Featured Audience Ratings

• Matheus C

  
  Filme baseado em um romance escrito por Grace Metalious que se tornou best seller por abordar temas como sexo na adolescência, incesto, aborto e rebeldia juvenil - é uma longa lista! O desafio aqui é levar tudo isso para as telas em uma época em que o código de censura (the Hayes… More
  Filme baseado em um romance escrito por Grace Metalious que se tornou best seller por abordar temas como sexo na adolescência, incesto, aborto e rebeldia juvenil - é uma longa lista! O desafio aqui é levar tudo isso para as telas em uma época em que o código de censura (the Hayes Code) ainda dominava Hollywood, algo que o filme consegue com moderado sucesso. Indicado para 9 Oscar (sem levar nenhum), A Caldeira do Diabo possui um parentesco próximo com os melodramas produzidos pelo diretor Douglas Sirk no mesmo período, mas sem a classe e a sofisticação dos filmes do mesmo. O roteiro não deixa esconder as origens pulp do livro, com muitas passagens parecendo terem sido extraídas diretamente de romances populares vendidos para jovens adolescentes. A narrativa se assemelha à À Sombra de uma Dúvida de Alfred Hitchcock e Veludo Azul de David Lynch, na medida que mostra a camada podre por trás de uma cidadezinha interiorana dos Estados Unidos. Lana Turner é Constance MacKenzie, mulher viúva com uma filha adolescente (a inexpressiva Diane Varsi) e um passado misterioso. Logo ela se vê confrontada com a explosão sexual da jovem e também da trágica história da amiga adolescente que é abusada pelo padrasto. Muitos tapas, lágrimas, corridas escada acima e soluços em travesseiros se seguem nas duas horas e meia de filme. O maior predicado de A Caldeira do Diabo é fazer com que a história se mantenha interessante e não seja arrastada pela longa duração. Também se torna curioso ver assuntos tão polêmicos abordados no cinema dos anos cinqüenta, ainda que a execução deixe a desejar. Já uso do formato de tela larga CinemaScope não ajuda muito, pois os cenários têm aparência barata e parecem terem sido feitos para um programa de televisão.

• Mister C

  
  What invented the modern melodrama? What spawned generations of soap operas from "Dallas" up to and including "Desperate Housewives?" What made enough impact on popular culture that it was included in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The… More
  What invented the modern melodrama? What spawned generations of soap operas from "Dallas" up to and including "Desperate Housewives?" What made enough impact on popular culture that it was included in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire",between "Princess Grace",and "Trouble in the Suez?" Why,that would be "Peyton Place",the 1957 film that was based on the scandalous novel by Grace Metalious,that was so successful that it spawned a even more scandalous 1961 sequel "Return To Peyton Place",and later on an even less scandalous toned down version of successful television series that premiered on ABC-TV in the fall of 1964 and lasted five seasons on the network ending in the summer of 1969 after an astounding 514 episodes that launched the careers of Ryan O'Neal, Mia Farrow and Barbara Parkins. The original 1957 motion picture PEYTON PLACE got a bit of a boost when its star Lana Turner was involved in the real-life scandal of her daughter's murdering Turner's gangster lover---dealt with ideas were downright unthinkable or even unheard of during the mid-1950's when this film was released:Adultery! Incest! Picturesque small town America having dark,seamy underbellies and even darker undertones that shocked audiences who went to see it! Still the film was toned down a mite from the source material,to the point that the Catholic Legion of Decency gave this film an "A". Despite of was critics and those haters and audiences who have spilt decisions against it,PEYTON PLACE went on to become one of the highest grossing films of the year...a huge runaway hit upon its release for 20th Century-Fox,given the full "Cinemascope" treatment and color and was nominated for an impressive nine Academy Awards including Best Picture(winning none but lost to David Lean's Bridge On The River Kwai which won the Oscar for Best Picture of 1957). The name remains synonymous with its sordid small-town drama. PEYTON PLACE was the only movie based on Grace Metalious that not it spawned a sequel,but also a long-running mid-1960's television series,two movie for TV movies and not to even mention a short-lived daytime serial "Return To Peyton Place". NOTE: Only two of it stars from the original movie went on to star in both the sequel and the television series: Actors Lloyd Nolan, Hope Lange and Arthur Kennedy.

• AJ V

  
  For the most part this is a really good drama, but it was probably better as a book. You can see that the film makers were trying to push the limits of what they could do on screen at the time, and it's interesting to see how this movie deals with its controversial topics, but… More
  For the most part this is a really good drama, but it was probably better as a book. You can see that the film makers were trying to push the limits of what they could do on screen at the time, and it's interesting to see how this movie deals with its controversial topics, but the movie is also pretty boring in some scenes. Plus, it's kind of long. Overall it's pretty good, but it could have been better, if they made this movie in the seventies it would have been better i think.

• jay n

  
  Well made but pedestrian adaption of trashy bestseller. Hope Lange outshines the rest of the cast with a great performance.

• Lanning :

  
  But there was a fifth season, of love . . . And only the wise or the lucky ones knew where to find it. <p>First, what a soundtrack. In addition to everything from big band to bee-bop, they manage to accommodate Stephen Foster and Bobby Burns. Beautiful. Now I want to read… More
  But there was a fifth season, of love . . . And only the wise or the lucky ones knew where to find it. <p>First, what a soundtrack. In addition to everything from big band to bee-bop, they manage to accommodate Stephen Foster and Bobby Burns. Beautiful. Now I want to read the book too, Joanna. <p>Russ Tamblyn preps for his juvenile delinquent role in <i>West Side Story</i> in a most non-Jet fashion. Although the problems at home are undoubtedly requisite motivators in both films. <p>Hope Lange! OMG. What a beautiful woman. Losing her might make me, depending on the circumstances, turn vigilante as well, I must say. She absolutely glows in this. So good.<p>It's obvious, when you see this, why the soap opera mill would seize upon <i>Peyton Place</i> as furtile fodder for that TV show machine. Everything is here. Everything. The scope is epic, but that sweep is necessarily constrained by the movie's small town focus. Still, emotions run high, intrigues mirror classical tragedy, and even the mundane actions and words of this little community take on greater meaning: They say it'll bloom for a month. Then you can plant it in your yard as a reminder of your operation. Here's a book on humor. Surgery's nothing these days. You'll be up and around before you know it.<p>A surprisingly wide-ranging examination of those complexities of life which really do unfold in any place at any time. <p>Not to mention it was filmed in Maine! : )<p>Allison, a person doesn't always get what she deserves. Remember it. If there's anything in life you want, go and get it. Don't wait for anybody to give it to you.

• Eduardo T

  
  The screenplay has a great handle on intertwining the characters and their actions. A little bit into the film I had no idea what rating I was going to give it. It's a good thing I watched the whole thing. It literally picks up greatly by time. The last court room scenes where… More
  The screenplay has a great handle on intertwining the characters and their actions. A little bit into the film I had no idea what rating I was going to give it. It's a good thing I watched the whole thing. It literally picks up greatly by time. The last court room scenes where the best scenes in the film. the writing itself is really good. Great plot and story. Great plot build up as well. If brings all the characters together and masses their stories and struggles. The dialogue in this is so good you think you're reading a book while watching it. It's based off a book so I guess that's why. The acting was okay. Nothing really good and nothing really horrible. Topnotch directing. Good choice of scenery. It's so beautifully shot, everything looks almost perfect. Why can't communities like this exist in real life(except for the struggles the characters faced). The production values where ravishing. Was the houses real or stages? Great costume design too. If you like nice looking films but with heavy plot struggles then this is for you.

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