Cassavetes understood that social conditioning turns all of us into actors, forced to don a mask or pose to enact the various roles we are compelled to perform throughout our days, and that we are generally very bad actors to boot, full of forced laughter, cruel acts impulsively cracking the facade of niceness, selfpity undermining our cool. Finding a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the john cassavetesdirected movie via subscription can be a. Cassavetes was a pioneer of american independent film, writing and directing over a dozen movies, which he partially selffinanced. Husbands 1970 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. A death sends three new york men ben gazzara, john cassavetes, peter falk on london flings.
Husbands is a fascinating cinematic exercise, the kind of film that infuriates some, bores many others and utterly captivates a select few. Subtitled a comedy about life, death and freedom, husbands follows three middleaged men ben gazzara, peter falk and cassavetes, long. This is an important film by an important director. Cassavetes were the sort to be strongly influenced by the work of other film makers, which he most. For years, ive heard fellow cineastes as well as screenwriters, directors and actors mostly actors, now that i think of it singing cassavetes praises for his emotionally raw.
Cassavetes was, in effect, disillusioned before he was able to form illusions. It has good intentions, i suppose, but it is an artistic disaster and only fitfully. December 9, 1929 february 3, 1989 was an american actor, film director, and screenwriter. In truth its an arthouse movie dressed as a crime movie, with little interest in plot or titillating those with a taste for noir. Husbands 1970 falls somewhere in between husbands is nowhere near a great film, for most of the. Cassavetes was a masterful antihollywood director who probed human failings until he reached right under the skin. Scion of renowned maverick director john cassavetes and extraordinary actress gena rowlands, nick cassavetes was an actor for over a decade before he added writing and directing to his hollywood repertoire. Husbands may be one of the best films anyone will ever see. Written and directed by john cassavetes starring john cassavetes, peter falk and ben. Cassavetes first directorial project after his critical breakthrough with faces, featuring intense, largely improvised performances by two of his most consistent collaborators, ben gazzara and peter falk, husbands was originally released in a cut running 154 minutes. John cassavetes began his career in film in 1953 and ended it in 1986, between which times he was involved in every aspect of the film, television, and stage arts, including acting, directing, scoring, shooting, editing, producing, and marketing. December 9, 1929 february 3, 1989 was a greekamerican actor, film director, and screenwriter. Cassavetes offers far too much testosterone in place of intelligence, while a facile reliance on melodrama over real drama turns husbands into something that a great film never is.
An interview with actress gena rowlands on the occasion of a john cassavetesrowlands retrospective at nycs metrograph. Cassavetes was a pioneer of american independent film, writing and directing over a dozen movies, which he partially selffinanced, and pioneered the use of improvisation and a cinema verite style. Husbands 1970 the term midlife crisis became a familiar phrase in the seventiesand in seventies cinemabut when john cassavetes released husbands 1970, the term was just being born and the concept just starting to make its way into the movies. Extended edition 1970 the quiet, simple family lives of gus, harry and archie john cassavetes, ben gazzara, peter falk are shattered when their best friend, stuart, has a heart. He had his own midlife crisis in a prolonged youthand this was the story of his second feature, too late blues. Jul 15, 2011 i do not own the rights to this video. Husbands 1970 and a woman under the influence 1974. It shows an important director not merely failing, but not even understanding why. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing husbands near you. Read the husbands movie synopsis, view the movie trailer, get cast and crew information, see movie photos, and more on. May 17, 1991 opening night could be described as john cassavetes s version of all about eve if mr.
Husbands requires just as much patience from and challenges its viewer as much as any other cassavetes movie, but just like any other of his work, youre glad you went through it by the time you get to the other side. The rights either belong to columbia pictures or faces music, inc. But when cassavetes concluded by saying that he didnt actually have any backing for the film no money, producer or studio interest and had not even written the script yet, gazzara wrote off the encounter as typical hollywood gladhanding, the. Licensed to youtube by sme on behalf of legacy recordings. He describes the struggle to get them made, and the even greater battle to get many of them into movie theaters. True domestic violence as harry ben gazzara, philosophical about his marriage after an allnighter with archie and gus peter falk and writerdirector john cassavetes, tangles with his wife and motherinlaw meta shaw, lorraine mcmartin, while picking up his passport, in husbands, 1970. Opening night is an interesting experiment, topheavy with subplots. Most of the movie is shot in warm, earthy, romantic tones, which sets the mood of nostalgia and dreams well, i think.
John cassavetes husbands is disappointing in the way antonionis zabriskie point was. It is tempting to see the title characters in husbands 1970 as older versions of the trio in john cassavetes breakthrough film, shadows 1959 aimless new yorkers indulging in noisy horseplay, haplessly picking up women, getting into humiliating scrapes and resisting the demands made on them by family and society. He directed such movies as faces 1968, husbands 1970, and a woman under the influence 1974, and he appeared in the dirty dozen 1967 and rosemarys baby 1968. Cassavetes invited gazzara to lunch at hamburger hamlet and told him the story of husbands. Faces and husbands to minnie and moskowitz, a woman under the in.
It is certainly the best movie anyone will ever live through. Every now and then, though, we get a cold, full on daytime shot where everyone looks naked and blinking under a frigid sun. After spending so much of his youth surrounded by the film industry, cassavetes initially decided he did. An interview with actress gena rowlands on the occasion of a john cassavetes. Peter falk, ben gazzara and john cassavetes in the latters husbands. Films of frank capra speaking the language of desire. Husbands is a 1970 american comedydrama film written and directed by john cassavetes. Husbands, john cassavetess first film as a director since faces, is a personal, almost private movie that is devoted to the exploration of the mysteries of a very middleclass american.
His early years were spent with his family in greece. Opening night could be described as john cassavetess version of all about eve if mr. Looking to feast your eyes on husbands in the comfort of your own home. Finding a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the john cassavetes directed movie via subscription can be a. Dec 09, 1970 husbands, john cassavetes s first film as a director since faces, is a personal, almost private movie that is devoted to the exploration of the mysteries of a very middleclass american. John cassavetes, american film director and actor regarded as the father of the independent film movement in the united states. He also acted in many hollywood films, notably rosemarys baby 1968 and the dirty dozen 1967. As with many john cassavetes films, its a love it or hate it experience. Long unavailable, john cassavetes 1970 film husbands, at last comes to dvd today, courtesy of sony.
Oct 03, 20 cassavetes was, in effect, disillusioned before he was able to form illusions. Although gena rowlands would kick sharon stones butt if both of their films were compared, the pace to cassavetes gloria is. Nicholas colasanto, john cassavetes, peter falk, 1972. Husbands has all the confidence of cassavetes masterpiece, faces, but few of the other qualities of the film that preceded it. What always saves a cassavetes film from the precipice is that by the time the credits roll, we know his people as we know our own loved ones flawed, complex, mysterious. Cassavetes stars in the film, his followup to faces 1968, along with peter falk.
Husbands is his toughest, most exhausting film, but if you can take it, its worth the ride. His compassion is like a tidal wave, but without a hint of sentiment. Some cassavetes acolytes will tell you to start with 1976s the killing of a chinese bookie, a neonoir about a sleazy strip club owner ben gazzara who owes a debt to the mob, because that sounds like a thrilling genre movie. Aug 18, 2009 long unavailable, john cassavetes 1970 film husbands, at last comes to dvd today, courtesy of sony. Now facing their mortality, the three men fall into their own midlife crises. He directed such movies as faces 1968, husbands 1970, and a woman under the influence 1974, and he appeared in the. Ive never been able to sit through an entire john cassavetes movie. Some of john cassavetes films can be hard to watch.
Cassavetes refused, though after its debut the studio cut the film by ten minutes, footage that was only recently restored to the film. John cassavetes was a filmmaker who made his independent films in two primary modes. Husbands 1970 john cassavetes synopsis, characteristics. Cassavetes was born in new york city, the son of actress gena rowlands and greekamerican actor and film director john cassavetes. A common friends sudden death brings three men, married with children, to reconsider their lives and ultimately leave together. As a child, he appeared in two of his fathers films. But mindless enthusiasm for regained freedom will be shortlived. It stars ben gazzara, peter falk and cassavetes as three middle class men in the throes of a midlife crisis following the death of a close friend. Cassavetes was born in new york city, the son of katherine cassavetes who was to feature in some of his films and nicholas john cassavetes, greek immigrants to the u.
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