死神假期
- 主演：
- 弗雷德里克·马奇 伊夫琳·维纳布尔 盖伊·斯坦丁 凯瑟琳·亚历山大 吉尔·帕特里克 凯瑟琳·霍华德 肯特·泰勒 亨利·崔佛斯 G·P·亨特利 莫洛尼·奥尔森 赫克托·萨尔诺 菲利普斯·斯莫利 Helen Westley Anna De Linsky Otto Hoffman Frank Yaconelli
- 类型：
- 爱情片
- 导演：
- 米切尔·莱森
- 年代：
- 1934
- 地区：
- 美国
- 语言：
- 英语
- 更新：
- 2024-03-20
- 简介：
BecauseIcouldnotstopforDeath,hekindlystoppedforme;thecarriageheldbutjustourselvesandimmortality”–EmilyDickinson
详细
IfDeathtookaholiday,thegunswouldgosilentinIraq,theslaughteronournation’shighwayswouldcease,andthenewsmediawouldbecompelledtocoverpositiveeventsinthehumanities,arts,andsciences.Unfortunately,Deathhasnothadavacationinrecordedhistory,butMitchellLeisen’s1934fantasy,DeathTakesaHoliday,allowsustoconsiderthepossibility.Co-writtenbyMaxwellAndersonandGladysLehmanandbasedontheplay"LaMorteinVacanza"byAlbertoCasella,DeathTakesaHolidaystarsFredericMarchastheGrimReaperwhotakesonhumanforminanattempttodiscoverwhymenfearhimsomuch.Whyhehaswaited5,000yearstosatisfythiscuriosityisnotexplained.
[Spoiler]Afterabrieftryoutasashadowyfigurewhoscaresthedaylightsoutofthosethatcrosshispath,Deathshowsupat,ofallplaces,anupscalepartyatanItalianvilla,posingasthemysteriousPrinceSirki.Onlyonepersonknowswhohereallyis,thehostDukeLambert(GuyStanding),andheissworntosecrecy.Sirkiproceedstofascinatetheguests.Giventoburstsofwitandpoetry,hecanjustasquicklyturnsullenandthreatening,andsomesoonfindoutthatitisbetternottolooktoodeeplyintohiseyes.DuringthethreedaysinwhichthePrinceisatthevilla,however,peopleallovertheworldmiraculouslyescapedeathandpotentialsuicidesaredoomedtofrustration.
Toseewhat’sbehindalltheconversationaboutlove,thesuavebutnaïvePrinceSirkifallsfortheirresistibleGrazia(EvelynVenable),thedaughterofoneofDuke’sfriends.GraziaknowswhoDeathisbutdoesnotfearhim,muchtothechagrinofherfiancé,Corrado(KentTaylor)whohasdevelopedastrongdisdainforPrinceCharming.
MoresinisterthanBradPittinthe1998remakeMeetJoeBlack,Marchturnsinaveryconvincingperformanceasthecreepyyetstrangelyappealingguest.Althoughtheendingismelodramatic,theemotionsareveryrealandthesuggestionthatDeathmayinrealitybeafrienddisguisedasafoeisquitetouching.
(HowardSchumann,talkingpix.co.uk)
Inthiswearisomeandpredictableplotline,Deathfallsinloveandboresustodeathtalkingaboutit.
(DennisSchwartz,homepages.sover.net)
I'veheardDRACULAwasadvertisedwiththetagline"TheWeirdestLoveStoryevertold!"(thisisprobablyaparaphrase),butatheart,I'veneverfeltthatyoucouldhonestlycallthatmoviealovestory.Thetaglinewouldbemuchmoreappropriateforthisone,sinceitultimatelyboilsdowntowhatamountstoalovestory.Thismovieisverygoodindeed,particularlyifyouconsiderthatitisbuiltaroundaconceptthatcouldhaveeasilybeenhandledinacuteorfacilemanner.Instead,itishandledasseriouslyaspossible,withsomerealthoughtputintohowdeathwouldtrytocometotermswithalifeandanoutlookthatwastothatpointtotallyunfamiliartohim;muchofthecreditdoesgotoFredricMarchinthetitlerole.It'squitescarywhenitneedstobe,particularlyduringthefirsttwentyminutes.Fromthenon,itdealswithitsthemeswithsubtlety,aquietwit,anenduringsadness,andaneverpresenttensiononhowDeathmightreactifcrossed.It'snotperfect;someofthedialogueisself-consciousandartificial,asifthewritersknewtheyweredealingwithweightyissuesandweretryingtobeprofound.ButIamcertainlygladtheydidn'ttrytoturnitintoamusicalcomedyofsorts.
(DaveSindelar,scifilm.org)
Seealsotheremake:DeathTakesAHoliday(1971)
