The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

Several times earlier in the film, we are shown how the only way to arrive at Miss Amelia's secret still is by wading - neck-deep - through a muddy swamp.

Yet late in the film when Marvin Macy and Cousin Lymon are shown at Miss Amelia's still, their clothes are clean and dry.

I thought this movie had an intriguing title and a list of great actors. The problem is that it is based on a book by Carson McCullers, and she likes going for "themes," and other high-fa-luting literary devices.

It's good to lose oneself in the hot sweltering world of McCullers, where the characters are giant sized versions of sexual frustration. This has fine performances and a real feel for the south as McCullers writes about it.

We watched this movie again last night because I remembered seeing it when it first came out on video and when our local video store sold out all its VHS tapes this is one we bought. I liked it just as much this time but still have not read the Carson Mc Cullers story it was based on.

I caught this film on IFC one night. I felt compelled to watch this because of the performances.

The story in this movie was an Edward Albee stage play. For the most part the movie looks like a stage play, with static camera shots and characters with loud exposition and bold movement.

Having seen the "definitive" stage version of this, featuring Colleen Dewhurst and Michael Dunn, I wasn't hopeful for this film holding a candle to it. I came away feeling that this particular piece does not translate to film.

"The Ballad of the Sad Café" worked hard at its image, but when it came down to crunch-time, it was left standing in its own self-created dust.One cannot image saying this out loud, but if Vanessa Redgrave's Amelia were to fight John Wayne or even Clint Eastwood, my hard-earned dollars would have to go to Redgrave.

Very good adaptation of Carson McCullers' incredible novella. The highly versatile Vanessa Redgrave is superb, as usual.

This film demonstrates an excellent use of both dialog and cinematography to evoke a mysterious, yet stark atmosphere. Redgrave is especially excellent in her portrayal of a character that defies easy description or explanation.