The man in the gray flannel (film)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The man in the gray flannel |
| Original title | The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit |
| Country of production | United States |
| Publishing year | 1956 |
| length | 153 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Nunnally Johnson |
| script | Nunnally Johnson |
| production | Darryl F. Zanuck |
| music | Bernard Herrmann |
| camera | Charles G. Clarke |
| cut | Dorothy Spencer |
| occupation | |
| |
The Man in the Gray Flannel is an American drama from 1956. It addresses the importance of responsibility and honesty in a society that is mainly geared towards short-term business success. The script is based on the 1955 novel of the same name by Sloan Wilson . At the Cannes International Film Festival , the film was in competition, but was not awarded.
action
Tom and Betsy Rath lived with their children in a cheap Connecticut house in the 1950s . Tom is 33 and a Harvard graduate. He served in both Europe (Germany, Italy) and the South Pacific during World War II. Traumatic memories of that time affect him.
His wife Betsy wants her husband to make more of his life and urges him to make career advancements. She wants to move to a better house, a better neighborhood.
Tom applies for a PR job at a television station and soon finds himself in the position of making a statement on the planned address of the chairman as part of a health campaign. Tom thinks the design is unsuitable, but wants to navigate so as not to offend. But his wife asks him to be honest, the matter is important enough.
Then Tom learns from a comrade in the war that he has a son in Italy from a short, intense love affair who needs his help.
Tom decides to be honest with his boss and his wife. His boss is initially irritated by the honest feedback, but then grateful; his wife can hardly cope with the confession of the previous love affair at first. In the end, Tom and Betsy decide to transfer the child in Italy 100 dollars a month. To what extent this is compatible with Tom's career remains unclear; In a telephone conversation with his boss, Tom admits that he is a regular employee and that he should spend more time at home with the family.
reception
The lexicon of international film certifies the film as “sophisticated entertainment at a high level”. Bosley Crowther attested in the New York Times that director and screenwriter Johnson had succeeded in transforming the intricate narrative style of the original into a linear structure suitable for film and that the narrative was at exactly the right pace. The actors are excellent, the film as a whole "ripe, delicate and touching". The Protestant film observer is also full of praise : “Excellent treatment of serious life issues. Highly recommended for ages 16 and up. "
Web links
- The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ The Man in the Gray Flannel in the Lexicon of International Films , accessed December 23, 2013.
- ^ Review of April 13, 1956
- ↑ Evangelischer Presseverband München, Review No. 644/1956