From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!cmcl2!edler
Newsgroups: net.movies
Title: tempest
Article-I.D.: cmcl2.13892
Posted: Sun Sep 26 15:37:12 1982
Received: Thu Sep 30 07:25:13 1982



I saw Mazursky's Tempest the other day, and while it had some
inspired scenes, wonderful photography, and great music,
I was a bit disappointed.
If I had read Shakespeare would I understand?

The film portrays a stormy period in the life of a man (John
Cassavetes (sp?)) and those around him (Gena Rowlands, Susan
Sarandon, and others).  I did not make much sense of it; most
of the time the guy seemed to be absolutely insane, and everyone
revolves around him.

I was particularly disturbed by the image of women in this film.
All three of the women (wife, lover, and daughter) seemed to be
emotionally dependent on him, and incapable of independent action.
It was as if they existed only for his benefit.  Furthermore,
at the end, the return to happiness was accompanied with the
restoration of the traditional family; the lover just disappeared.

The dynamic force of change in this movie was apparently
this one man's mind alone; the actions of others were always
a response to some action of his.  He even controlled the weather.
There was no good reason for the beginning of their problems,
other than his bad dreams and growing ambivilance about life.
Likewise, there was no good reason for the ending;
it was a sort of spontaneous return to happiness, with a hint that
the storms could return some day.

I don't think the shifting context and flashbacks helped either, although
the story was easy enough to follow.

Did anyone else see this film?  Did you get something different from it?

	Jan Edler		cmcl2!edler	(nyu)
				pyuxll!jse	(btl piscataway)