Shadows (1959)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Randy T

  
  A new-waveish beatnik sociopolitical commentary that gets far less recognition than it deserves.

• AJ V

  
  This is a pretty good, and very different, drama movie, but it's not all that exciting or intense. Plus, I wasn't familiar or impressed with any of the actors.

• Anthony L

  
  Classic American cinema, way ahead of the rest with an important message to boot. Not only was the subject matter original in film but so was the production. Essential viewing for film fans and especially film makers. It has to be one of the coolest films ever made!

• Saskia D

  
  According to the information that can be found on the box, a very important and influential movie and Cassavetes directorial debut. It's VERY difficult to rate this one objectively after seeing A Woman Under the Influence first, which is a completely different movie. Somehow the… More
  According to the information that can be found on the box, a very important and influential movie and Cassavetes directorial debut. It's VERY difficult to rate this one objectively after seeing A Woman Under the Influence first, which is a completely different movie. Somehow the style reminded me a little of A Funeral Parade of Roses. Couldn't keep my eyes off of Lelia Goldoni, she's beautiful.

• Elvira B

  
  Cassavetes' debut: A close examination of daily life. People wanting to find something to do, striving to understand their moods, shortcomings, and the possibilities and impossibilities of the New York Universe they inhabit. Coming to terms with race and racism. Falling in, out… More
  Cassavetes' debut: A close examination of daily life. People wanting to find something to do, striving to understand their moods, shortcomings, and the possibilities and impossibilities of the New York Universe they inhabit. Coming to terms with race and racism. Falling in, out of love. Trying to find stability. All in the course of 81 minutes. Shadows is a film about nothing: the chain of events that take place every day and we hate because they bore us, which we call nothing. And it is maybe the Mother of all films about nothing created afterwards, none of which seem to really be on par with it. Cassavetes, like Truffaut, tells a small story where every story we know can fit, too. Lelia, Benny, Rupert, Tony, Hugh... terrific actors, all of them. I can only imagine how wonderful it must have been to work in such compenetration with the material, in a way that performances this earnest and solid materialized, especially considering Cassavete's pro-improvisation attitude. Although I've read here and there that the improv was not absolute, the intelligence of the actors is obvious. This film left me with several enduring cinematic moments in my mind. Benny coyly speaking to a girl in a diner, one of the most successfully intimate takes I can remember. Lelia's iconic weary face in Tony's bed. The jazz score, so appropriate with the Beat scene, beautiful but not invasive. And the gritty black and white photography. Shadows is not so concerned with aesthetics as it is with exposing and exploring ideas and opinions and notions of filmmaking that were perhaps being underappreciated, forsaken, or rejected at the time. Besides being a realistic portrait of human emotions and situations, it is also a landmark of independent American cinema and testament to Cassavetes' original often-imitated approach to filmmaking. It's refreshing to think of his closeness with performers. Adequate communication and <i>communion</i> between all the elements of the film flow through it from beginning to end. Watching it feels like witnessing something truly one of a kind.

• Tim S

  
  There are perfect moments in this movie.

• Michael G

  
  This entire movie was improvised. It is an undisputed masterpiece.

• Eric B

  
  Everyone knows "Shadows" is a historically important film, but it's also interesting on its own terms. The loose plot takes place within the late-'50s clique of New York jazz cats. Period lingo is kept to a minimum (save some talk of "making the scene"),… More
  Everyone knows "Shadows" is a historically important film, but it's also interesting on its own terms. The loose plot takes place within the late-'50s clique of New York jazz cats. Period lingo is kept to a minimum (save some talk of "making the scene"), so the dialogue doesn't age as badly as one might expect. A white man picks up a beautiful young woman, but later discovers she's a fair-skinned black. The meat of the story is the racial tension between the surprised man and the woman's wary brothers, but the conflict is pushed aside rather than building to a strong conclusion. Otherwise, the sequences mostly dwell on cynical hipsters cavorting in clubs and apartments while making aggressive plays for whatever tawdry babe is within reach. The closing credits boast that the film was an improvisation, and some awkward cuts and blackouts do suggest off-the-cuff spontaneity that was structured afterwards in the editing room. The acting is amateurish, though not offensively so. Director John Cassavetes briefly appears as a ruffian in one early crowd scene.

• Chris B

  
  A film made using improvisation performances from it's talented cast, Shadows was the first film by director John Cassavetes and was made with a meager budget of $40,000. The film obviously focuses fully on the story and issues at hand and the brief 82 minute runntime flies by… More
  A film made using improvisation performances from it's talented cast, Shadows was the first film by director John Cassavetes and was made with a meager budget of $40,000. The film obviously focuses fully on the story and issues at hand and the brief 82 minute runntime flies by as the film keeps going full steam ahead. A great drama piece exploring the, rare at the time, issue with interracial relationships and is a genuine and realistic approach to the ideals explored.

• Brian R

  
  Great experimental picture by John Cassavetes. A tad creeky but you can't help but admire the performances, the setting, and the themes. It's a nice little movie.

• matt s

  
  To me, this film is about three "hip" kids who are so used to running away and fighting, rather than trying to deal with problems. The theme of three lost kids really hits home for me, especially since Baton Rouge seems to have its fill of hipster kids who just have no clue… More
  To me, this film is about three "hip" kids who are so used to running away and fighting, rather than trying to deal with problems. The theme of three lost kids really hits home for me, especially since Baton Rouge seems to have its fill of hipster kids who just have no clue about what the fuck they want. So, it's themes are still as loud and meaningful today. The film also features some great shots, but my favorite character was Tom. I loved the scene where he balked at the two guys at the museum. His monologue there pretty much describes what the film is about. A nice film that sticks with you long after you've viewed it.

• Emily B

  
  Cassavetes first film and my first Cassavetes. Shadows is the story of three black siblings living in 1950s New York. Two of the siblings (Ben and Lelia)are light skinned and can pass of as white. Shadows is important for a number of reasons. At the end of the film we are told that… More
  Cassavetes first film and my first Cassavetes. Shadows is the story of three black siblings living in 1950s New York. Two of the siblings (Ben and Lelia)are light skinned and can pass of as white. Shadows is important for a number of reasons. At the end of the film we are told that "The film you have just seen was an improvisation". Ironically though, it's now been revealed that it wasn't all improvisation (such as the bedroom scene). I think it was Lelia Goldoni who said "the script wasn't improvised, the emotions were". Also this film is one of the founders of Independent cinema. Overall a brilliant and important film.

• Wu C

  
  Nice improvisational first film by one the godfathers of American independent cinema.

Read all 13 featured audience ratings