tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561249004966522983.post5856835066540062688..comments2024-03-28T14:38:09.470+00:00Comments on Patrick Comerford: Re-reading ‘The Night of the Iguana’ by Tennessee WilliamsPatrick Comerfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00558394038241172440noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561249004966522983.post-63461698695307759322012-04-20T03:18:15.654+01:002012-04-20T03:18:15.654+01:00Focus on American Intellectual Film-Classics. John...Focus on American Intellectual Film-Classics. John Huston’s “The Night of Iguana” (1964) – Overcoming the Conformist and Belligerent Ego: Birth of a Human Internal World<br />The Courage to Transcend the Pious Philistinism of Conventional Religious Belief – Liberation of Reverend Lawrence Shannon<br />“The Night of Iguana” by John Huston (1964) is describing what today, in a time of growing joblessness, pauperization and desperate need for any kind of work can be seen less and less – when a person searching for the meaning of life is able, for the sake of internal truth, to lose job, career and a stable future as soon as having all this contradicts his/her moral ideal and/or essential understanding. Reverend Lawrence Shannon (Richard Burton who knows how to be emotionally intense in an intelligent way) found himself in this very situation and was punished for “deviating” from the prescribed “faith” when he tried to explain to his parishioners that their egoistic and indifferent belief of philistines dreaming of personal salvation regardless of what is going on around them, is not a proper way to believe.<br />Losing job and a stable future opened for Shannon a whole new perspective of following his spiritual transformation not in a traditional sense, like changing one denomination or religion for another, but changing religion for spirituality of living. In spite of dangerous moments appearing when a person having thrown away the old identity and values is trying to find new meaning of living, Larry, with the spiritual help of two amazing people he meets by chance, is able to go through his ordeals.<br />We, viewers, follow Shannon shifting his life from the pomposity of the churches and cathedrals, domes and steeples to a barely bearable existence on a miserable salary, to a world of beauty and tranquility of nature and, finally, to a world where meaning is the other side of living. Huston’s film is a call for worldly spirituality.<br />Debra Kerr, Ava Gardner and Richard Burton are at their best considering the not easy conditions of acting in Hollywood films (today the situation is even more difficult) when actors need to act “charismatically”, irradiate the perfume of appeal to the public, worry about not being understood by viewers with passive/lazy perception, and try in a talented/unique way to imitate the clichés of emotional self-expression.<br />victor enyutinkatiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18386075177018131868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6561249004966522983.post-45972476165542039752011-09-01T18:54:02.660+01:002011-09-01T18:54:02.660+01:00Wonderful commentary on a great film! I saw it tel...Wonderful commentary on a great film! I saw it televised years ago and was captivated by the story. Thanks for bringing it all back for us here.Charles Kinnairdhttp://notdarkyet-commentary.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com