David Lean showed off his technical virtuosity yet again directing Summertime from 1955 (warning: I had the misfortune of watching this in fullscreen; if you can view it in its original aspect ratio, by all means, do so). His valentine to Venice may have brought out the bully in Pauline Kael, but he gave audiences who cared a sweeping romance that gradually documents sheltered American Jane Hudson (acting titan Katharine Hepburn with all of her iconic angular features) lowering her guard to a sweet taste of passion in the form of Renato de Rossi (Rossano Brazzi). She is a woman, unlucky in love, who can’t even summon a cat’s attention. But, when desire presents itself in broad daylight, she has to process through all of the social conditioning and puritanical rules that have guided her thus far through life, for better or worse. Lean’s languid tone is interspersed with Jane’s bouts of anxiety from sticking her toe in the Canal Grande before retreating each time, until she literally and figuratively falls in (Hepburn, who expressed concern about the shot contracted a permanent eye infection as a result, due to a liquid Lean sprayed in the water). Instead of documenting a travelogue of beautiful, yet emotionless memories from a comfortable distance on her film camera, she slowly treads the path towards living, realizing that a short-term affair is worth more than an unredeemed or empty promise for a lifetime.
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| The seductive man spots the unloved woman |
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| The unloved woman becomes aware and the seductive man is further entertained by her charms |
It’s her realism that partly protected her, which she had to temporarily abandon just to experience something sweet and memorable, but it was also her savior, as she recognized nothing gold can stay. Jane leaves her “wonderful, mystical, magical, miracle” on the vessel she arrived: a train along the Via Libertà. It's now a memory she holds in her heart. That undulating arm waving farewell isn’t an expression of regret or sorrow, but one of thankfulness and fulfillment. She is a changed woman and better for it, as you can see the ecstasy on Hepburn’s face as she dances with Renato in the club before they make love (during literal and figurative fireworks). She took all the necessary steps to get there while protecting herself. She deserves this.
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| Beginning/Ending Contrast: Jane calmly checks to confirm her suspicions that she is being observed in her first glance at Renato, before she sheepishly closes herself off |
My Favorite Shot From Summertime:
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| Jane relents unabashedly ... finally! |
Beginning/Ending Contrast: A Red Goblet for a Red Shoe
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| Lean establishing that he has made yet another beautiful film |
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| Beginning/Ending contrast: Jane entered Venice sitting on the edge of the window, she left with her body hanging out halfway. |
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| "Okay, Katharine, I just want you to daydream and fantasize while I have Rossano enter the square. Don't you worry about a thing. I've got everything under control. It will look great!" |
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| The heat in Venice always seems to ignite in the dark |
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| I have no idea where the cameraman was standing here, but dang did they know what they were doing |
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| You know, while Lean was in Venice, he took all these great shots of what fit into his story; this was yet another |
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| When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that's amore! (Sick? Right?) |
The hardest thing about doing this week's edition of HMWYBS was having to deal with that damn song from Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff popping into my head whenever I typed the title. LOL. Will Smith used to be a pop star, and act like a clown on his own TV show while wearing stupid clothes. Thank you again to Nat Rogers for providing this fun and educational series over at The Film Experience.
In 1955, Summertime was likely in the conversation for a Best Picture nomination, especially if there had been a Field of Ten. Check out the post here.
Previous HMWYBS:
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Summertime
Double Indemnity
A Star Is Born (1954)
Pink Narcissus
Road to Perdition
Picnic
The Story of Adele H.
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