago. A truly great film, though not really an example of Cassavetes' improvisation technique.

[Urinal Cake]

I will watch 'Shadows' and report back because your taste in movies is good.

[benthalo]

Now that the BFI series of releases has run its course I'm fishing around for the best available versions of the remaining JC films. So far I've only bought the three-disc Husbands available in France, which has both edits plus a feature-length documentary:

http://www.amazon.fr/Husbands-Ben-Gazzara/dp/B006U1QR8C/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1389616126&sr=1-2&keywords=husbands

What would people recommend in terms of buying Gloria, Love Streams, Minnie and Moskowitz etc...?

[Skip Bittman]

Love Streams & Minnie and Moskowitz are a must. Gloria can wait until you need another Cassavetes hit but can't find anything.

I got a chance to watch MINNIE on a big screen, towards the end Seymour Cassel started strolling up the aisle with a drink in his hand, yelling at his character and offering encouragement. "Say yes, you dummy!" It was almost as good as that scene with Timothy Carey.



"I don't know anything about cinema or anything... I don't like it. Bunch of lonely people going in, looking up. Forget about it."

[benthalo]

Love Streams & Minnie and Moskowitz are a must. Gloria can wait until you need another Cassavetes hit but can't find anything.

Oh I'll buy them all in some shape or form, but I was asking for advice on which DVD/BD edition is best internationally for the films not reissued by the BFI.

[thraxx]

The only thing I know about John Cassavetes is that there was a wicked Judge Dredd story about him in the late 80s.  Or did I imagine it?

[Famous Mortimer]

I got a chance to watch MINNIE on a big screen, towards the end Seymour Cassel started strolling up the aisle with a drink in his hand, yelling at his character and offering encouragement. "Say yes, you dummy!"

I love this story.

[Skip Bittman]

Oh I'll buy them all in some shape or form, but I was asking for advice on which DVD/BD edition is best internationally for the films not reissued by the BFI.

You'll have to excuse me, I was pre-coffee and just seized with visions of Timothy Carey at the mere mention of the word Moskowitz and started babbling...

Buying them all is clearly the way to go. I'm not sure what the current releases are and am still useless at responding to your post... I made do with those giant clamshell NTSC VHS tapes for years until the Criterion set came along, with the rest a patchwork collection nabbed here and there... and some rips of stuff like Too Late Blues. But I think even that came out a year or two ago...

Also interesting are the episodes of Johnny Staccato that Cassavetes directed. Which may be the only Cassavetes thing parodied by SCTV as "Vic Arpeggio."


I still hate that kid in Gloria. Somebody go all Video Watchdog and detail all the extant editions!

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

Faces is hard work to get through.

[Unoriginal]

Faces is hard work to get through.

I'd say it's his most difficult. I think a lot of people struggle with it because no character in the film is particular likeable and most would agree that being stuck in a room with most of them would be an unpleasant experience to say the least. However, its great strength for me is that if you persist with it, you do eventually start to see a side to these people that makes you feel sympathy for the profound sadness of their lives. More than any bar Love Streams possibly, this film sees Cassavetes examining himself and those around him with brutal honesty. I have no doubt he lost a few friends and angered many more acquaintances with this movie. Some, such as Pauline Kael, could not accept having her circle exposed in that way hence her overly personal attacks on his work.

[Phil_A]

The only thing I know about John Cassavetes is that there was a wicked Judge Dredd story about him in the late 80s.  Or did I imagine it?

"John Cassavetes Is Dead", Prog 627. He's not actually in the story as such, but does play a significant role.

[Retinend]

I can recommend Love Streams and A Woman Under The Influence. Tough going but worth it. Very realistic. Gena Rowlands was is one of the great actors of her generation, underappreciated .

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

I like the camerawork around the room and the stairway at the end of Faces. But there's nothing driving the story (and there is a story). At least in Shadows we've got the city itself, and all the tensions and divisions that shifting in and out of foreground in the narrative, getting us over any clumsiness or awkwardness in the presentation. Faces just seems to be struggling, stranded in a room with nowhere to go.

[Unoriginal]

I like the camerawork around the room and the stairway at the end of Faces. But there's nothing driving the story (and there is a story). At least in Shadows we've got the city itself, and all the tensions and divisions that shifting in and out of foreground in the narrative, getting us over any clumsiness or awkwardness in the presentation. Faces just seems to be struggling, stranded in a room with nowhere to go.

What do you mean? I'd say the story is the least interesting aspect of Faces and by the accounts i've read, Cassavetes felt the same way. The film is those long scenes where nothing seems to be happening and there's a lot of bluster and bullshit flying about. He was examining these people and their lives, and in many ways his own, with no filter and with such an uncompromising eye that is hard to watch first time around. When I watched it the second time however, I started to feel like I was understanding a bit better what he was trying to show. You may think it's a strange thing to say but putting the story, which really isn't much, to the back of your mind is probably the best way to watch the film.

You may still not like it though. Many people share your view, and that goes for many people who like Cassavetes. The film is a microcosm of his career really: you either think it's a work of genius and his best or think it's the work of an amateur and his worst (worst 'serious' film anyway. Nothing is worse than Big Trouble).

[Urinal Cake]

I liked it even though it was somebody clearly trying to find their feet. I'll definitely be watching his other films.

[Mark Steels Stockbroker]

If you like long scenes where nothing seems to be happening, check out the work of Bela Tarr. Even when he's filming a Simenon story, it seems like nothing's going on except possibly some paint drying in the distance.

[the science eel]

I've only seen two of his films, both extended versions, but loved them both. I found The Killing of a Chinese Bookie really immersive, yes it goes on a bit but it has an honesty and naturalness to it that kept me involved. Ben Gazzara is just so likeable that you can't help but root for him. Husbands really rambles on, but I could watched the main characters for days. Again I found it honest and real and life-affirming. He obviously loves his characters and that humanity really comes through.

Those two and Shadows are the three I enjoyed the most. I'd agree that Faces is hard work.

They're quite different films but they're all gripping mainly due to fascinating central characters, and JC giving them lots of time on-screen. There's a scene around a table in Husbands where they're all getting drunk and it's almost completely formless, but Cassavetes has you for every minute. It's extraordinary stuff.

I think Killing... is perhaps his most conventional and accessible, what with the plot and murder and mystery elements. Gazzara is likeable but deeply flawed and you get a sense he's conflicted - it's all in his face. It's a great performance. And the whole film has a seedy tone which is really attractive.

I do think with these films you always get a sense that you're party to a world that you don't normally have access to (this feeling is enhanced with time, of course - they're 40 years old now) which gives them extra clout. And Cassavetes is unsparing.

[Urinal Cake]

If you like long scenes where nothing seems to be happening, check out the work of Bela Tarr. Even when he's filming a Simenon story, it seems like nothing's going on except possibly some paint drying in the distance.

Oh I'll invent some meaning or narrative out of it. Though I do like nicely composed shots.

[dr_christian_troy]

For those who may be interested, here is Omnibus' 1971 The Making of Husbands.

[vrailaine]

If you like long scenes where nothing seems to be happening, check out the work of Bela Tarr. Even when he's filming a Simenon story, it seems like nothing's going on except possibly some paint drying in the distance.

Ah now, there's some kind of underlying distinct hatred of humanity that's happening throughout a lot of those shots.

[prwc]

I saw a few of his films 6 or so years ago and whilst I appreciated them I didn't fully click with any of them. But a semi-recent rewatch of A Woman Under The Influence knocked me out so I should really get round to watching the rest again. I'm much more well adjusted to viewing "difficult" films now so it shouldn't be quite so daunting.

Although not directed by him, his role in Mikey And Nicky is very effective I think. That's one that doesn't get discussed much but it really impressed me when I first saw it. Also features his regular collaborator Peter Falk so should prove worthwhile to fans of his directorial output.

[vrailaine]

I really liked it too, especially considering it was one of those films where the director went mental and the studio had to just patch something together themselves.


Did Elaine May ever finish a film without the studio taking it off her, actually?

[Unoriginal]

The Heartbreak Kid? You should check it out if you haven't seen it. Mikey and Nicky is absolutely brilliant too.

I actually think there's a lot of feeling in Bela Tarr's earlier films. As time went on, he seemed to lose hope with cinema itself and The Turin Horse has to be one of the most unrelentingly miserable films in recent times, possibly in history. The final scene of that makes you wonder what the point is too.

[vrailaine]

I thought it was Neil Simon primarily?
Really liked both it and A New Leaf, but I felt like I should have liked them more.


I felt like Werckmeister had moments of wonder in it that were pretty positive, been ages since I saw it though. The Turin Horse is a film I was furious about after seeing it, really tested my whole "I don't mind if a film is miserable" type attitude but I like looking back on it so it was well worth my while.
Seems like a guy who might actually stay retired.


...woah, Bela Tarr done a version of Macbeth?!

[Herbert Ashe]

Re: Bela Tarr's MacBeth.

I think it's the first film where he used the long take (it was for TV so it didn't have the constraints of 12 minute shots for film, IIRC it's just 2 takes, a 10 minute one then a 50 minute one) although I don't remember Almanac of Fall having many so it may just have been TV circumstances that led him to do it.

I didn't find it particularly essential viewing but it was pretty familiar material (it's period staging on a studio set), and besides it's only an hour long.

[Unoriginal]

I don't think you can go anywhere after a film like The Turin Horse. It seemed to be a film of a man who had not only lost hope in film to change anything, but in art itself. He must have been even more annoyed when many didn't seem to understand that he was essentially telling them to fuck off.

[Urinal Cake]

 I watched 'Werckmeister Harmonies' and 'The Turin Horse'.

WH I feel I missed out because the whale and prince may have been allegories to the Soviet occupation of Hungary or to Christianity either way it was a good film.

TTH it's hard not to compare this with 'Au hasard Balthazar'. I'm not sure what to think of this really I don't think it's that pessimistic.