Based on the novel by John Steinbeck, East of Eden is the story of a young man in the early 1900s during World War I who vies for the affection of his father who tends to favor his brother where he goes on a journey for his own identity. Directed by Elia Kazan and screenplay by Paul Osborn, the film is a take of the Cain and Abel story in which two brothers spar for the devotion of their deeply religious father as one of them copes with his own issues while learning about his estranged mother. Starring James Dean, Raymond Massey, Julie Harris, Burl Ives, Richard Davalos, Lois Smith, and Jo Van Fleet. East of Eden is a majestic and intoxicating film from Elia Kazan.
Set in 1917 North California in the town of Salinas and the nearby town of Monterey, the film revolves around a young man trying to win the love of his father while competing with his twin brother whom their father favors. It is a film that is really an interpretation of the Cain and Abel story as it plays into two brothers vying for their father’s affection with one of them being this pacifist, strait-laced figure with a girlfriend and is a lot like his father. The other is an angst-ridden young man who feels like he could never please his father no matter how much work he can do and such. Paul Osborn’s screenplay is largely straightforward in how it plays into the journey that Cal Trask (James Dean) endures as he feels like he doesn’t do enough to please his father where he would often venture out Salina towards the neighboring Monterey where he follows a woman named Cathy Ames (Joy Van Fleet) whom he realizes is his mother that had abandoned his father just after he and his brother Aron (Richard Davalos) were born.
Their father Adam (Raymond Massey) is a man that is devoted to God in his beliefs, but he is also someone who has ideas with his crops as he is a farmer and a draft board chairman. He had an idea in keeping vegetables fresh as he has a lettuce crop as Cal helps along with Aron’s girlfriend Abra (Julie Harris) who is often concerned for Cal and his moody behavior. Yet, a weather storm crushes Adam’s dreams though Cal has an idea to go into the bean-growing business with one of his father’s partners knowing that stock will rise in case the U.S. decides to go to war as a way for Cal to get his father’s money back. Even as he turns to Cathy for help where he learns about why she left him as it makes Cal more determined to help his father where even Abra learns about what he is doing as she starts to fall for him. Yet, the script would reveal that Aron would find a way to upstage Cal in some way as it adds this sense of entitlement to someone who does everything his father does but is unable to cope with reality.
Elia Kazan’s direction is truly wondrous in his approach to imagery and the compositions that he creates that almost look and feel like a painting in some shots. Shot on location in coastal areas of Northern California in Salinas, Salinas Valley, and Mendocino County as they are important characters in the film such as shots of Cal riding on top of a train that would go from Salinas to Monterey. Kazan’s usage of the Cinemascope format allows him to go to great lengths to create shots such as a train riding away towards its destination as it plays into Adam Trask’s promise of a great future. While Kazan does use a lot of wide and medium shots to play into the locations including a fair where the bond between Cal and Abra becomes closer. There is also an intimacy in some of the medium shots but also in the close-ups along with a few slanted angles that play into Trask’s dominance towards his son with Aron often sitting either beside his father or in the middle of a table but closer to his father. Kazan also plays into the many differences between Cal and Aron as the latter is often seen in a clean-cut look with the former sometimes looking disheveled.
Kazan also plays into the events of World War I as Cal knew that there’s money to be made as he hopes he can use the money he makes to regain the money his father had lost. While Cal is aware about the horrors of war as there is this sense of optimism relating to the U.S. entering World War I. That optimism is destroyed when some of the young local men are killed with Trask’s longtime family friend Gustav Albrecht (Harold Gordon) is harassed because he’s German. The incidents relating to Albrecht make things for Trask uneasy with Aron also unable to cope with the realities of war as his pacifism becomes unwanted. The film’s third act relates to not just Cal’s desire to win over his father’s approval as he had kept the knowledge of his mother secret from both his father and Aron. It also plays into a young man who is often overshadowed by his brother whose selfishness is unveiled leading to a breakdown and some harsh truths for a family who have kept too many secrets from themselves. Overall, Kazan crafts a riveting yet intense film about two brothers vying for the affection of their father.
Cinematographer Ted D. McCord does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as it is filled with gorgeous colors for many of the film’s daytime exteriors with some stylish lighting for some interior scenes in the day and night including some soft-looking shots as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Owen Marks does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward with some stylish transitional dissolves to help play into the drama . Art directors James Basevi and Malcolm C. Bert, along with set decorators George James Hopkins and William Wallace, do brilliant work with the look of the Trask family ranch as well as the home where Abra lives in as well as other locations within the town.
Costume designer Anna Hill Johnstone does fantastic work with the costumes from the refined look of Trask and Aron to a more rugged look that Cal has as well as the stylish clothing that Cathy wears. The sound work of Stanley Jones is terrific for its approach to sound in the way things sound from afar as well as some of the sparse moments in the film. The film’s music by Leonard Rosenman is amazing for its soaring orchestral score that plays into some of the film’s melodrama along with some moments of dramatic suspense as it is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Harvey Clermont is wonderful as it features some notable small roles and appearances from Lois Smith as a young waitress working for Cathy at her brothel, Timothy Carey as Cathy’s bouncer Joe, Lonny Chapman as a mechanic who showed Trask how a car works, Richard Garrick as Dr. Edwards who appears late in the film, and Barbara Baxley as a nurse late in the film who annoys both Cal and Abra. Harold Gordon is terrific as Trask’s friend Gustav Albrecht as a German salesman whom the Trask family is fond of as they try to protect him from the locals. Albert Dekker is superb as Will Hamilton as a businessman who teams with Trask in his refrigerating idea only for things to fall but still wants to help Trask out by teaming with Cal in growing beans as it would be profitable. Burl Ives is fantastic as the local sheriff Sam who knows about Cathy being in Monterey as he is also a close friend of Trask where he does what he can to help Cal with news about his mother.
Jo Van Fleet is excellent as Cathy Ames/Kate Trask as a brothel madam who wears gloves to cover her hands that are described as white as ivory as she is also the estranged mother of both Cal and Aron as she discovers the former searching for her where she agrees to help his father as well as make money into Cal’s bean business. Richard Davalos is brilliant as Aron Trask as Cal’s twin brother who is a lot like their father in terms of being strait-laced and not getting into trouble yet is also unable to cope with reality where he would neglect Abra and later use her to win his father’s approval and humiliate Cal. Raymond Massey is amazing as Adam Trask as a farmer/draft board chairman who is trying to be this idea of purity as well as being someone who prefer to see success through small things instead of bigger things despite some ideas that would prove to prosperous despite the realities he had to face.
Julie Harris is incredible as Abra Bacon as Aron’s girlfriend who is this beautiful soul that is always good to everyone while shares her own issues with her father with Cal which adds to their growing bond as her relationship with Aron starts to falter as she would fall for Cal and be sympathetic towards him. Finally, there’s James Dean in a tremendous performance as Cal Trask as a young man who is eager to win the approval of his father while is often tormented by his own flaws as well as having to compete with his brother. Even as he is always full of energy and is willing to work hard yet is often conflicted in wanting to win his father’s love but also hates him for favoring Aron whom he feels is always undermining him as it showcases Dean as this acting powerhouse that is filled with angst and determination to be loved and understood.
East of Eden is a spectacular film by Elia Kazan that features great performances from James Dean, Julie Harris, and Raymond Massey. Along with its supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, its exploration of sibling rivalry, and an evocative music score by Leonard Rosenman. It is a film that is not just this intense melodrama but also a film that displays a young man that is yearning to be accepted for who he is from those who are close to him. In the end, East of Eden is a phenomenal film from Elia Kazan.
Elia Kazan Films: (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn) – (The Sea of Grass) – (Boomerang!) – (Gentleman’s Agreement) – (Pinky) – (Panic in the Streets) – A Streetcar Named Desire - (Viva Zapata!) – (Man on a Tightrope) – On the Waterfront - (Baby Doll) – (A Face in the Crowd) – (Wild River) – Splendor in the Grass - (America America) – (The Arrangement) – (The Visitors (1972 film)) – (The Last Tycoon)
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Set in January of 1969, the film follows the Beatles creating new songs in the hopes they would return to performing live in front of an audience as they would record and rehearse in two different studios that would climax with what would be their final public live performance. Yet, the film shows a band struggling to create new songs as the first sessions at Twickenham Studios where there is a brief argument between Paul McCartney and George Harrison. The sessions would move to Apple Studios where things are more relaxed and livelier as it would include Billy Preston playing the electric keyboard along with a visit from Paul’s then-girlfriend Linda Eastman and her daughter Heather who would play around in one of the sessions. It would then climax into a concert where the band would play on the rooftop of Apple Studios as it would be their last public concert ever.
That is the premise of the film in the span of 80 minutes but given the fact that it was released on May 13, 1970, just five days after the release of the album of the same name. It came out amidst a dark cloud in which the Beatles had just broken up a month earlier as well as a dour presentation of the film as it was shot originally on 16mm in a 1:33:1 aspect ratio, meant for television, as it would be blown up into 35mm as the film had a grainy look that really added to the bleakness relating to the Beatles’ break-up. It would create this myth of a film that was a total downer as it would not be shown publicly since the early 1980s as it would be bootlegged by Beatles fans where footage of the film would be shown in the Anthology documentary series in the mid-1990s. The myth of the documentary about how it played during the Beatles break-up would continue with its director Michael Lindsay-Hogg getting much of the blame. Yet, it should be noted that Lindsay-Hogg along with editors Tony Lenny, Graham Gilding, and Peter Hollywood had to make the film under the most troubling circumstances when the band was making their final album Abbey Road as well as finding new management that did play into their break-up.
Then came Get Back by Peter Jackson that took the 56 hours of footage that Lindsay-Hogg and cinematographer Anthony Richmond had shot where the myth about the dark mood of these sessions were found to be untrue. While there were moments of tension that did lead to George Harrison’s brief departure from the band during the Twickenham sessions. What Jackson discovered was a band just trying to become a band again as there is more context into what was happening in these 22 days. The resulting 2021 documentary in Get Back did not just correct a small piece of history relating to the Beatles but also destroying a myth about that period. In this 2024 restoration that is supervised by Peter Jackson with a new music remix by Giles Martin and Sam Okell comes a film that is given a new life.
Presented in fully realized colors that brings a lot of beauty to Anthony Richmond’s cinematography along with a broader sound that was originally recorded by Peter Sutton. The documentary showcases a band that is trying to create these new songs while having some fun as there is footage in the film that wasn’t in Jackson’s documentary such as a performance of Besame Mucho as well as scenes from the last recording session where the band performed Two of Us, Let It Be, and The Long and Winding Road before they would be re-produced to horrific results by Phil Spector for the 1970 album. Given that it was filmed on the last day, but it was not the final sequence of the film does bring some confusion to the film’s narrative without the context that was shown in Get Back as one of the issues of this film is some continuity in the editing. There are scenes where Paul and George are wearing a different shirt or sweater in one scene and then there is a jump-cut where they are wearing something entirely different while John Lennon is still wearing a purple/pink T-shirt with a black vest over it.
Thankfully, the narrative that Lindsay-Hogg was able to provide showed a band just making music and enjoying themselves as the climatic final performance is the highlight of the film. Performing five songs with Get Back played twice in the film, it does show a band having some fun until the police arrive to stop the show as the film ends. The 2024 restoration does open with a brief conversation between Peter Jackson and Michael Lindsay-Hogg about the film’s restoration with Lindsay-Hogg feeling vindicated that the film is given a second chance.
Let It Be is a spectacular film by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. While it is only a fragmented look into 22 days in the life of the Beatles trying to create new music that would lead to their final public performance. It still displays this brief glimpse of a band trying to be a band again instead of something bigger that has overwhelmed them. In this new restoration from Peter Jackson, the film is not just given a new life but also helps complete a small piece of a puzzle that played into the story of the Beatles and dispel myths about that period. In the end, Let It Be is a sensational film from Michael Lindsay-Hogg.
The Beatles: The Albums: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Magical Mystery Tour - The White Album - Yellow Submarine OST - Abbey Road - Let It Be
Compilations: (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - Past Masters - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (1) - (Let It Be… Naked) - (Love)
The Beatles Films: (A Hard Day’s Night) – (Help!) – Magical Mystery Tour - (Yellow Submarine) – (The Beatles Anthology) – The Beatles: Get Back
Related: The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Across the Universe - Nowhere Boy - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Good Ol' Freda - (Eight Days a Week-The Touring Years)
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Set in the San Fernando Valley near Los Angeles, the film revolves a 20-something porn star who goes to a yard sale where she buys a thermos from this old lady only to find money in the thermos as she isn’t sure what to do with the money as she would later meet and befriend this old lady. It is a film with a simple premise as it plays into this young woman who finds money totally to $10,000 in this thermos that she originally intended to use as a vase only to try and meet this old lady she bought it from as she would befriend her. Even in doing errands and other things for this old lady to cope with the guilt of having this woman’s money. The film’s screenplay by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch is largely straightforward where it follows the life of Jane (Dree Hemingway) who works as a porn actress under the stage name of Tess as she lives with a couple of porn actors in Melissa/Zana (Stella Maeve) and Mikey (James Ransone) as the latter is trying to get something going while not wanting to get into trouble with their boss Arash (Karren Karagulian).
Wanting to put some changes in her bedroom, Jane drives around the Valley to yard sales where she buys this thermos from this old woman in Sadie (Besedka Johnson) who is annoyed by her where Jane later finds the money upon putting water into the thermos. She tries to talk to Sadie about the thermos while later picking her up at a supermarket as she would get to know her as well as do things to her. Jane would also bring her pet chihuahua Starlet to the trips as Sadie would find comfort in Jane’s company although she does not know what Jane does to make a living. Even when Jane had to pick up Melissa who had gotten fired as she had put herself in trouble with Arash. Still, Melissa would not help matters having had her car repossessed as well as do things that would put her in even more trouble with Arash as it relates to non-compete clauses. Even as Melissa would play into her discovery of what Jane had found as she would be a threat to Jane’s relationship with Sadie.
Baker’s direction does have a flair for style as it is shot with hand-held cameras and on location in the San Fernando Valley in California with a small budget of $250,000. While there are some wide shots in the film that Baker uses, much of the direction emphasizes on medium shots and close-ups to play into the intimacy of the characters and whatever location they are in. Especially as it is set in the streets and suburbs in the San Fernando Valley as it is a world where Jane lives in as she is trying to maintain some stability in her life while waiting for her next porn gig. Still, she contends with Mikey’s money-schemes as well as Melissa’s own issues while they would often spend much of their time playing video games. Upon meeting Sadie, Jane would follow her, including playing bingo with her so she could get to know her as Baker maintains a sense of space between the two as well as doing other things such as taking Sadie to her husband’s gravesite.
Baker also plays into the world of porn that Jane works in as she hides it from Sadie where there is a scene where Jane as Tess does do a porn shoot that includes some explicit sex. Baker would have actress Zoe Voss as a body double to perform these explicit scenes as he would edit them in a way that is shocking but also knowing what not to use. Baker’s editing is a strong component to the film with its usage of jump-cuts in playing to the emotional aspects of the film. Notably in the third act following an incident in which Sadie nearly loses Starlet while cleaning her garden though Jane is not mad at her but also unaware of what happened. It also plays into the growing rift between Jane and Melissa as the latter has become unruly as well as a liability for Jane as she would be disruptive at a porn expo where their boss tells Jane to get away from her. Still, Melissa does play a key role in trying to ruin Jane’s relationship with Sadie as its ending is about this role that Jane has been playing for this old woman who has been alone for a long time. Overall, Baker crafts a touching and ravishing film about a young woman forming a friendship with an old lady whose thermos she bought at a yard sale filled with money.
Cinematographer Radium Cheung does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its sunny look as well as some interiors with some stylish lights including a scene with neon for a key scene in the film. Production designer Mari Yui and art director Tatsuya Yamauchi do amazing work with the look of the apartment Jane shares with Mikey and Melissa as well as Sadie’s home. Costume designer Shih-Ching Tsou does nice work with the costumes from the stylish and youthful clothing that Jane and Melissa wear including some of the skimpy clothing they were at the porn expo along the more reserved look of Sadie.
Sound designers Justin M. Davey and Zach Seivers do excellent work with the sound as it plays into the atmosphere of the locations as well as how music is sound from a location as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Jonas Munk Jensen, in his Manual pseudonym, is incredible for its ambient-based score filled with low-key beats and soothing synthesizers that play into the drama while music supervisor Stephanie Diaz-Matos creates a soundtrack that features some hip-hop and electronic music from G-Lloyd, Erick Sermon, Feddi Twinz, Kenny P, Pink Dollaz, Longevity, Houston, and Jason Kilgore plus the awful rock music that is Buckcherry.
The casting by Julia Kim is wonderful as it features some notable small roles and appearances from real-life porn actors in Kristina Rose, Asa Akira, Manuel Ferrara, and Lily Labeau plus Michael Adrienne O’Hagan as Arash’s assistant Janice who is the mediator for Arash and his clients as she does not take Melissa’s bullshit and Boonee as Jane’s pet chihuahua Starlet. Karren Karagulian is terrific as the porn producer Arash who sees a great future in Jane as he sees her as a responsible person but finds trouble in Melissa while also learning about something that she is doing that goes against a non-compete clause. James Ransone is superb as Mikey as a porn actor/filmmaker who is trying to create a money scheme that he hopes would help them both financially as the reveal proves to be disappointing.
Stella Maeve is excellent as Melissa as a young porn actress who is often filled with money troubles and bad luck where she decides to do something that would get her into trouble with Arash while becoming jealous of Jane’s friendship with Sadie as well as discovering what Jane found in the thermos. Besedka Johnson is amazing in her only film role as Sadie as an old woman who sold Jane a thermos unaware that there’s money in there as she deals with Jane’s presence but also her own issues in life where she finds comfort in Jane’s company. Finally, there’s Dree Hemingway in a brilliant performance as Jane/Tess as a young porn actress who buys a thermos as she discovers its content where she is guilty about spending it yet spends time with Sadie to not feel guilty as well as get some life lessons as it is a riveting and naturalistic performance from Hemingway.
Starlet is a phenomenal film from Sean Baker that features incredible leading performances from Dree Hemingway and Besedka Johnson. Along with its supporting cast, naturalistic visuals, its story of companionship and guilt, and a soothing music score by Jonas Munk Jensen. The film is an unconventional yet effective drama that explores an unlikely friendship between two women from different generations as they both get something from one another. In the end, Starlet is a sensational film from Sean Baker.
Sean Baker Films: (Four Letter Words) – (Take Out (2004 film)) – (Prince of Broadway) – Tangerine (2015 film) - The Florida Project - (Red Rocket) – (Anora)
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