Reviews of Shadows
Displaying all 3 reviews
Salem Kapsaski
29Sep09
John Cassavetes vastly improvised and groundbreaking directorial debut still feels amazingly fresh today, Underlined with a fantastic Jazz score by Charles Mingus and saxophonist Shafi Hadi; Shadows takes you into the live of three siblings living in late 50’s New York City. Exploring love, interracial relationships, the struggle to stay true as an artist and the aimlessness and alienation of youth.
A true masterpiece that gets better with each viewing. (5/5)
- Currently 5.0/5 Stars.
Teddy Cheong
25Apr09
Shadows is a fitting title for this film. The film deals with racial tension in a way that disintegrates the concept of ‘race’ as a social construction. The fact that it was made during a period culminating in civil rights affairs only intensifies its advocacy. The movie itself is an exceptional example of filmic jazz, not only in its soundtrack, but also the improvisational form of the entire work. As a result, the entire experience is of a kind that feels as though it’s growing on you.
- Currently 5.0/5 Stars.
Antoine Doinel
2Dec08
I think the most astounding thing about Cassavete’s debut “Shadows”, the scene that emotionally rings true for me (something Cassavete’s totally perfected in his later films) is the one featured in the photograph above, the moment just after Lelia has slept with Tony, she breaks his embrace and sits up, her mood changes as she has realised the weight or “reality” of what she has just done, it is not how she imagined it, Tony tries to “explain” himself to her but she becomes more alienated and childlike – like a lost child. The tone of her voice is quite haunting: “Please don’t touch me. Please don’t touch me, I want to go home.” It is an incredibly powerful scene, one that I haven’t really seen anyone come close to since with regards to the subject matter.
- Currently 4.0/5 Stars.