A Patch of Blue
1965, Black and White
Starring Sidney Poitier, Shelley Winters, Elizabeth Hartman
Running time: 1 hour, 35 minutes.
This film is one of my all time favourites, and I weep like a
little
schoolgirl every single time I see it. Sometimes you can catch
it on
American Movie Classics or Turner Classic Movies, and you'll be
glad you
did.
Set in some anonymous town at a time when black/white relations
in
America were coming to a violent head, this is a story about a
white
girl falling in love with a black man--something that seemed
impossible
at that time.
The girl is Selina D'Arcey (Elizabeth Hartman). She's 18 years
old but
is extremely innocent and immature. She's blind and is virtually
imprisoned by her horrific mother (Shelley Winters) and her
drunken
grandfather in a one-room tenement apartment. There's no love
for
Selina, there is definitely no sympathy for her handicap, and
she's
never even been to school.
Like a Cinderella, Selina is forced to stay home and do chores
all day
and take care of her family, but on rare occasions she's allowed
to go
to the park alone and sit with the sun warming her face as she
makes
beaded necklaces to sell and make extra money for her mother. It
is on
such a visit to the park that she meets the person who opens a
door to a
whole new world for her, Gordon Ralfe (Sidney Poitier).
He befriends her and over time is stunned by her situation as he
learns
more about her. Gordon treats her with kindness and respect,
something
she's never known, and she soon falls in love with him.
"Black" and
"white" don't mean anything to a blind girl,
especially a blind girl who
knows almost nothing of the world. But Gordon realizes he must
be
cautious, he's much older than she is and he thinks of her as a
poor
sweet girl in need of help, not as a potential lover.
Watching this you know it's only a matter of time before her
awful,
racist mother finds out about their friendship and tries to stop
it.
It's up to Gordon to act fast to save Selina from a horrendous
new
lifestyle her mother is about to start, and it's up to Selina to
understand that love comes in many different forms.
Again, another tear jerker. Have the hankies at the ready, watch
it
alone if you can, and without interruptions if at all possible.
The above material is considered the property
of Anastasia.
If you wish to use this article, in part or whole, please contact
her at
movies@GVCOMMUNITY.zzn.com
for her permission.
|
|
