Shadows

Black and white, 35 mm
USA, 1959, 87 min
Section: John Cassavetes

Synopsis

Cassavetes’ first feature offers a fresh and vibrant portrait of three black siblings living in Beatnik-era Manhattan. Hugh, the eldest, is a struggling nightclub entertainer, who supports the others by taking third billing at strip clubs. Ben, his lighter-skinned brother, is a moody trumpet player who masks his emotions behind dark glasses and hipster poses. He’s always out drinking with friends, picking up girls, and looking for trouble. Lelia, the youngest, is a mercurial beauty, testing the limits of her power to attract. After she is seduced by a handsome but callow youth who quickly retreats when he discovers she is not white, Lelia finds that she is more vulnerable than she imagined. Made over two-and-a-half years (1957–1959), Shadows grew out of improvisations led by Cassavetes at his drama workshop. A first version of the film was shown publicly in late 1958, but Cassavetes deemed it a failure and shot for an additional 20 days, adding many new scenes and deleting nearly 2/3 of his original footage.  Although the end credits state “what you have just seen was an improvisation,” his final rendering was actually carefully scripted and planned. This print has been restored by the UCLA Film Archive.

About the director

see Tribute to John Cassavetes