Suddenly, Last Summer

Suddenly, Last Summer is a gripping American drama from 1959, a captivating cinema classic that dives deep into the psychological intricacies of the human mind, overlaid with the complexities of family bonds, and the struggle over a contested inheritance. With a star-studded cast of Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, and Montgomery Clift, the film, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, is an adaptation of the play of the same name by Tennessee Williams. The film is a haunting exploration of memory, madness, and family dysfunction, set against the backdrop of 1930s New Orleans.

The story revolves around three main characters, Catherine Holly (Elizabeth Taylor), her aunt Violet Venable (Katharine Hepburn), and Dr. John Cukrowicz (Montgomery Clift), a neurosurgeon harboring an ambitious project to perform lobotomies on psychologically disturbed patients. The film deals with Catherine's struggle to recollect the mysterious circumstances around the death of her cousin Sebastian, Violet's only son, and Violet's desperate effort to suppress the supposed truth by endorsing a lobotomy surgery on Catherine, believing her to be insane.

Elizabeth Taylor delivers an exceptional performance as Catherine, a traumatized young woman who finds herself battling mental health issues after witnessing her cousin's mysterious death while on holiday last summer. Taylor brings a raw and emotional potency in her portrayal of a character that oscillates between sanity and madness, innocence and sensuality, truth and delusion. Her portrayal is truly immersive, with her character's anxiety and fear mirrored in the audience.

Katharine Hepburn, as Violet Venable, brings her seasoned acting skills into play to present us with a character of immense complexity. Violet is a Southern matriarch – wealthy, proud, and fiercely protective of her son Sebastian's reputation and her family's social standing. Hepburn masterfully captures Violet's obsessive devotion to her son and her determination to maintain control over Catherine and control the narrative surrounding Sebastian's death.

Montgomery Clift, as Dr. John Cukrowicz, is drawn into the vortex of this family drama when Violet contacts the state asylum where he works. Intrigued by the opportunity of a benefactor like Violet for his lobotomy surgeries, he soon finds himself pulled into a labyrinth of truth, lies, and manipulation. Clift diligently captures the character's moral dilemma caught between medical ethics, ambition, and the search for truth.

The film also shines a light on the moral ambivalences of the then-contemporary society towards mental health. Catherine's fate being tossed over lobotomy, painted as a 'merciful surgery,' brings forth the tension between medical practice and societal pressures. Moreover, the character of Sebastian casts a long shadow throughout the film. He becomes symbolic of privilege, indulgence, and artistic extravagance, even though he never appears on-screen, adding an intriguing aspect to the narrative.

Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz successfully translates Tennessee Williams' ethereal stage play into a tense psychological thriller/ Gothic drama. The quartet of Mankiewicz, Taylor, Hepburn, and Clift – all icons in Hollywood in their respective domains – work in harmony to deliver a cinematic marvel that is as thought-provoking as it is haunting.

Moreover, the film's aesthetic aspect deserves acknowledgment. The beautiful but eerie depiction of the Venable estate filled with tropical plants and the carnivorous birds in its aviary, Sebastian's empty room filled with his mother's memories, the panoramic view of the asylum, and the reoccurring vision of an empty beach from Catherine's memory, all contribute to an atmosphere of Gothic horror.

Supported by the haunting score of Malcolm Arnold and shot by Jack Hildyard, the filmmaking techniques perfectly complement the film's narrative. The stark black and white imagery paints a dark and foreboding atmosphere in the seemingly idyllic Southern landscape, visualizing the film’s motif of truth and insanity, the seen and the unseen.

In essence, Suddenly, Last Summer is a unique blend of psychological drama and Southern gothic horror. With a powerful narrative, exceptional performances, and masterful direction, the film leaves a profound impression and deserves its status as a classic in American cinema.