"WORTH HUNTING FOR," THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER (OVER 40 WRITE OFF)

This is the only movie that I'm aware of that makes me cry. True I'll admit it, there is something about this movie that never fails to have tears running down my face by the time the final credits roll. No matter how many times I've seen it, and I've watched it quite a few times, it has the same effect on me. There are not many other movies that I can think of that have ever provoked that reaction in me once, let alone all the time.

I first saw Heart is a Lonely Hunter as a child or young adult watching it on TV with my Parent's one evening. The movie was released in 1968. So it must have made the jump to TV in the early 1970's which is probably when I saw it. I'm old enough to participate in this write off, but that old.

It's a hard film to find and not surprisingly few people have seen it. Even in this era of 300 plus channels it probably only shows up 2 to 3 times a year on TV if that. In the past thirty years I've been lucky if I've caught it a half a dozen times. When about ten years ago I decided that I wanted or perhaps needed is a better word, a copy of my own that also proved difficult.

It took several months of intense searching before I was able to get a copy of my own. Even then I had to special order a copy from a video vendor who I'd come to know and had success with in finding other relatively obscure "must haves." It took him several weeks of searching before he was able to get me a copy, and a previously viewed copy at that. Now a couple of hours on the "net would probably have the same results and at a better price too, but that was then.

Mind it was well worth the effort, and I can now enjoy it when the mood hits me. That's only a few times a year still, but the movie is so powerful that it enough. I did not even half to watch it again prior to writing this review. It has that kind of effect on one. Trust me on this one it's worth the effort to find and watch this one.

Heart is a Lonely Hunter tells the story of John Singer, played by Alan Arkin. Singer is a lonely and reserved man by both circumstance and it appears choice. He is a deaf mute, and that sets him aside from most of society. However one gets the impression that in many ways that is the way Singer prefers to have it.

The movie adapted from the novel by Carson Mcculler's. I have read the book, drawn to it after seeing the movie. This is a faithful adaptation true to the spirit of the book, and taking full advantage of the differences in this medium.

Arkin portrays the lead character masterfully, and it is readily apparent why he received an Oscar nomination, his second. John Singer is a man of great dignity and perhaps buried deep within him deep passion as well. Arkin conveys all this while remaining true to the character. Not able to speak it is all done through body language, gestures, and the reactions to those around him. His joys, and there are a few simple ones, and his frustrations, and there are many of those, are all conveyed to the audience.

As the tale opens John Singer has only one true friend and companion, Spiro Antonapoulos. Spiro is played by the comic actor Chuck McCann in a role well out of the norm for him. While Singer is intelligent, and articulate despite his handicap, Spiro is not. He too is a deaf mute, but he is also retarded.

Spiro is nominally in the care of a relative, who neither wants, nor can handle this responsibility. When he again incurs the wrath of the law with some petty vandalism of which he is of course unaware he has done, his relatives choose to have him committed. Singer offers to become his friend's companion to save him from this fate.

The bureaucracy though is slow and unforgiving and Spiro is shipped off to the State Mental Hospital, at least until Singer can obtain legal custody over him. Singer decides to move to a town closer to the hospital to make it easier to see his friend. "It's not as if you have anything holding you here is it" his lawyer remarks.

Singer soon establishes himself in his new town, at least as far as he will allow himself to do so. It is here the story really begins. The story of John Singer is really the story of those he meets and has a positive effect on. He is a magnet for lost souls who drift to him and become the better for it. It is also a tale set in a rather turbulent time. The Southern States in the 1960's.

He finds a job, he is an engraver by trade, and seeks a place to live. This brings him into contact with Mick. Mick is a adolescent girl ably played by Sondra Locke in her film debut. She too was nominated for a Academy Award for her performance here. It is a shame that this would be the high point of her career, before sinking back into a series of "B" movies and then becoming "Mrs. Clint Eastwood" both on and off screen.

Mick is on the verge of womanhood. It is a point in her life that is difficult for her, and has been made more so. The reason that Singer becomes the boarder in Mick's family's house is simple. They have no money. Her father injured can no longer work, and they are forced to make sacrifices, including renting out her room to a stranger.

Mick naturally resents this and at first is antagonistic towards Singer. That slowly changes though. Circumstances have denied Mick of many things, including the simple pleasures of life. Through Singer she is able to experience a few of them. She sees herself as a thinker, an intellectual, stifled by her family, and surroundings. Singer becomes the conduit to this life that she only could imagine from afar before.

Singer has an affect on all those he meets. The town drunk, a drifter and a self destructive man played by Stacy Keach, also in his screen debut, is one other such lost soul. He has been written off by society as just another person who doesn't count. Singer sees through that and discovers underneath an intelligent and passionate man who just needs to believe in something again. Through Singer he does, although briefly.

Singer also through his association with Keach's character, comes into contact with another lost soul. Percy Rodrigues plays a local Doctor with demons of his own. He is Black, and while his position has made him a pillar of his own community, this is a separated society that he lives in.

He is a proud man. He has conciously chosen to hate and distrust all whites, perhaps in response to the way he himself has been treated. He also has domestic problems that because of his views escalate throughout the film. He becomes estranged from his daughter played by Cicely Tyson.
She shares his attributes of strong willed conviction even though their stances differ.

Finally he harbours a deep secret, that ironically only Singer has become aware of. It is through his association with John Singer, a man he has trained himself to hate that he will learn to confront his demons before it is too late.

All of those he touches are affected in some way by John Singer. As the film reaches it's conclusion it becomes evident what the outcome will be. It is a tragic ending, but it is not a surprise. Both Locke's and Rodrigues' characters sum it up best in the final scene. "We brought all our problems and troubles to him and not once stopped to consider his."

Heart is a Lonely Hunter deals with some powerful themes. Poverty, and it's crushing effects on the dreams of the young affected by it, as reality is forced to the fore front. Racism, the civil rights movement of the 1960's, and the local reaction to it. Most importantly though is how we as a society choose to deal with the disenfranchised among us.

Whether those disenfranchised are perceived as such due to their financial or social standing, their ethnic heritage, or a physical or emotional "shortcoming" or handicap, we are forced to deal with them here. The manner in which they are presented is well thought out, and compassionate even. That makes it no less forceful.

I once read a review that suggested that there may be a special relationship between Singer and Spiro, or at least an implied one. That they were not just friends, but lovers as well. It also suggested that this may have applied to a lesser extent to the other male characters such as the drifter played by Keach as well.

To be honest I can find no basis for this. Even if it were so it would really not have impacted upon the story at all. Singer's sexual orientation while certainly a part of who is and an important one, is not really relevant here. Besides if this were the case why did the filmmaker's try and "hide" it.

The film deals forcefully with those other issues that were not really part of main stream entertaining "family movies" at that time, racism and how society treated those with handicaps. Why then balk at a chance to deal with society's perceptions of homosexuals as well.

The film is beautifully filmed, taking full advantage of the setting. It was filmed on location in Selma Alabama, although the actual setting is left rather vague in the movie. From the opening aerial sequences over the small southern town it is a treasure to watch. Kudos to Director Robert Ellis Miller for his attention to detail.

The musical score is also well done. It is subtle and you are not really aware of the effect it has in enhancing the action on the screen but it is there. That I find is what makes the perfect score,one that is effective without one beiong really aware of it

The story of John Singer is a powerful one. Perhaps out poor world would be a better place if there were more John Singers in it. That is of course were we to truly appreciate such souls.

This review is part of the Over 40 Write off sponsored by Brenda Metcalf, Artbyjude, and one of absolute favourite persons in our cyber consumer community Virginia, better known as Granniemose. The other participants are listed below. Please give a look at some of their talented entries. The rules of the write off and links to the entries may be found on Brenda's profile page.


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