瘋人瘋語

「我離港前到過一間精神科醫院。當時有位病人禮貌地問,一個以作為世上最悠久民主政體而自傲的國家,如何能夠將此地交給一個政治制度非常不同的國家,且既沒諮詢當地公民,又沒給予他們民主的前景,好讓他們捍衞自己的將來。一個隨行同事說,奇怪,香港提出最理智問題的人,竟在精神科醫院。」彭定康 金融時報

“During a visit to a mental hospital before I left Hong Kong, a patient politely asked me how a country that prided itself on being the oldest democracy in the world had come to be handing over his city to another country with a very different system of government, without either consulting the citizens or giving them the prospect of democracy to safeguard their future. Strange, said one of my aides, that the man with the sanest question in Hong Kong is in a mental hospital.”Chris Patten Financial Times

Non Chinese literate friends, please simply switch to English Version provided by LOUSY Google Translation

Please participate in the unregistered demography survey of visitors at the right hand side bar. You are: ?

敬請參與在右下方的不記名訪客分佈調查問卷,你是: ?

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

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



11 comments:

xiao zhu said...

你都真係睇幾多陳年舊片 ge wo. ^_

梁巔巔 said...

Heeee, Space 兄, 原來你都甚為鐘意睇陳年舊片約! 啱 feel 呀!

The Inner Space said...

舊電影好戲味!

^_^

Agnes Tse said...

呢套好睇呀! 當年TVB為悼念Burt Lancaster, 特意選播"靈與慾". Elmer Gantry魅力迫人, 然而虔誠女牧師都不過係披著善良外殼既虛偽之徒~~~

The Inner Space said...

恭喜恭喜! 歡迎 Anges 光臨!
恭祝你今年睇到更多好戲。

『靈與慾』劇本本身已經是好的,三個要角演出也是很好,但選角 casting 方面,我不是那一代的,不能評論是否最佳,你可有這方面的資料呢?

Agnes Tse said...

也祝你新年快樂~

原來導演Richard Brooks一點都不想要Shirley Jones, 倒是Burt Lancaster力保她留下. Richard Brooks卻沒有指導Shirley Jones該怎麼去演出, 最後他承認根本看不到她演甚麼.當時我只看了下半部, 沒看Shirley Jones的演出, 所以無從置評.

而Burt Lancaster吊兒郎當又充滿(中年)男子的翩翩魅力, 差點不能相信他在片中是呃神騙鬼之徒. 和他同代齊名的有Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston等人. 這幾位都是Tough Guy, 正氣過正路丸. Gregory Peck則因為To Kill A MockingBird而賦予更多慈父特質. 而又只有Burt Lancaster能夠帶有亦正亦邪的氣質. Elmer Gantry上映後, Burt Lancaster的一位中斷通訊多年的童年朋友輾轉聯絡他, 說這部影片裡Burt的角色跟他小時候極為相似.

至於Jean Simmons, 她是五六十年代頗紅的玉女明星, 當時是導演老婆喲.


找到一篇有關這套電影的文章:
http://open-lit.com/isvply/
chumovie/Elmer%20Gantry.htm

Anonymous said...

Agnes,

thanks of your info

查金像獎記錄,畢蘭加士打 憑 演出 Elmer Gantry 拿到了他唯一的一尊best actor 小金人,珍西蒙斯 沒有,莎莉鐘絲 也憑 lulu 一角成為當年金像獎 best supporting actress。

突然想起 馬龍白蘭度,是否同一個年代的?

Agnes Tse said...

馬龍白蘭度也是同年代的演員. 珍茜蒙絲還跟他合作"Napoleon"一片, 白蘭度演拿破崙,茜蒙絲演初戀女友.

珍茜蒙絲雖然已經很少涉足影壇, 數年前也出山替哈爾移動城堡英文版配音.

The Inner Space said...

Agnes,

多謝 further 資料!

你真是本活的『百科全書』,厲害。

Agnes Tse said...

找到這裡連結, 也不錯呀! 交個朋友吧^^

The Inner Space said...

Agnes,
好高興交到多一位博學的朋友!
^_*