Stars:
Five out of five stars
"Humoresque"
is one of cinema's sublime masterpieces. It is the apex of what any art form can be. It has a rich, complex script penned
by Clifford Odets (based on the Fanny Hurst novel); superb performances; gorgeous black and white photography by Ernest Haller
(love especially that shot through a wine glass); impeccable, beautifully drawn characters; believable emotion; glamour; and
music -- music throughout that is close to heaven. The violin solos are played by Isaac Stern. It is as haunting, sophisticated
and classily romantic as Hollywood ever gets.
Gritty Paul Borae (John Garfield - never
better or sexier) overcomes his humble background in the slums of New York City (largely Eastern European then) to become
a concert violinist, generously aided by his mercurial patron/love interest Mrs. Helen Wright (Joan Crawford). He exposes
the vulnerability beneath her facade of sarcasm, bile and alcohol, and she longs to possess him. The dynamics between Garfield
and Crawford are complex, volatile and intense. Crawford not only looks beautiful in exquisitely tasteful Adrian, but her
performance is perhaps her best ever -- understated, unaffected and genuine. It is in films like this that one sees why Crawford
was Crawford. Although she doesn't appear until thirty minutes into the film, once she does, she dominates seamlessly. There
are numerous dazzling close-ups where a range of emotion and story are conveyed on the faces without a single word. The ending
when a distraught and inebriated Crawford walks on that beach in the moonlight towards the sea in her glistening, rhinestone-studded
black gown to the strains of Liebestod from Wagner's Tristan and Isolde is one of Hollywood's greatest. It reaches a crescendo
as in the music. As someone put it, it's Hollywood hitting on all eight cylinders. Oscar Levant is on hand as well to provide
comic relief and brilliant piano solos as Borae's best friend Sid.
Among my favorite exchanges in a film brimming
with wonderful dialogue:
Paul Borae to an inebriated Helen: "Drink
your coffee."
Helen Wright: "Here we go again. Only a man
who doesn't drink thinks that black coffee sobers you up."
Sid: "I envy people who drink. At least they
know what to blame everything on."
Helen: "If it's so simple, why don't you
drink?" - D. Nowak
