Review of Splendor in the Grass (1961) by Nate W — 19 Aug 2011
Like most of his renowned works, Elia Kazan's "Splendor in the Grass" is dramatically charged, demonstrably acted, but not pieced together with quite the cohesion of a fluent storyteller.
It tells the story of the emotional awakening of a fragile teenager, tremendously performed by Natalie Wood, whose sexual needs â" ignited by her love affair with Warren Beatty (setting many girls' hearts aflutter in his feature film debut) â" clot up her mind while under the roof of her puritan mother, leaving her a psychological wreck.
Beatty's character, meanwhile, is suffering the domineering of his oil-wealhthy father, when all he wants to do is ranch and marry his sweetheart. Beneath the Tennessee-Williams-esque machinations of the plot (conceived by William Inge), it's a picture about the fleetingness of youth, the repressive forces of society, and the violent, deformed expressions of obstructed passions.
This review of Splendor in the Grass (1961) was written by Nate W on 19 Aug 2011.
Splendor in the Grass has generally received very positive reviews.
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