Review of The Day of the Locust (1975) by Simon M — 23 Sep 2010

This is one of my favorite movies of all time, because just even thinking about it gives me an adrenalin rush. I do admit though, that there are many people who have an extreme dislike for this movie(particularly the ending). For me, this is a stunner about how second-rate human beings infest Hollywood. It is all not very subtle. It's all larger-than-life and expands on the Nathanael West novel in almost a lunatic fashion.

This powerful, tragic and depressing film focuses on the characters missteps and misdeeds in an apocalyptic nightmare of 1930's Hollywood. The film follows and aspiring film designer who walks further and further into Hell as he becomes entangled with a morbid sideshow of characters on the brink of madness.

John Schlesinger(Midnight Cowboy) directed this movie, which winds up with a terrifying riot at a Grauman's Chinese theater movie premiere. Some may think that the ending is overblown and too surreal, but it is a metaphor for exposing the shimmery illusions of Hollywood as a sad and gory reality. This is not a movie that will entertain most(except for the fact that Donald Sutherlands cartoonish character is named Homer Simpson)but it really takes my breath away with each viewing. Vivid and most unforgettable, but the ending will either blow you away or just piss you off. There is no in between here.