It is well known that Eugene O'Neill on more than one occasion expressed a feeling of guilt about events in his life. Notable among these was his regret at his treatment of the character representing his brother James in LONG DAYS JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. This play, with the scene laying in 1912, was actually written at least a decade and a half later, when O'Neill may have been suffering pangs of guilt. His was not a happy or uneventful life! In THE ICEMAN COMETH every character is obviously suffering pangs of guilt in various ways and to various degrees. Some express it openly, like the young man who turned in his mother to California police. An apparent anarchist, she was suspected of involvement in a bombing. Some, like Larry, are silent as to what they feel guilty about, but are clearly not easy in their mind. One could go on, there is the owner of the bar pretending to grieve for the last 20 years after the death of his wife, but concealing that he actually detested her.
Finally, there is the supremely guilty Hickey. I won't tell you what he is feeling guilty about, just in case you haven't seen the play or the filming of it. But it is consuming him to the point of completely changing his habits of the past in relations to the habitués of the seedy bar which is the scene of action. Hickey tells them that he has finally realised what they all must do to make their lives, if not happy, at least tolerable. They must give up all the lies they tell themselves about why they are leading such depressed lives. He doesn't mention guilt, but if you look at what the play has told you about these characters, the implication is clear. They have become alcoholics as an anodyne for the pain of their guilt.
This is a staged filming for TV of a play, so the fact that it is not cinematic should not be held as a defect. With an exception or two, the cast is excellent in limning this menagerie of misfits. Young Robert Redford gives a distinguished performance as the young man who turned in his mother, gradually making his guilt more overt as the play progresses. The centerpiece performance, though, is Jason Robards, Jr., as Hickey. He carries out this lengthy and difficult role, delivering long speeches with never a hesitation or misstep. Bravura, I would say is the word.
This looks like a virtually complete rendering of the play, with material often cut from stage or film realisations included. For one, the title may puzzle some viewers. It derives from the fact that Hickey has in the past regaled the drunks of the bar with tales about his wife disporting herself with "the iceman". Other versions I have seen have omitted, or greatly downplayed, this. It takes patience to stick with this version for the full 3 hours and 25 minutes, but it is worth it.
Finally, there is the supremely guilty Hickey. I won't tell you what he is feeling guilty about, just in case you haven't seen the play or the filming of it. But it is consuming him to the point of completely changing his habits of the past in relations to the habitués of the seedy bar which is the scene of action. Hickey tells them that he has finally realised what they all must do to make their lives, if not happy, at least tolerable. They must give up all the lies they tell themselves about why they are leading such depressed lives. He doesn't mention guilt, but if you look at what the play has told you about these characters, the implication is clear. They have become alcoholics as an anodyne for the pain of their guilt.
This is a staged filming for TV of a play, so the fact that it is not cinematic should not be held as a defect. With an exception or two, the cast is excellent in limning this menagerie of misfits. Young Robert Redford gives a distinguished performance as the young man who turned in his mother, gradually making his guilt more overt as the play progresses. The centerpiece performance, though, is Jason Robards, Jr., as Hickey. He carries out this lengthy and difficult role, delivering long speeches with never a hesitation or misstep. Bravura, I would say is the word.
This looks like a virtually complete rendering of the play, with material often cut from stage or film realisations included. For one, the title may puzzle some viewers. It derives from the fact that Hickey has in the past regaled the drunks of the bar with tales about his wife disporting herself with "the iceman". Other versions I have seen have omitted, or greatly downplayed, this. It takes patience to stick with this version for the full 3 hours and 25 minutes, but it is worth it.