Elmer Gantry 1960 靈與慾

Elmer Gantry 1960 靈與慾



讀別人的“博”﹐有網友提出“神棍”﹐又有人點提“靈與慾”﹐令我想起這部陳年舊片﹐是在逛 VCD 店時無意中買到的。


在電影 Elmer Gantry 靈與慾 裡面﹐畢蘭加士打 和 珍西蒙絲﹐兩個是天做地設的一對﹐一個是魔鬼﹐一個是天使。打著主愛世人的旗號﹐利用讚美主的言語﹐打動人心﹐令沉淪的大眾﹐相信主﹐歸於主﹐收取捐款﹐袋袋平安﹐是一盆大生意。


Starring:

Burt Lancaster : Elmer Gantry


Jean Simmons :Sister Sharon


Shirley Jones : Lulu Bains

Directed by
Richard Brooks





The Story:

Elmer Gantry (Burt Lancaster) is a huckster who sells shoeshines and vacuum cleaners. Gantry is lustful, coarse, loud, ambitious, motivated by an easy dollar, golden-tongued, and often drunk. His first memorable appearance on screen in a speakeasy demonstrates his high-energy eloquence with words in his impromptu Christmas sermon.



The opportunistic Gantry becomes infatuated by touring tent ministry evangelist-healer, the beautiful, pure, and dedicated Sister Sharon Falconer (Jean Simmons), and she is charmed by him as well: "You're amusing and you smell like a real man." He joins her tent ministry, and becomes her lover.








Gantry turns into an evangelizing, Bible Belt revivalist preacher. Exhibiting tremendous showmanship, Brother Gantry, with rolled up shirt-sleeves, preaches hellfire and brimstone, thumps his Bible, performs miracles, and leads repentant sinners to conversion in the Bible Belt tent meetings.


His popularity helps to increase her fame and fortune, and she is able to realize her dream of building her own tabernacle of worship. In an act of revenge, one of his old girlfriends, minister's daughter-turned-prostitute Lulu Bains (Shirley Jones) sets him up and frames him with photographs taken in a compromising situation, ruining his reputation.


Although he is later vindicated and cleared of morals charges, he jeopardizes their ambitions.


The new tabernacle opens, but Sister Falconer tragically dies in a blazing tent fire. When asked if he will carry on Sister Sharon's work in the lucrative revivalist business, Gantry quotes scripture to explain how experiences have matured him, and why he will not continue:


"When I was a child, I spake as a child. I understood as a child.
When I became a man, I put away childish things.
............. St. Paul. First Corinthians. Thirteen eleven."



初看時幾震撼﹐以60年的美國﹐保守得很﹐拍出這個題裁﹐翻查美國的教會醜聞﹐原來多的是。還有美國的所謂慈善機構﹐多如恆河沙數﹐有幾多人能徹底認識﹐捐了錢原來是去養一班閑人﹐行政費用高得驚人﹐坐名車﹐住豪宅﹐穿名牌﹐外遊坐頭等﹐入住六星級酒店﹐真正落入有需要的人﹐只佔總捐款的幾個巴仙。


Rotten Tomatoes : Elmer Gantry


還有" 靈與慾 "的連結: Google search on Elmer Gantry

後記:
所謂慈善機構﹐香港也有這個趨勢﹐除星期六賣旗外﹐依家週中都會賣旗﹐但連是甚麼機構都未聽過的﹐雖然是十元八塊﹐有時都會問一問﹐那個同學或耆老﹐但十九答不出﹐還有收集舊衣裳的﹐是謀利的商人﹐看你還有沒有信心?


後後記：2010-01-23
消息傳來，女主角 Jean Simmons 珍西蒙絲 2010年1月22日，肺癌病逝。而男主角 Burt Lancaster 畢蘭加士打 早于 1994年10月20日逝世。現祇剩下 Shirley Jones 莎莉鐘絲 尚在人世，但她是一九三四年生，都已經 75歲高齡。


伸延閱覽：
靈與慾 Elmer Gantry google search
靈與慾 Elmer Gantry 維基百科
Burt Lancaster 畢蘭加士打 維基百科
JeanSimmons 珍西蒙絲 維基百科
Shirley Jones 莎莉鐘絲 維基百科