“Opening Night” Freedom from the existential fear of “aging”

"Opening Night" synopsis

One day, stage actress Myrtle (Gena Rowlands), who is working on her new play ``The Second Woman,'' comes across the accidental death of a young woman, Nancy (Laura Johnson), who is an enthusiastic fan. Heartbroken, Myrtle attends the funeral, but her family's response is indifferent. Eventually, she begins to see visions of Nancy and loses her emotional balance. He begins to repeat acts that deviate from the script, such as changing lines without permission, throwing props, and talking to the audience.

Index

• “Actor’s movie”
• hidden face
• Convey “hope”

“Actor’s movie”

It's difficult to talk about John Cassavetes. Whether it's his dynamic camera work, neat composition, or crisp editing, he is located in a place that is farthest away from what many viewers believe is "cinema." ing.

The camera's focus is poor and the composition is loose. Establishing shots to explain the situation are also almost never used. The connection between shots is also clumsy. For Cassavetes, classical film grammar is secondary. His unique writing style vividly and bluntly asks questions about the meaning of life. Let me quote from his own interview.

"People making movies today are too concerned about the mechanics, the technical stuff, rather than the feeling...I once said to a director, ``Today I got the most gorgeous shot.'' "It makes me sick to hear you say that. That's not the point. We have to get beyond the current obsession with technique and angles. It's a waste of time. A movie is more than a series of shots. ( (Omitted) In the end, you end up making a movie that is full of tricks and doesn't know about people or life. There's no sense, no meaning, no understanding of people, so there's nothing left for the actors to bring to the movie." (*1 )

John Cassavetes, who is an excellent actor himself, is particular about ``what an actor can bring to a movie'' above all else. That's why he captures the actors at close range and tries to penetrate deeper into their inner lives using rough and rough techniques. Face, face, face. A face that fills the screen in close-up. This attitude has not wavered at all since `` Faces '' (1968), which depicts the 36 hours of a couple on the brink of divorce.

"Opening Night" (c)1977 Faces Distribution Corporation

His wife Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, Peter Falk, and Seymour Cassel. John Cassavetes, who is also known as the father of independent film, convenes talented actors with a reputation for their acting skills and creates thoroughly ``actor movies.'' Cassavetes is a stubbornly actors-first filmmaker.

"I don't listen to the opinions of the staff. I don't think they're genuinely interested in emotion. For me, the actors are the basic creative force, and I think their approach and understanding of the problem is good." If the film is a success, the technical team's work is ultimately secondary... Their main job is to do their part well, whereas for the actors, their characters are integral to the overall story. The story is important because it's reflected. If Ben Gazzara doesn't feel involved in the story, even if he's great, the audience won't be interested and won't pay attention."

``Opening Night film, is also a masterpiece with a very unique writing style. The setting focuses on the inner life of a stage actress, making it literally an ``actor's movie.'' Gena Rowlands, who played the lead role, won the Silver Bear Award (Best Actress) at the Berlin International Film Festival for her performance. Cassavetes praised himself, saying, ``This is the best work I've ever been involved in.'' Pedro Almodóvar imitated the accident scene from the film in his 1999 film All About My Mother .

``Opening Night'' is without a doubt one of John Cassavetes' masterpieces.

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