Customer Reviews

Long Day's Journey Into Night

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Another strip-down medicore presentation from Artisan....

This is a landmark brilliant film of perhaps Eugene O'Neill's great play. The directing by Sidney Lumet and the acting by Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Richardson, Jason Robards, and Dean Stockwell is nothing less than amazing. This has got to be one of the 3 all-time greatest performaces from the late Ms. Hepburn!

Simply one of the most amazing films of the 1960's.

This should have been issued on Criteron. We should have gotten a first-rate restoration job with either a good documentary/back story on the making of the film, or a commentary by the two survivors of the film, Dean Stockwell and Sidney Lumet.

Instead we get a nearly public-domain quality release.

I'm so happy to finally get this important film on DVD...but I'm utterly disappointed at the slap-dash quality one has come to expect from Artisan.

I agree with the reviews, the performances are absolutely stunning, especially Katharine Hepburn's, possibly the best of her career if not one of the best ever captured on film.

HOWEVER, this DVD release is atrocious. This is close to a three-hour film and they crammed on to one disc. That wouldn't be so bad had they done a new transfer, but this looks like the same one used for the VHS tape. Cropped for the TV screen like the video release, (this was definitely shot in widescreen, according to imdb.com), it's got the same gritty, low-res quality. You could tape this movie off of TCM or Bravo and get better quality. Rent it, tape it, but hold off on buying this until it's given a proper DVD release (if anyone from the Criterion Collection's listening, please license this movie!)

This is perhaps the finest film of a serious American play ever produced. The acting, the direction, the music (by Andre Previn), the cinematography, and (most of all) the timeless anguish of Eugene O'Neill's script---all come together in a film so astonishingly powerful that it will take your breath away.

If there is a complaint to be lodged about this film, it is this: that the performances of the four leads (Katherine Hepburn, Ralph Richardson, Jason Robards, and Dean Stockwell) are so definitive that, at least for me, watching any other version of this play has become impossible. I walked out on a well-reviewed live staging at intermission and turned off the PBS remake with Jack Lemmon at the end of the first act. It should not be this way, but it is: the filmmmakers did their work all too well!

Be forewarned: this film is very long (three hours), very talky, and very, very bleak. If you are expecting car crashes or hot sex scenes, look elsewhere. When Hollywood makes silly romance movies, they are often advertised as being about "the human heart." No: "Long Day's Journey Into Night" is about the human heart. And it is the most emotionally shattering motion picture I have ever seen.

This is a powerful film that's making its long-awaited DVD debut and what do we get -- a scratchy print scaled down from widescreen to a 4X3 aspect ratio, essentially the same as its VHS presentation. The price is cheap for good reason ...this is a beauty that's been somewhat stripped of its grandeur.

This is likely Katharine Hepburn's greatest screen performance in a career that spanned over six decades. Tackling Eugene O'Neill's morphine-addicted Mary Tyrone must have been daunting at the time, but this 1962 film version of the playwright's autobiographical masterwork is a blazing showcase for not only her formidable talent but her male co-stars as well. Set right after the turn of the last century, it follows a summer day in the life of the Tyrones, as dysfunctional a family as one could possibly imagine. Ex-actor James Tyrone Sr. is the titular head of the family, a miserly alcoholic actor whose sanctimonious attitude has his family unable to cope with their feelings in constructive ways. His wife Mary is a faded beauty defiantly denying both her condition and that of her youngest son Edmund. Edmund has just returned from a few years on the seas but has contracted tuberculosis. Older son Jamie is a failed actor, a wastrel who has become an alcoholic and resentful of his father's stinginess in not being able to send Edmund to a good sanitarium.

The movie is really a series of confrontations and long recollections. As the story progresses, we learn that each of the family members, instead of bonding over Edmund's illness, is gradually retreating into private hellish worlds and that the inability to peacefully cohabitate stems from an inability to move on from events long passed. Even though they are all obviously intelligent people, they refuse to get past their disappointments, and we are left to witness the repercussions of how their choices have affected their relationships and most tragically, how their relationships have informed their choices. What makes spending three hours with this quartet worthwhile is the fact that O'Neill transcends the melodramatic aspects by honing in mercilessly on each one's strengths and frailties. He avoids the talkiness of a stage play by imbuing a sublimely lyrical use of language that captures a profound sense of beauty amid the overwhelming tragedy.

Director Sidney Lumet remains faithful to the text and emphasizes the play's substantial dramatic force by focusing very specifically on the four actors. Hepburn's head-shaking was beginning around this time, and it actually feeds effectively into the character's constant sense of loss and paranoia. She has several great moments, such as Mary's giggly remembrance of her first encounter with James and the demented stupor she displays near the end as she carries her old wedding dress around. A somewhat rigid Ralph Richardson plays James Sr. with appropriate stentorian fervor, though honestly I would have liked to have seen either Fredric March, who originated the role on Broadway, or ironically Spencer Tracy play this role, especially as the play deals heavily with Irish Catholic guilt. Jason Robards has been so inextricably connected with O'Neill in the intervening years that it is no surprise to see him superbly interpret the role of Jamie with alternate flashes of fury and poignancy. As Edmund, Dean Stockwell is a revelation as the O'Neill doppelganger, the emotional core of the play who takes the family's one positive step of forgiving his father and brother for their faults in the climax. Additional credit needs to be given to cinematographer Boris Kaufman whose fluid work here makes the camera an integral part of the experience by lending depth and range to the scenes that could not have been captured onstage. True, it can be an emotionally draining film for the uninitiated, but it is more importantly, a powerful realization of one of the undisputed classics of the American stage.

Eugene O'Neill finished writing "Long Day's Journey Into Night" in 1940, but when he died in 1951 his will specifically stated the play was not to be produced until at least 25-years after his death. Because his widow relented and gave her permission for this "play of old sorrow written in tears and blood" we are left with this 1962 film and Katharine Hepburn's greatest acting performance. I first stumbled upon this film on late night television twenty years ago and I still remember staying up and crying throughout the emotionally devastating conclusion with the camera slowly pulling back from the family sitting around the table before a stunning series of emotional close ups of the doomed Tyrones.

This painfully autobiographical play is set on the long day and night in 1912 when the Tyrone family deals the news that young Edmund (Dean Stockwell) has tuberculosis. The tragedy is compounded by the rest of the family: a father (Ralph Richardson) who is a miser, a brother (Jason Robards, Jr., repeating his stage performance) who finds solace in drink, and a mother who retreats into her addiction to morphine before the night is over. Writing about his own family, O'Neill not only changed their last names to Tyrone but also switched Eugene with Edmund, the name of the infant brother who died. After watching this heartbreakingly painful story you know why the playwright wanted it tucked away until he was long gone.

Hepburn received her ninth Oscar nomination for her role as Mary Tyrone (the award went to Anne Bancroft for "The Miracle Worker"), and the four actors shared the acting award for the Cannes Film Festival along with the principals of "A Taste of Hone" (no clue how they came to that strange pairing). The almost 3-hour film is the complete O'Neill script (the key selling point for Hepburn in taking the role) and was shot by director Sidney Lumet in sequence in 37 days after the cast rehearsed for three weeks. The music score is by Andre Previn and Boris Kaufman was the cinematographer of this black and white film. O'Neill is enjoying something of a revival thanks to Kevin Spacey in "The Iceman Cometh" on Broadway, but when it comes to film this is far and away the best representation of his work. Given that he wrote extremely long plays about the early part of the last century, it is likely we will never see a greater film version of O'Neill than "Long Day's Journey Into Night."

Interesting background tidbit: Hepburn tried to talk Spencer Tracy into taking the role of the father. Tracy, who was already in failing health, turned it down, claiming it was a question of salary (Hepburn received only $25,000 for her part). Some of Tracy's biographers, wondering how one of the greatest actors of the century would have done with one of the greatest plays, have suggested that Tracy was intimidated by the role. Still, it is hard not to fantasize about the "Long Day's Journey Into Night" as a Tracy-Hepburn vehicle.

This is one of my all-time favorite films. The plot build-up is pure writing genius, and the actors in this film live up to that writing. Katharine Hepburn is remarkable, as usual, as the confused mother and wife. Ralph Richardson and Jason Robards give tremendous performances, as well; but I'm most impressed by the impeccable acting of Dean Stockwell as the younger son. This is a film where the emotion and tragedy builds to points that send shutters down the spine! If I had to pick 5 movies to take to a deserted island, this would be at the top of the list.

The 1962 classic film takes a drastic look inside a family that has various issues within the household. Immediately the audience is introduced to Katharine Hepburn, playing the role of the Mary Tyrone. She captures the role of a mother struggling with a morphine addiction perfectly. In the beginning of the film there are suspicions from other members of her family if she is staying clean. The father, played by Ralph Richardson, tries to keep concerns of the family away from his wife in order to help in her recovery. Richardson does a great job with his character in showing the audience the ongoing strain of a husband that has to deal with his wife's emotional rollercoaster she continually invites her family on. The eldest brother is smart. He is tired of pretending that everything is alright. He is tired of excusing his mother's behavior, and acting like his brother isn't nearly as sick as he looks. The youngest brother is suffering from the consumption and is grappling with his own sickness as well as his father's choice not to pay for a good doctor. The audience is over taken by the issues the family is working through, and the positions of each character in regards to what is taking place around them. There is a continuous motif of denial. Denial of emotions, issues, and acknowledging what is occurring inside the "home". The actors bring issues of drugs, alcohol, money and sickness to life in a time where topics examined in the film were not typical discussions for the dinner table. Despite the family's anger towards one another, it's obvious there is a basic need to come together. The cast is excellent and the story is fascinating making the overall film to be magnificent, and highly recommended.

The movie Long Day's Journey into Night is a triumphant endeavor to portray O'Neill's autobiographical play. The actors do justice with their characters. Katharine Hepburn is simply astounding; she makes Mary Tyrone's morphine addiction seem so convincing. Her acting captivates the audience and envelops them in a cloud of gloom. O'Neill's intended depiction of Mary Tyrone is almost perfectly acted out by Hepburn. It is apparent in the movie that Hepburn's character is nervous about something; Hepburn's entrancing talent brings out the best in Mary Tyrone's despondent character. Hepburn's marvelous work, however, does not overshadow the performances of the actors who play Edmund, Jamie, and Tyrone. Sir Ralph Richardson plays Tyrone and gives a stunning performance; Tyrone's stinginess is perceptible from the way he moves about the room searching for a light bulb to switch off and the manner in which he scrutinizes the amount of whiskey in the bottle. Jason Robards Jr. almost flawlessly portrays the alcoholic Jamie Tyrone; I had not pictured Jamie in any other way. Dean Stockwell's ill-fated Edmund is perhaps one of the best performances I have seen on motion picture.
The movie does an excellent job of establishing an environment of gloom throughout the course of the play; the morbid milieu that the dysfunctional Tyrone family lives in would sadden even the most stoic of men. I was moved to pity for Eugene O'Neill after watching the movie. How did he manage to live in such a miserable atmosphere? One can feel the wretchedness augmenting as the day drearily moves into night. This movie ranks among the best dramas ever filmed and it would move sentimental hearts to tears. I would recommend this movie to those people who believe that life is treating them miserably (Wait till you see this!). This is a great movie to watch over the weekend (It is over three hours long! Every minute, nevertheless, is worth watching.). I guarantee that the thrilling performances and the direction of the movie will impress you. This movie is saturated with realistic emotions and it gives the viewer a true understanding of why Eugene O'Neill was and is America's greatest playwright.

No doubt this filming of Eugene O'Neill's epic play will not appeal to everyone (though there are suggestions of drugs, sex & violence...) This is, in effect, an exact filming of O'Neill's play, masterfully directed by a younger Sidney Lumet (Network, Murder on the Orient Express, etc.), and his trademark of generous close-ups is haunting. This is apt, since the entire cast won top acting honors at Cannes. Indeed, aside from the autobiographical train of events, the acting is, without exception, brilliant. This is one of Robards' first film roles, as well as Stockwell, and their performances are multi-layered and mesmerizing. Also, Ralph Richardson's role fits him like a glove. The most remarkable performance is from Katherine Hepburn...as a morphine addict? Wow! I remember reading interviews years ago where Hepburn admitted that she was scared to death of the utter complexity of the role. She was at a point in her career where she was worried that no one would take her seriously, or that she'd fall short in creating any of the many facets of the character. Well, it's complete! Affection, cynicism, duality, suspicion, and her deep trips into her past, not to mention that she's aware that her life's gone to hell...it's overwhelming. The play/film is episodic, but this is OK because it gives wonderful interaction among all characters (even Jeanne Barr, as the goofy housekeeper). It's all very atmospheric and quite profound, thanks to Lumet's understanding of his material. Andre Previn's unobtrusive score properly conveys "dysfunction" when necessary. At three hours, the time flies by, thanks to impeccable production values, and acting, captured on film, that any true aficianado will cherish. Sure, it's artsy, but it would be hard to present O'Neill any other way. I usually prefer widescreen, but the close-ups may actually benefit from this full-screen version. I'm proud to have this film, finally, in my collection.