There is so much going on in this movie. It's about the struggles of being blind in a sighted world. It's about the challenge of being black in a white world. It's about abuse and alcoholism. It's a romance of sorts. It's interesting social commentary. Fifty years later it runs the risk of being dated - because society has changed so much - and yet it didn't feel dated. It felt relevant. It got a reaction out of me. It's an absolutely marvellous movie; almost flawless. I came across it basically by accident, noted that it starred Sidney Poitier and thought I'd take a chance on it. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Mostly, this movie works because of the spectacular performances from basically all the members of the cast. I watched the movie because of Poitier's name - and he was superb - but the real standout of this movie was Elizabeth Hartman. As Selina D'Arcy she plays a young, friendless, naive and lonely blind woman who's basically trapped in an apartment with her abusive mother and an alcoholic grandfather. Hartman makes Selina wonderfully vulnerable - a sad character; one you can't help but feel protective toward, even just watching her on the screen. One day Selina gets to go to the park - against her mother's wishes. And she meets Gordon, played by Poitier. They become friends - very close friends, in a very innocent way. Gordon bonds with her, also protective toward her and generous to her and kind to her, and with absolutely no ulterior motive at all. It's a relationship between two vulnerable people - a black man and a blind woman. Selina doesn't know Gordon is black, and he doesn't tell her, but that means that even though she can't see, she sees him for what he is - kind, generous, sensitive. "Beautiful" she tells him eventually, even after she's discovered that he's black. She falls in love with him. He loves her in return - whether he was "in love" with her is left as an open question. In some ways his feelings come across as more fraternal, or even paternal, and eventually Gordon sets himself to the task of getting her out of her mother's apartment and into a special school. The movie doesn't have a "happily ever after" ending. We're left not knowing what would become of their relationship - but the relationship between them was fascinating to watch as it developed. They shared a tremendous chemistry, and both put on spectacular performances. This was actually Hartman's acting debut. She was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress - deservedly so, and it's hard to believe based on this performance that she never really made it big in Hollywood. Perhaps her brilliant performance as the troubled Selina was a by-product of the fact that she was herself a very tormented young woman who suffered from severe depression and eventually committed suicide at the age of 43.
Poitier was his usual excellent self as Gordon, and Shelley Winters put on an outstanding performance as Selina's mother Rose-Ann. Rose- Ann was abusive toward Selina, treated her more like a servant than a daughter with a barely disguised contempt. My sense from the dialogue is that she was a prostitute, although I don't think that was stated outright. Toward the end of the movie, before Gordon helps Selina escape before Rose-Ann moved them with a friend to a new apartment, the impression was that Rose-Ann was going to use Selina as part of her business - presumably wanting to turn her into a prostitute as well. Winters was so convincing in the role that she heightened the sense of sympathy and protectiveness you feel for Selina. Forget Gordon. I wanted to reach into the screen and drag this girl out of that apartment and to a place of safety. Winters actually won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for this role. Wallace Ford had a lesser role, but was also very good as Selina's grandfather "Ole Pa" - and the fight scene between Ole Pa and Rose- Ann was caustic. As this was Hartman's first film, it was also the last film of Ford's career, that had stretched back to the late 1920's. Ironically, Poitier won nothing for "A Patch of Blue," and yet it was the biggest box office success of his career.
This movie is almost perfect. Why "almost"? Well, my only quibble is that aside from a few stares there really didn't seem to be much reaction from anyone (except Rose Ann) to this very public relationship between a black man and a young white woman. That just didn't strike me as realistic. It's a minor thing, perhaps, but I kept waiting for someone to confront them with a "get away from that white woman" sort of comment - and it never happened. It is a minor quibble, but it was on my mind. But - almost perfect! (9/10)
Mostly, this movie works because of the spectacular performances from basically all the members of the cast. I watched the movie because of Poitier's name - and he was superb - but the real standout of this movie was Elizabeth Hartman. As Selina D'Arcy she plays a young, friendless, naive and lonely blind woman who's basically trapped in an apartment with her abusive mother and an alcoholic grandfather. Hartman makes Selina wonderfully vulnerable - a sad character; one you can't help but feel protective toward, even just watching her on the screen. One day Selina gets to go to the park - against her mother's wishes. And she meets Gordon, played by Poitier. They become friends - very close friends, in a very innocent way. Gordon bonds with her, also protective toward her and generous to her and kind to her, and with absolutely no ulterior motive at all. It's a relationship between two vulnerable people - a black man and a blind woman. Selina doesn't know Gordon is black, and he doesn't tell her, but that means that even though she can't see, she sees him for what he is - kind, generous, sensitive. "Beautiful" she tells him eventually, even after she's discovered that he's black. She falls in love with him. He loves her in return - whether he was "in love" with her is left as an open question. In some ways his feelings come across as more fraternal, or even paternal, and eventually Gordon sets himself to the task of getting her out of her mother's apartment and into a special school. The movie doesn't have a "happily ever after" ending. We're left not knowing what would become of their relationship - but the relationship between them was fascinating to watch as it developed. They shared a tremendous chemistry, and both put on spectacular performances. This was actually Hartman's acting debut. She was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress - deservedly so, and it's hard to believe based on this performance that she never really made it big in Hollywood. Perhaps her brilliant performance as the troubled Selina was a by-product of the fact that she was herself a very tormented young woman who suffered from severe depression and eventually committed suicide at the age of 43.
Poitier was his usual excellent self as Gordon, and Shelley Winters put on an outstanding performance as Selina's mother Rose-Ann. Rose- Ann was abusive toward Selina, treated her more like a servant than a daughter with a barely disguised contempt. My sense from the dialogue is that she was a prostitute, although I don't think that was stated outright. Toward the end of the movie, before Gordon helps Selina escape before Rose-Ann moved them with a friend to a new apartment, the impression was that Rose-Ann was going to use Selina as part of her business - presumably wanting to turn her into a prostitute as well. Winters was so convincing in the role that she heightened the sense of sympathy and protectiveness you feel for Selina. Forget Gordon. I wanted to reach into the screen and drag this girl out of that apartment and to a place of safety. Winters actually won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for this role. Wallace Ford had a lesser role, but was also very good as Selina's grandfather "Ole Pa" - and the fight scene between Ole Pa and Rose- Ann was caustic. As this was Hartman's first film, it was also the last film of Ford's career, that had stretched back to the late 1920's. Ironically, Poitier won nothing for "A Patch of Blue," and yet it was the biggest box office success of his career.
This movie is almost perfect. Why "almost"? Well, my only quibble is that aside from a few stares there really didn't seem to be much reaction from anyone (except Rose Ann) to this very public relationship between a black man and a young white woman. That just didn't strike me as realistic. It's a minor thing, perhaps, but I kept waiting for someone to confront them with a "get away from that white woman" sort of comment - and it never happened. It is a minor quibble, but it was on my mind. But - almost perfect! (9/10)