"Judy Berlin" is the rare type of film that feels oddly incomplete yet succeeds in doing exactly what it set out to do. Essentially a character study of the often eccentric yet unsatisfied and lonely denizens of an unnamed New York town, "Judy Berlin" is often depressing yet undeniably effective at presenting harsh reality.
Though the film generally centers on David Gold (Aaron Harnick), a failed Hollywood filmmaker, and Judy Berlin (Edie Falco), an upbeat yet naive aspiring actress, "Judy Berlin" makes a point of avoiding any sort of Hollywood conventions one typically sees in a film. Conversations between characters are painfully awkward, statements are made that make little sense, and there are few moments that could be described as satisfying, especially to viewers that are accustomed to films treating their audience with a clearly happy ending. In a way, "Judy Berlin" is a simulated documentary, exploring reality as it is, not as the cheerful and sorrow-free farce that Hollywood often presents. In this film, the characters are all clearly lonely and often depressed, and in multiple cases, that never truly gets resolved. "Judy Berlin" is content with simply showing its players admitting their sorrows to themselves and agreeing to overcome them, rather than having those sorrows magically vanish. At one point during a conversation between Judy and David, he tells her about how he had always wanted to make a documentary about their town. Not in an embellished fashion, but rather an utterly real depiction that simply shows, as he puts it, what exists when no one is looking. In a sense, that is exactly what "Judy Berlin" is. It's a film about people. It's a film about characters and their day-to-day struggles: marital issues, depression, senility, loneliness, etc. It's a film that occupies itself with exploring nothing but the intricacies of people and the issues they both face and choose not to face.
The solar eclipse that the film's progression revolves around is an interesting touch, both visually and symbolically. Solar eclipses typically last no more than seven minutes or so, yet the sun in "Judy Berlin" vanishes behind a particularly foreboding water tower and remains there throughout the second half of the film. Alice Gold (Madeline Kahn) notes this to her housekeeper Carol (Novella Nelson), admitting that while she knows very little about eclipses, she is sure of that fact that they usually don't last this long. The matter is brought up very little after that conversation, as if the characters have come to terms with the permanent presence of both the eclipse and the struggles it seems to represents in their lives.
This eclipse is an interesting element in that its appearance seems to trigger a series of personal revelations in each of the residents of "Judy Berlin"-ville. Though an element of unhappiness is clearly present in the lives of each character throughout their brightly-lit morning, they often choose to ignore it. Once the eclipse occurs and the town is cast into darkness, each character abruptly admits their insecurities and sorrows to themselves and those close to them. By doing away with the optimistic shield that is daylight, the eclipse similarly breaks down the emotional barriers within the characters of "Judy Berlin", forcing them to realize that avoiding their deepest concerns does nothing to stave them off.
The eclipse also has an interesting effect on the film's cinematography. Shot in black-and-white, "Judy Berlin" is already stark before its main event, but the sunlight makes everything easy to see and there is no room for secrets or surprises. Following the eclipse, the town becomes a dark place where making out just about anything, even faces during a conversation, is difficult. Multiple characters repeatedly note that "the streetlights are on" in a manner that suggests they find it comforting, yet these streetlights are rarely visible and often provide very little light. In a way, this seems to reflect the emotional states of the townspeople. Prior to the eclipse, trouble was present for all of them, but it could be brushed to the side as everything seemed clear and visible. Following the eclipse, they are cast into emotional turmoil where almost nothing is clear and a level of unease is a constant presence.
The confrontation of reality that the second half of "Judy Berlin" revolves around is bleak, yet utterly real in that each character quietly comes to terms with their own woes. After Alice and Carol become "space explorers" in their street, parade around for a while, and have a particularly awkward meeting with Alice's neighbor Maddie (Carlin Glynn), Arthur Gold (Bob Dishy) returns from work. Despite the obvious marital difficulties the Golds are going through, Alice seems delighted to have him home and is fully prepared to continue the farce that is their happy relationship. Unexpectedly however, he drives off again. All at once, Alice drops her act.
"My husband just left me," she says quietly to Maddie and Carol.
It's a brutal collision with reality that creates a moment more tender than most blockbusters could ever dream of, and it's only furthered by what immediately follows it. After Alice says goodbye to Maddie and walks back home with Carol, she invites her housekeeper to wander around with her some more. Carol kindly but firmly turns her down, telling her that it is 3:00, she is finished working for the afternoon, and she has to go home to her daughter. Driving away, she leaves Alice alone in the street. For a character that frequently daydreams about being young again, it's another harsh reminder of reality for Alice, who, as much as she wants to play "space explorers" with her friends, has to consider that she and her friends are all grown up now and have lives to live and obligations to attend to. Finally dropping her act once and for all, she wanders off down the street by herself for a bit of melancholic yet finally authentic self-reflection.
David and Judy have a similar confrontation with reality after their afternoon "date." Frustrated with Judy's lack of seriousness in regards to her move to Hollywood, David tells her that Hollywood will be different from her acting classes, and criticizes her for not admitting to herself that Hollywood is a harsh world where she will find little hospitality or kindness. Hurt, she walks away. David calls out to her to tell her that he's just stating the facts as he sees them. Rather than ignoring him or lying to both David and herself once again, Judy simply turns and responds:
"I know."
For a character that seems to thrive off of unbridled optimism and denial of the harshness of life, it's a heartbreaking yet completely necessary moment for Judy and marks a significant turning point for both her and the rest of her town.
Having just finished Madeline Kahn's biography, I read quite a lot about "Judy Berlin" and Alice Gold, which many of Kahn's fans consider to be her finest performance. Having now watched it for myself, I firmly agree. It makes me especially happy to see that, as an actress with immense comedic talent but a desire for dramatic roles, she finally got the kind of role she truly wanted before she died. While I wouldn't go as far as to say that I love "Judy Berlin", I truly appreciate it for confronting the hard truth that reality can often be. In a world where movies often present us with the reality we want rather than the one we have, writer-director Eric Mendelsohn truly created a film that does exactly the opposite: it shows us what reality is, and nothing else. No fluff, no icing on top; just the hard truth. That is something that everyone should see, no matter how unpleasant it can be.
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