Warner Bros. | 1964 | 174 mins. | NR
Despite the personal controversy that surrounded him, Elia Kazan is considered by many to be one of the most influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history. Sidney Lumet, Woody Allen, John Cassavetes, Arthur Penn, and Martin Scorsese have all sited him as having a big influence on their filmmaking style.
Right from the start, Kazan gained a reputation for tackling controversial, personal matters in his films. His filmography includes some impressive titles: Gentlemen’s Agreement, A Streetcar Named Desire, On The Waterfront, East Of Eden, and A Face In The Crowd. In 1964, the director released his most personal film yet. “I’m Elia Kazan. I am a Greek by blood, a Turk by birth, and an American because my uncle made a journey.” And so begins America America.
A rare case when Kazan wrote his own screenplay, the three hour film is tough to get through. Though the film received Oscar nominations for Picture, Director, and Screenplay (winning for Art Direction), and earned a place on the National Film Registry, the writing is occasionally clunky and the acting sub-par.
The film starts out in 1896. Stavros Topouzoglou (Stathis Giallelis) is the eldest son in a poor Greek family living in the Anatolian Mountains. The area was known for a large Greek and Armenian population when the Turks moved in and took over. At the time of the story, both groups live under occupied rule, and recent Armenian activity has caused an ethnic crackdown. Though Stavros is Greek, he is caught up in the unrest. He and his business partner an Armenian worker Vartan (Frank Wolff), go into the woods together and get ice to sell back down in the village. They both dream of leaving Turkey and sailing the Atlantic to find new opportunities America.
With great hope for his future, Stavros’ father (Harry Davis) sends him to Constantinople with all of their valuable possessions and traditions. The plan is for him to join his uncle’s business there and bring the rest of the family over once he starts making money. On his journey, he meets an opportunistic Turk (Lou Antonio) who causes him to use his goods, setting off a chain of events that puts the young boy way off course. Unable to take up with his uncle, he ends up on the streets trying to make his fortune, only to continually lose what little he makes, and get into all sorts of trouble. The other men call him “America America” because that’s all he can talk about—making enough money to go to the Land of Opportunity.
This is not the story of Stavros’ life in America, but difficult lengths he will go to get there. He’s so desperate; he entertains his cousin’s idea of marrying the daughter of wealthy businessman. He knows plain hard work won’t raise him the funds anytime soon. However, his conscience won’t allow him to marry without a kernel of affection. Stavros’ final and perhaps most promising hope appears to be a middle-aged American woman (Katharine Balfour) who regrets the early adulthood she missed out on by getting married young.
Kazan shot most of America America on location overseas. Haskell Wexler’s brilliant black-and-white photography illuminates the harsh conditions Stavros faces. No matter how elaborate the setting, the poverty is evident. Likewise, the costumes are torn and dirty. We can see the effects homelessness has on Stavros. By contrast, glimpses of the wealthy seemed played up. An American that Stavros briefly encounters looks like he pulled his suit straight out of studio wardrobe. When Stavros joins a wealthy family, their life looks like costume drama put together by a vast production team. I think this was intentional on Kazan’s part; he wanted to show the deep divide between the classes.
Despite some interesting moments, this 174 minute drama will feel like quite a slog to get through for a lot of viewers. Despite his best intentions, much of Kazan’s writing is choppy and several scenes feel as though they go on to long; if you’re expecting another On the Waterfront stay away. If you’re interested in the immigrant struggle of the 19th century, give America America a try.
The image quality here is very good. Originally shot on 35mm at 1.66:1, the widescreen image is free of any scratches or damage, except for a few minor issues two or three times. However, for a film of this age, the image is rendered surprisingly well.
The mono audio track for America America is a bit hit-and-miss. Though all dialogue is easy to hear, there is a regular whistle apparent throughout the picture. It’s not overbearing, but noticeable. There is also about two minutes of a hiss that comes in at about the hour-and-thirty-eight-minute mark.
The one special feature we get is a commentary by film historian Foster Hirsch. He does a good job putting the film into context and relating it to the rest of Kazan’s work.
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