Review of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) by David L — 17 Mar 2010

The story itself is an awkward one and not flawlessly written despite the fact that Tennessee williams wrote the play. But the movie works. Through force of will and faith by all involved, especially Ives, Newman and Taylor, it is hard not to believe that something incredible is happening in each scene. These are great actors that have that undeniable riveting nature which can make a good scene extraordinary.

Broken dreams, family rivalries, unforgiving grudges, alchoholism, and general conflict in every relationship in this film is neverending fuel for the story lines. That the alchoholic grump is the closest thing to a hero in the movie is par for the course in this cynical excursion. A lot of anger and everpresent resentment is the glue holding the action together. In the finale there are two main resolutions of this angst. The father and son transformation is not completely satisfying, but that may be what Williams wanted. The realignment between husband and wife dances between painfully raw, and a little funny. That works the best and when it's over you feel like a voyeur, a dastardly spy who sees what no one outside the lives of the characters involved should see. This unsettling emotion leaves me to believe that there is some genius in this work. We are all movie lovers and have seen countless cinematic displays, but how often have you felt that you are seeing something you are not supposed to see?