A View from the Bridge
Directed by Sidney Lumet
Written by Norman Rosten from a play by Arthur Miller
1962/France/Italy
Transcontinental Films/Produzione Intercontinale
First viewing/YouTube
[box] “I only ask you one thing- don’t trust nobody” ― Arthur Miller, A View from the Bridge: A Play in Two Acts[/box]
The acting is first-rate but 2 hours of hyper-masculinity gets kind of old by the end.
Eddie Carbone (Raf Vallone) is an Italian immigrant who works on the docks. He lives with his kind-hearted wife Beatrice (Maureen Stapleton) and eighteen-year-old niece Catherine (Carol Lawrence). It is clear from the get-go that he has an unhealthy obsession with the niece disguised as parental “concern”. In the meantime, Catherine blithely showers him with hugs and kisses like a child.
Eddie’s life is turned upside down with the arrival of two illegal immigrants sponsored by Beatrice. They move in with the family. The younger of the two, Rodolpho, is Eddie’s polar opposite. He has a beautiful tenor voice and can cook and even sew. Naturally, Catherine and Rodolpho immediately fall in love. This drives Eddie straight over the edge and results in tragedy for all.
Eddie Carbone is not a nice guy to be around and this is his story. It is an interesting take on masculinity gone mad and probably the most operatic thing Arthur Miller ever wrote. Raf Vallone is fantastic in the part. It started to wear me down by the end, though.
Arthur Miller tells a story about a stage production of his play
