← Back to Reviews
in
Mason Cooley once wrote "Once wealth and beauty are gone, there is always rural life". There is much to be said about the stereotypes of country or rural life, but I don't think it would be a stretch to say that through the decades, many people have expressed feelings of entrapment, wanting to escape, or the lack of opportunities to "progress", things just not working out. This little-known independent film shows us a sliver of that.
Set in rural Ohio, Spring Night, Summer Night follows the events surrounding a dysfunctional family. Carl (Ted Heim) is the oldest son of miner-turned-farmer Virgil (John Crawford), who has remarried with Mae (Marj Johnson) with whom he has a bunch of other children, including Jess (Larue Hall), who is slightly younger than Carl. All of these characters fit the above mold of feeling trapped and smothered by the circumstances around them. Be it financial struggles, longings of a long-gone past, or an unwanted pregnancy.
I stumbled upon this film pretty much by chance while browsing Mubi, and although it was far from great, I still found myself pleasantly surprised by how honest and genuine it felt. Despite treading a decidedly controversial topic, the film handles it with care. Part of that is because of the pensive performances of the cast, but also to Anderson's melancholic direction, which often puts the surroundings in the foreground, as if the mountains and trees were absorbing the characters. His direction is still somewhat amateurish, but there are flairs of goodness here and there.
Other than that, some performances are a bit spotty (particularly of the supporting characters), the pace is a bit sluggish, and the way the characters try to handle the main conflict in the last act might be a bit cringey and problematic. But I will still give it props for putting it forward in 1967. Also, the black and white cinematography is quite good.
Towards the end of the film, Virgil and Mae both have some moments of looking back separately, and reminiscing of their past. Times when they had money and/or beauty. Things that they did, and things they could've done. The regrets of trying to make things right or just differently, and things just not working out. Now that "wealth and beauty are gone", what do they have left?
Grade:
SPRING NIGHT, SUMMER NIGHT
(1967, Anderson)
A film with the word "Spring" in its title
(1967, Anderson)
A film with the word "Spring" in its title
"Whenever you try to live your life but... just don't work out."
Mason Cooley once wrote "Once wealth and beauty are gone, there is always rural life". There is much to be said about the stereotypes of country or rural life, but I don't think it would be a stretch to say that through the decades, many people have expressed feelings of entrapment, wanting to escape, or the lack of opportunities to "progress", things just not working out. This little-known independent film shows us a sliver of that.
Set in rural Ohio, Spring Night, Summer Night follows the events surrounding a dysfunctional family. Carl (Ted Heim) is the oldest son of miner-turned-farmer Virgil (John Crawford), who has remarried with Mae (Marj Johnson) with whom he has a bunch of other children, including Jess (Larue Hall), who is slightly younger than Carl. All of these characters fit the above mold of feeling trapped and smothered by the circumstances around them. Be it financial struggles, longings of a long-gone past, or an unwanted pregnancy.
I stumbled upon this film pretty much by chance while browsing Mubi, and although it was far from great, I still found myself pleasantly surprised by how honest and genuine it felt. Despite treading a decidedly controversial topic, the film handles it with care. Part of that is because of the pensive performances of the cast, but also to Anderson's melancholic direction, which often puts the surroundings in the foreground, as if the mountains and trees were absorbing the characters. His direction is still somewhat amateurish, but there are flairs of goodness here and there.
Other than that, some performances are a bit spotty (particularly of the supporting characters), the pace is a bit sluggish, and the way the characters try to handle the main conflict in the last act might be a bit cringey and problematic. But I will still give it props for putting it forward in 1967. Also, the black and white cinematography is quite good.
Towards the end of the film, Virgil and Mae both have some moments of looking back separately, and reminiscing of their past. Times when they had money and/or beauty. Things that they did, and things they could've done. The regrets of trying to make things right or just differently, and things just not working out. Now that "wealth and beauty are gone", what do they have left?
Grade: