Finally watched this tonight on TCM.
I found it to be a bizarre movie. I get the fact that it's a civil rights metaphor that takes place just before the great civil rights movements in America, but is this really how people in 1959 would react after an apocalypse?
Cool, you seen it
...I had the same sort of reactions. But after I thought about the movie, I came to the conclusion that the post apocalyptic world isn't meant to be realistic, but provides a back drop so that the three characters: a white woman, a black man and a white man, can interact without the social constraints of the 1950s. That's why there's no mention of bodies in the street or wild animals, etc, IMO it wasn't trying to be realistic. But! I agree all the characters acted very strange indeed.
I found it a bit odd that everyone dresses in their Sunday best (or basically like TV dad, Ward Cleaver, who'd always wear a suit and tie even on days he wasn't going to work!) I guess they were just trying to restore a bit of their normal lives to their post-apocalyptic world
I would credit that to film making styles of the time. I don't know how many films I've seen where a woman wakes up in the morning with make-up on and her hair already done. Artistic licenses.
One unrealistic thing was Ralph (Belafonte) worrying about social norms in a world where it seems he and the girl are the only humans left alive and he's got this young, beautiful girl practically throwing herself at him at a point when they are both dying from loneliness? Who's going to worry about segregation at a time like that?
I know what you mean, especially in the scene where he says 'he can't even sit down at the table!' meaning: set down to eat with a white woman. I take that scene to demonstrate just how conflicted he felt from the racism that he grew up with. Think of the segregated lunch counters in the south. In effect we feel his pain of being victimized by bigotry, because it's effected him so much that even after the world is destroyed he still feels controlled by it.
The ending was
WARNING: "S-Alert" spoilers below
just laughable (and convinced me that they were all insane)... after Mel Ferrer attempts to kill Harry Belafonte for basically no reason (except that the girl he wants - because she's the only girl around - can't make up her mind over which guy she wants), they all walk away hand in hand? WTF?
just laughable (and convinced me that they were all insane)... after Mel Ferrer attempts to kill Harry Belafonte for basically no reason (except that the girl he wants - because she's the only girl around - can't make up her mind over which guy she wants), they all walk away hand in hand? WTF?
Very true, the ending makes no sense...but it's a very important message for 1950s audiences to see. So I think it was the right ending at the time.
I never saw Mel Ferrer as the "bigot" he was described to be. Instead he just seemed like a selfish man who wanted to eliminate any competition, and would've done the same whether the other guy was white or any other race.
I saved the best for last...IMDB summary says Mel Ferrer's character is a bigot, no he was not! I watched this twice and none of his actions are based on Harry Belfonte's skin color. The whole duel is over the girl and not about skin color. A pretty girl in a post apocalyptic world is a dangerous thing! Especially when there's only one girl for two guys.
Which brings me to the most interesting question of all, what would you do in Mel Ferrer's shoes? Just like in the movie, lets say you encounter another human being (a male) and a beautiful woman who seems to like you. What would you do in that situation?