死神假期 Death Takes a Holiday (1934)
豆瓣:7.5
地区:
美国
语言: 英语,法语/
时长:
79分钟
剧情:BecauseIcouldnotstopforDeath,hekindlystoppedforme;thecarriageheldbutjustourselvesandimmortality”–EmilyDickinson
IfDeathtookaholiday,thegunswouldgosilentinIraq,theslaughteronournation’shighwayswouldcease,andthenewsmediawouldbecompelledtocoverpositiveeventsinthehumanities,arts,andsciences.Unfortunately,Deathhasnothad...
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BecauseIcouldnotstopforDeath,hekindlystoppedforme;thecarriageheldbutjustourselvesandimmortality”–EmilyDickinson
IfDeathtookaholiday,thegunswouldgosilentinIraq,theslaughteronournation’shighwayswouldcease,andthenewsmediawouldbecompelledtocoverpositiveeventsinthehumanities,arts,andsciences.Unfortunately,Deathhasnothad...
BecauseIcouldnotstopforDeath,hekindlystoppedforme;thecarriageheldbutjustourselvesandimmortality”–EmilyDickinson
IfDeathtookaholiday,thegunswouldgosilentinIraq,theslaughteronournation’shighwayswouldcease,andthenewsmediawouldbecompelledtocoverpositiveeventsinthehumanities,arts,andsciences.Unfortunately,Deathhasnothadavacationinrecordedhistory,butMitchellLeisen’s1934fantasy,DeathTakesaHoliday,allowsustoconsiderthepossibility.Co-writtenbyMaxwellAndersonandGladysLehmanandbasedontheplay"LaMorteinVacanza"byAlbertoCasella,DeathTakesaHolidaystarsFredericMarchastheGrimReaperwhotakesonhumanforminanattempttodiscoverwhymenfearhimsomuch.Whyhehaswaited5,000yearstosatisfythiscuriosityisnotexplained.
[Spoiler]Afterabrieftryoutasashadowyfigurewhoscaresthedaylightsoutofthosethatcrosshispath,Deathshowsupat,ofallplaces,anupscalepartyatanItalianvilla,posingasthemysteriousPrinceSirki.Onlyonepersonknowswhohereallyis,thehostDukeLambert(GuyStanding),andheissworntosecrecy.Sirkiproceedstofascinatetheguests.Giventoburstsofwitandpoetry,hecanjustasquicklyturnsullenandthreatening,andsomesoonfindoutthatitisbetternottolooktoodeeplyintohiseyes.DuringthethreedaysinwhichthePrinceisatthevilla,however,peopleallovertheworldmiraculouslyescapedeathandpotentialsuicidesaredoomedtofrustration.
Toseewhat’sbehindalltheconversationaboutlove,thesuavebutnaïvePrinceSirkifallsfortheirresistibleGrazia(EvelynVenable),thedaughterofoneofDuke’sfriends.GraziaknowswhoDeathisbutdoesnotfearhim,muchtothechagrinofherfiancé,Corrado(KentTaylor)whohasdevelopedastrongdisdainforPrinceCharming.
MoresinisterthanBradPittinthe1998remakeMeetJoeBlack,Marchturnsinaveryconvincingperformanceasthecreepyyetstrangelyappealingguest.Althoughtheendingismelodramatic,theemotionsareveryrealandthesuggestionthatDeathmayinrealitybeafrienddisguisedasafoeisquitetouching.
(HowardSchumann,talkingpix.co.uk)
Inthiswearisomeandpredictableplotline,Deathfallsinloveandboresustodeathtalkingaboutit.
(DennisSchwartz,homepages.sover.net)
I'veheardDRACULAwasadvertisedwiththetagline"TheWeirdestLoveStoryevertold!"(thisisprobablyaparaphrase),butatheart,I'veneverfeltthatyoucouldhonestlycallthatmoviealovestory.Thetaglinewouldbemuchmoreappropriateforthisone,sinceitultimatelyboilsdowntowhatamountstoalovestory.Thismovieisverygoodindeed,particularlyifyouconsiderthatitisbuiltaroundaconceptthatcouldhaveeasilybeenhandledinacuteorfacilemanner.Instead,itishandledasseriouslyaspossible,withsomerealthoughtputintohowdeathwouldtrytocometotermswithalifeandanoutlookthatwastothatpointtotallyunfamiliartohim;muchofthecreditdoesgotoFredricMarchinthetitlerole.It'squitescarywhenitneedstobe,particularlyduringthefirsttwentyminutes.Fromthenon,itdealswithitsthemeswithsubtlety,aquietwit,anenduringsadness,andaneverpresenttensiononhowDeathmightreactifcrossed.It'snotperfect;someofthedialogueisself-consciousandartificial,asifthewritersknewtheyweredealingwithweightyissuesandweretryingtobeprofound.ButIamcertainlygladtheydidn'ttrytoturnitintoamusicalcomedyofsorts.
(DaveSindelar,scifilm.org)
Seealsotheremake:DeathTakesAHoliday(1971)