Customer Reviews

The Pumpkin Eater [VHS]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Anne Bancroft, in an AA nominated performance, plays a twice-married mother of six. She divorces her second husband (played by Richard Johnson) and takes up with a highly successful screenwriter played by Peter Finch. After the two marry, it is obvious that her philandering husband will never buckle down to her notions of marital fidelity. This sometimes confusing, sometimes depressing film is elevated to screen art via once-in-a-lifetime performances by Bancroft, Finch and Mason. As Jo Armitage, Ms Bancroft is magnificent: giving her role real depth, switching her moods with a wonderfully eerie believability. Her breakdown in Harrod's Department Store isn't easily soon forgotten. In his supporting role of Bob Conway, James Mason is nothing short of excellent and Peter Finch excels as Jake. This is a fine film which encompasses the joys and tragedies of life: birth and death, love and hate, marriage and divorce. The direction, slow and even-handed, allows the story to develop at its own pace, but gradually, the pace picks up as the story's intensity grows. A fine and sensitive work & a truthful portrait of human foibles and complexities, these seem like real people on the screen instead of actors in a drama. A great example of fine sixties British cinema.

Positive reviews of this film often refer to it as a melodrama. It is more significant than that, being a largely successful attempt to create tragedy. Deeply depressed by her husband's infidelity, the heroine, Jo, finds the priviledged lifestyle he affords her, devoid of spiritual value. Her pregnancy becomes a pivotal moment in which she must seemingly choose between her core identity and belief, and an alternative offered by her husband. She makes her choice as if it were a pact with him, only to find herself betrayed. The fight scene that follows is harrowing. At the film's conclusion, in a gesture both exalted and grimly realistic, Jo accepts her husband's offer to continue their life together.

Thus we have the elements of tragedy: success that is a fall from grace; Jo's dilemma at the time of her pregnancy; the tragic insight that allows Jo to reconnect with her husband, as he truly is.

I have rarely been so moved by a film. Surely, this film is unsurpassed in its visual beauty. The acting is uniformly great, and Bancroft delivers one of the touchstone performances in screen history. The lyrical nature of the screen writing is enchanced, particularly in the opening and closing scenes, by the exalted music of Georges Delarue. For me, this lyricism is also the essence of the Penelope Mortimer novel.

Final kudos though must go to Harold Pinter. His style is peculiarly effective. It is as if he writes half the scene, forcing the viewer through intuition and interpretation to supply the other half; for example, the scene with the psychiatrist. This is a most intelligent way to engage the audience. His treatment of the issue of abortion will probably not win him fans. He demonstrates how politically correct and fashionable ideas can be used in perversely selfish ways.

This is my absolute favorite film of all time, and Anne Bancroft's performance is her best. Made in 1964 and set in London, this film tells the story of a woman who is in the middle of her third marriage, to a screenwriter, played by Peter Finch. Her character, Jo Armitage, is a woman who truly seems to find her self-worth and happiness only when she is pregnant and raising children. Once her children become even only slightly older, she seems to lose her sense of purpose, and allows herself to become quite isolated in the world. Her current husband, the screenwriter, doesn't make matters any better for her either.

This is definitely Anne Bancroft's film all the way, and she is breathtakingly beautiful in it as well. Her portrayal of Jo Armitage paints a very lonely, depressed, lost, and in many ways pathetic character...but it is also strangely my favorite performance of Bancroft. Look also for wonderful supporting performances by James Mason and Maggie Smith. This film weaves a disturbing yet very realistic portrait of a bad marriage (some might just say "marriage"), and it should be studied for its acting and its writing. In addition, Georges Delerue's musical score is superb, and I am always searching for the film's soundtrack, but have had no luck. Thanks to beautiful art direction by Edward Marshall, their home interior is also gorgeous...'60's chic. I've seen this film at least 60 times, and never tire of it. It's a quiet little masterpiece.

Jack Clayton! What a director - from "The Innocents" through "Room at the Top" to "Something Wicked Comes this Way" this man is genius.

In this slice of life scripted by harold Pinter [brilliant] based on the novel by Penope Mortimer, we experience a woman very much on the edge, but coping bravely and very elegantly with her philandering spouse. Anne Bankcroft [very much missed today] defines this lady dealing with a major domestic breakdown, we are guided through this in detail. Peter Finch is the careless husband, but it's the close-ups of James Mason [perfect camera work, black and white naturally]that remain vivid - that confrontation with Bancroft!

Also noteworthy is "fragrant" Maggie Smith as the au-pair....... and that odd episode with unforgettable faced Yootha Joyce [under the drier].

Could be viewed with by cynical eyes as a comedy of sorts today, but still frank and fresh!

There should be a future DVD boxed set of Mr. Clayton's works - he cannot go unnoticed!

Ok, I am biased - she is my favorite actress but this performance explains why she was compared to Magnani!!! I have never been so moved by a film. Perhaps the subject matter is dated but Bancroft, Finch, Mason , and Joyce make this film so great! Anyone who has been in an unfaithful relationship can relate to this film!

Any film whose cast includes Anne Bancroft, Peter finch and James mason has to be a. Winner. Ban croft's performance is considered to be one of the greatest of all time. The trio is supported by such stalwarts as Cedric Hardwicke. And Maggie Smith.This movie is one of my special favorites.

I watched "The Pumpkin Eater," the oddly-named 1964 British drama starring Anne Bancroft and Peter Finch, cold one afternoon without a single expectation. While viewing the credits I noted Harold Pinter's name (Complete Works, Vol. 1) as the screenplay writer and immediately assumed I would see scenes of actors overcome by depression staring into space (I suffered through several Pinter plays in college). Sure enough, the opening scene has a depressed Bancroft sadly gazing from a window.

It's clear she's a well-to-do housewife estranged from her husband (Finch), lost within a stylish material world. She has a breakdown in the local department store and her past is revealed through flashbacks intertwined with psychiatric sessions. If this sounds morose, well, it is. Not particularly in a mood for this on a sunny day, I grudgingly marched on and discovered rewards en route. Foremost, Bancroft gives one of the great performances of an extraordinary career. Her work in the multi-dimensional role of the mysterious Jo Armitage not only received an Oscar nomination, but was awarded the Golden Globe and the Cannes Film Festival prize. I'm thrilled critics acknowledged her work in a film that could not possibly be made today. "The Pumpkin Eater" is anything but a Hollywood production.

To attempt to write a plot overview would require a feature-length article. Based on Penelope Mortimer's novel The Pumpkin Eater (Bloomsbury Classics), the film details a woman obsessed with bearing children. She's the mother of eight kids overseeing a loud household ringing with broken dishes and blaring rock music (well, this was the year of The Beatles). Finch is her third husband, the first killed traumatically in World War II, the second (Richard Johnson) with whom she bore the majority of her brood while living a Bohemian life in a converted barn. As Jake Armitage, Finch is a struggling screenwriter when he first meets the lovely Jo and it's apparent they are attracted to one another. Far too abruptly, she's left her second husband and is pregnant with Jake's child. We are introduced to Jo's stodgy parents (Cedric Hardwicke, Rosalind Atkinson), an elderly pair repulsed by their daughter's fertile ways.

Finch's Jake is usually at wit's end with the kids while pecking away on a typewriter and there are signs he's a habitual philanderer. A very young Maggie Smith has an entertaining cameo as young houseguest Philpot who leaves in anger after an affair. Jake hits the jackpot as a writer and is traveling to exotic locales for on-location filming. Jake and Jo have dreams of converting an old lighthouse/windmill into a country home oddly within sight of the barn where she lived with her second husband. Jo becomes pregnant with a ninth child and has an abortion. Jake impregnates a star in one of his films, only to have her husband (James Mason in a nice cameo) reveal the affair to Jo in an ugly scene at the zoo.

Okay, if this all sounds melodramatic, that's because it is. Through emotional mountains and valleys, Bancroft forges a fascinating character. It's clear during her sessions with the psychiatrist (Eric Porter), the death of her first husband has caused her to obsessively give life. She has a strong physical attraction to Jake and while she dumped her second husband, remains essentially loyal during his affairs. When she is no longer able to bear children, there is a brilliant scene on a hospital bed when, with equal parts joy and misery, she embraces a new definition of womanhood.

"The Pumpkin Eater" is heavy-going, and I was surprised by the glimmer of faded hope in the conclusion. I found Jo's acceptance to be brutally realistic, as we all must come to terms with an imperfect life. Is it sad? Absolutely, but also inspiring. Finch had a nice career playing refined characters during the 1960s (The Flight of the Phoenix, Far from the Madding Crowd) before breaking out with one of the most memorable performances in history in Network [Blu-ray]. And then he was gone. Oh well, this is one of his most earnest portrayals.

Bancroft has always been one of the most captivating, if not beautiful, actresses. In a career stocked with wonderful performances (my favorite being 84 Charing Cross Road), it's a joy to discover one of her 2-3 greatest roles. The sporadic though exceptional British director Jack Clayton (The Innocents, Something Wicked This Way Comes) performs a difficult juggling act here. Pinter's screenplay is maddeningly subtle and Clayton, awash in the increasingly rebellious wave of the 1960s, takes on a Bergmanesque tone. He had his hands full with such an awkward narrative, and yet, he elicits brilliant moments of truth.

I'm not sure why these wonderful talents decided to forge ahead with this complicated work, though suspect the taboo themes of abortion and divorce were partially the inspiration. Earnest and thought-provoking, the film achieves what is today a rare level of satisfying art.

Two years after her Oscar-winning performance in The Miracle Worker Anne Bancroft selected this Harold Pinter script from a Penelope Mortimer novel, directed by Jack Clayton (also a very talented cinematographer). Bancroft plays a much married woman with eight children who takes a chance on Peter Finch. When he starts philandering she begins a nervous breakdown. It's not fun or uplifting but in the hands of these artists it is compelling and the acting is superb. The film also stars James Mason, the fabulous Maggie Smith (in two scenes, curiously unbilled), Cedric Hardwicke, Richard Johnson, Eric Porter and the inimitable Yootha Joyce (check out her scene in a beauty salon). Superior adult fare.Bancroft was nominated for her second Oscar but lost to Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins! Two more different performances cannot be imagined.

An intelligent and compelling British film looking at the problems that crop up when a marriage goes on the skids. Anne Bancroft, who is wonderful in the role, plays a woman in the middle of her third marriage who defines herself by having children. In spite of all her children she feels isolated, but so does husband number three, expertly played by Peter Finch. He feels his wife is simply a baby machine who cares more for bearing kids than she does for him. James Mason, Maggie Smith and Sir Cedric Hardwick all give great support to Bancroft and Finch, but make no mistake, this film belongs to Anne Bancroft and is probably her best performance. The fact that Harold Pinter, by then at the top of his game, wrote the screenplay certainly doesn't hurt, but it's still up to Bancroft to make the character more than simply work, but become unforgettable in the viewer's mind. He nervous breakdown in the middle of Harrods in London is one such unforgettable moment, as is the soul searching when confronting Jake on his affair with Smith. `Why did you marry me?' and `What should we do' suddenly become unanswerable due to the surrounding circumstances. We see things from Jake's view also; his desperation and feeling that he was driven into the arms of Smith by Bancroft's compulsion to define herself only as a pregnant mother.

In "The Pumpkin Eater", her first movie role after her triumphant Oscar winning recreation of her stage role in "The Miracle Worker", Anne Bancroft cemented her reputation as one of the finest actresses of the 1960's if not of the twentieth century. Despite an Academy Award, it seemed that Hollywood was unable to provide her with the next screen role worthy of her talent, so she traveled to England to pursue this role. Ms. Bancroft's instinct was right; both as a showcase for her versatility, and to stretch her acting muscles, Jo Armitage is the second in the trio of Anne Bancroft's greatest screen portrayals, the other two being Annie Sullivan in "The Miracle Worker" and Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate". Even though, she didn't get a second Oscar, she was nominated for Best Actress of 1964, and did win the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, a Golden Globe, and a British Film Academy Award for this performance.

We first meet Jo, smartly dressed in hat and coat staring moodily out of the front window of her London home as if waiting for something or someone that is late in arriving. Through flashbacks we get significant glimpses into her past, and clues to her current discontent. Jake Armitage (Peter Finch) is her third husband, and she has perhaps eight children from her marriages. At first seemingly happy, they begin to drift apart, Jake overwhelmed and irritated by the large extended family that seems to immerse Jo. A young female friend of Jake's, the oddly named Philpot, (Maggie Smith) stays temporarily with them & disrupts the household in more ways than one. Jo becomes suspicious that Jake and Philpot have had an affair while under her roof, her mental condition begins to spiral downward climaxing in a nervous breakdown. While recovering, she reluctantly undergoes analysis, which just seems to stoke her smoldering anger. Jake has become an increasingly successful screenwriter, but their upward mobility continues to distance them from one another. He travels to a movie location in Morocco, while she remains at home, feeling increasing isolated despite the brood of children,still questioning Jake's fidelity to her. Soon after his return, Jo finds she is pregnant again, bowing to pressure from Jake, her doctor and her mother she undergoes a medically approved abortion and is rendered sterile. Shortly afterwards, as Jo is recovering her equilibrium, she is maliciously told by an aquaintance, Bob Conway, (James Mason) that Jake has been having an affair with Bob's actress wife Beth (Janine Gray), and has impregnated her. This causes the badly strained marriage to finally rupture, and Jo and Jake must each decide if they can salvage their life together.

Although the title, taken from the old Mother Goose rhyme "Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater, had a wife and couldn't keep her..." would seem to point to Jake, this is Jo's story and Anne Bancroft rightly dominates the film. She is extraordinary, beginning with a flawless upper class British accent, from this young actress born and raised in the Bronx, NY. Jo is a very complicated, intense woman and Ms.Bancroft brings a dazzling range of emotions to the character. Three memorable moments come to mind: the first towards the beginning of the film as Jo gazes sadly into the camera, her face a sculpted mask, we hear the ghostly sound of a woman's laughter, then on the right side of the screen suddenly appears another image of a younger Jo, radiant, her head thrown back in mirth, both images side by side like the famous comedy and tragedy masks in the theatre. The second one is when Jo finally breaks down, standing alone in Harrod's Dept Store, her face contorted at first in soundless agony as tears slide silently down her cheeks, then the muffled sobs begin to escape her, getting progressively louder, becoming moans, very disturbing and unsettling. The final image is just after Jo has learned of Beth's pregnancy, her flailing arm slams Jake's face in rage, and she is on him like one of the Furies from Greek mythology, consumed by the fires of anger and betrayal, drumming at him with her clenched fists. Momentarily flung off, she pounces right back, not giving up or giving in, even as he begins to fight back, and her long pearl necklace catches and bursts, the pearls zinging around the room. This is one of the best fight scenes ever committed to film. Harold Pinter's screenplay is rather sparse and lean, and I think Ms. Bancroft tries to fill in some of the blanks, making you feel the frustration and loneliness of this strong, intelligent woman who has no creative outlet for her energy and ability other than motherhood. You want her Jo to have the happy ending she seems to deserve, whether she will remains to be seen. In appearance, Ms. Bancroft never before or after looked as strikingly beautiful as she does in this film; the light coming thru the dark pools of her eyes, the sensual, beautifully shaped mouth, the winged cheekbones, the sleekly styled ebony black hair, clad primarily in elegant skirts that highlight very nicely shaped legs indeed. In an early flashback with her hair pulled back, falling loosely to her shoulders, barefoot, in simple black sweater and Capri pants, laughing, surrounded by her throng of noisy children, she is naturally sexy, much more so than in her famous role as the predatory Mrs. Robinson.

A quintet of fine performers supports her. Peter Finch as Jake excelled in playing affable, charming, amoral, middle-aged Englishmen. James Mason etches the sliminess and spite of Bob Conway in acid. As the slothful, gabby Philpot, a very young Maggie Smith comes quite close to stealing her scenes with Anne Bancroft. In a brief interlude Richard Johnson, as Giles, Jo's second husband, is wryly detached and perhaps still in love with her. Finally in a small but effective cameo, Cedric Hardwicke is brusque and clipped as Jo's icy father. There are also two bizarre, unnecessary turns provided by Yootha Joyce and Frank Singuineau that are quite puzzling.

Here, director Jack Clayton continued his winning streak in drawing marvelous performances out of his actors, as shown previously in "Room at the Top" and "The Innocents". The somber black and white cinematography by Oswald Morris, the razor sharp film editing by James Clark and the melancholy score by Georges Delerue work together to perfectly complement the story.

Long after the movie is over Anne Bancroft's Jo will remain with you, and one that should be released in a restored DVD formant. It's unjust that many people will just remember Ms. Bancroft primarily for "The Graduate". While her Mrs. Robinson is a marvelous performance, it pales in comparison to "The Miracle Worker" and this one, finishing a distinct third. Until this neglected jewel is released in DVD, watch for it on Turner Classic Movies Network, it was just recently shown on February 12, if you are a fan of great acting, this will be time well spent.