Review of The Last Picture Show (1971) by Ken R — 18 Apr 2008
A beautiful piece of filmmaking, Bogdanovich paints a small town Texas that never seems to have truly got over the great depression helped to no end by the brilliant black and white photography and a crumbling mise-en-scene of decrepit pool halls and rusting pick-up trucks.
An acting powerhouse, the cast convey hidden longings, a life time of regrets and small town malaise perfectly, by turns melancholy, hilarious and heart breaking. Even its symbolic closing of the cinema seems more pertinent than ever, in today's downloading, hi-def TV environment.
Paying lip service to classic Hollywood whilst keeping the 'new Hollywood's tougher edge by never giving in to its more cloying saccharine melodrama. This is the great American novel finally perfectly translated to celluloid.
This review of The Last Picture Show (1971) was written by Ken R on 18 Apr 2008.
The Last Picture Show has generally received very positive reviews.
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