Monday 30 March 2015

East of Eden (1955 Elia Kazan)

Superb use of the CinemaScope frame from Kazan and/or Ted McCord, who lights sensationally - notable use of deep focus in exteriors and interiors; notice also how diffused is the scene where van Fleet and Dean meet properly. In fact it begins in an almost geometric fashion with legendary editor Owen Marks unobtrusively fitting the angles together.

Class act from Warners from Steinbeck's novel, a sort of twisted Cain and Abel story, with the sensational James Dean and Richard Davalos as Raymond Massey's sons, Julie Harris the girl in the middle, Jo Van Fleet the no-good mother and Burl Ives a friendly cop.

Notice also Kazan is doing something distinctive with the father - son scenes with a tilted camera.

Stills packs a bit of a wallop, particularly in scene where Dean loses it with brother.

Music Leonard Rosenman.

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