Year of Release: 1977
Director: Richard Brooks
Genre: Drama
Synopsis: A sign language teacher for deaf children has a contrary nightlife of sexuality and drugs which leads to her downfall.
Within a film history context: Character studies which feature a female character indulging in promiscuous sexual behaviour have been spotlighted many times in cinema history. One of the first was the theatrical, moralistic classic MADAME X. Filmed for the first time on American shores in 1916, it was remade many times in 1920, 1929, 1937 and, the most glamorous version being David Lowell Rich's in 1966. Depicting a woman's rise and fall from grace into despair and poverty, it shared a cautionary tone that later films also possessed. Movies in the 1930s also depicted female sexual promiscuity in a similar manner, some released before the American Hays Code for films had fully come into effect.
George Fitzmaurice's STRANGERS MAY KISS (1931) had Norma Shearer as a woman electing to live with her lover despite disapproval from friends. BABY FACE (1933), directed by Alfred Green, was another racy drama racy for its day, with a woman using her feminine wiles to rise to the top of the heap at a bank by using its male employees. The Hays Code era drama OF HUMAN BONDAGE (1934), directed by John Cromwell and starring Bette Davis, was a telling exploration of a waitress who causes emotional damage to the life of a young man. Moving into the 1940s, the big budget FOREVER AMBER (1947), helmed by Otto Preminger and John M. Stahl, was the story of a young woman who uses her considerable charms to rise in society, but with the consequent loss of true love. It was controversial upon its release for the actions of its main character, and the implications of these, but was highly bowdlerized on screen in retrospect. As cinema progressed into the 1950s, increasingly daring portraits of female sexual promiscuity appeared on screen.
Dorothy Malone's role as a woman of many unspeakable passions was another excellent performance, giving Douglas Sirk's WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956) spice and allure. The 1960s brought franker portrayals of promiscuity and its pitfalls examined by filmmakers. A most notable, but also successful entry in the genre was Elizabeth Taylor's Oscar-winning turn as a prostitute in Daniel Mann's BUTTERFIELD 8 (1960). Julie Christie in John Schlesinger's DARLING (1965), and Michael Sarne's JOANNA (1968) had young women of varying character in Swinging London exploring themselves, and their desires, in a more open manner than previous films. The breakdown of censorship in the US, and elsewhere in the world, had a major effect on depictions of sexuality on screen. Heretofore taboo subjects were now largely able to be presented on screen in both Hollywood, and exploitation movies.
EMMANUELLE (1974), directed by Just Jaeckin, was a soft-core porn film entry by a major studio that spawned many sequels and imitators. It was a young woman's initiation into sexuality in Bangkok, and a financial, if not a critical success. Unlike the other films which took a moral or emotional ground, EMMANUELLE was mainly concerned with sex, but not its consequences on people and relationships. While there were many films in the 1970s which dealt with female sexual promiscuity in a haphazard or comical manner, mainly without depth, LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR greatly differed from these movies. It is possibly the most trenchant, honest examination of female sexual promiscuity ever captured on film, pulling no punches. While the movie does contain some idiosyncratic moments of fantasy and telegraphing of narrative events, these do not detract from the film's power, only giving greater access to the protagonist's state of mind. While it could be argued that LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR shares the exploitation elements of nudity and violence that lesser motion pictures of its kind possess, it utilizes these elements in a way more effective manner to illustrate its character's life, and not as shallow, tacky spectacles.
Within a film history context: Character studies which feature a female character indulging in promiscuous sexual behaviour have been spotlighted many times in cinema history. One of the first was the theatrical, moralistic classic MADAME X. Filmed for the first time on American shores in 1916, it was remade many times in 1920, 1929, 1937 and, the most glamorous version being David Lowell Rich's in 1966. Depicting a woman's rise and fall from grace into despair and poverty, it shared a cautionary tone that later films also possessed. Movies in the 1930s also depicted female sexual promiscuity in a similar manner, some released before the American Hays Code for films had fully come into effect.
George Fitzmaurice's STRANGERS MAY KISS (1931) had Norma Shearer as a woman electing to live with her lover despite disapproval from friends. BABY FACE (1933), directed by Alfred Green, was another racy drama racy for its day, with a woman using her feminine wiles to rise to the top of the heap at a bank by using its male employees. The Hays Code era drama OF HUMAN BONDAGE (1934), directed by John Cromwell and starring Bette Davis, was a telling exploration of a waitress who causes emotional damage to the life of a young man. Moving into the 1940s, the big budget FOREVER AMBER (1947), helmed by Otto Preminger and John M. Stahl, was the story of a young woman who uses her considerable charms to rise in society, but with the consequent loss of true love. It was controversial upon its release for the actions of its main character, and the implications of these, but was highly bowdlerized on screen in retrospect. As cinema progressed into the 1950s, increasingly daring portraits of female sexual promiscuity appeared on screen.
Dorothy Malone's role as a woman of many unspeakable passions was another excellent performance, giving Douglas Sirk's WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956) spice and allure. The 1960s brought franker portrayals of promiscuity and its pitfalls examined by filmmakers. A most notable, but also successful entry in the genre was Elizabeth Taylor's Oscar-winning turn as a prostitute in Daniel Mann's BUTTERFIELD 8 (1960). Julie Christie in John Schlesinger's DARLING (1965), and Michael Sarne's JOANNA (1968) had young women of varying character in Swinging London exploring themselves, and their desires, in a more open manner than previous films. The breakdown of censorship in the US, and elsewhere in the world, had a major effect on depictions of sexuality on screen. Heretofore taboo subjects were now largely able to be presented on screen in both Hollywood, and exploitation movies.
EMMANUELLE (1974), directed by Just Jaeckin, was a soft-core porn film entry by a major studio that spawned many sequels and imitators. It was a young woman's initiation into sexuality in Bangkok, and a financial, if not a critical success. Unlike the other films which took a moral or emotional ground, EMMANUELLE was mainly concerned with sex, but not its consequences on people and relationships. While there were many films in the 1970s which dealt with female sexual promiscuity in a haphazard or comical manner, mainly without depth, LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR greatly differed from these movies. It is possibly the most trenchant, honest examination of female sexual promiscuity ever captured on film, pulling no punches. While the movie does contain some idiosyncratic moments of fantasy and telegraphing of narrative events, these do not detract from the film's power, only giving greater access to the protagonist's state of mind. While it could be argued that LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR shares the exploitation elements of nudity and violence that lesser motion pictures of its kind possess, it utilizes these elements in a way more effective manner to illustrate its character's life, and not as shallow, tacky spectacles.
Overview: Richard Brooks had a reputation as a tough director, and this was exemplified in the choice of works he helmed on screen. A generalist, he took on varied projects over the course of his thirty-five year career, and directed twenty-four movies. He made his debut with 1950's CRISIS, a crime drama with Cary Grant, and made notable films such as THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS (1954), a romance, and 1955's acclaimed THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, an exploration of racism in a high school. He also tackled romance in THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV (1958), with its Russian 1870s setting, and also the steamy melodrama CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (1958) with Elizabeth Taylor. More successful films followed such as ELMER GANTRY (1960), and action in THE PROFESSIONALS (1966). Mr Brooks again produced crime drama with IN COLD BLOOD (1967), and a woman's picture with wife Jean Simmons, THE HAPPY ENDING (1969).
LOOKING FOR MR GOODBAR was Mr Brooks' twenty-second film, coming at the end of his career, but also, one of his best, most distinctive motion pictures. Richard Brooks had previously directed strong female characters in many of his other movies, namely Elizabeth Taylor in both THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS and CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, Jean Simmons in THE HAPPY ENDING, and Geraldine Page in SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH (1962). Things were no different with LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR, where Mr Brooks again tackled a film with a complicated, multifaceted female protagonist, this time played by Diane Keaton.
Mr Brooks has adapted author Judith Rossner's novel to the screen, based on a true story, of a sign language teacher who has a florid nightlife, consisting of sex with strangers and drug use, but, who has a terrible end. The director has made a film which is uncompromising in the treatment of its story and characters, and to some viewers this may be a turn-off, while to others a realistic move by the director. LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR is an explicit movie in terms of its sexual content, language, and drug use by the characters. It does not hold back in these areas, with nudity often showcased in many scenes. The director, though, has utilized these features in a specific manner to vividly bring to life the life, loves, and death of Theresa Quinn. It is every bit an adult film in its intentions and delivery, not for light viewing.
The director has made definite contrasts between the lives, in the plural sense, of its protagonist Theresa. On the one hand there is her family life, with a religious father who does not agree with Theresa on the value of her 'liberation', on the other is her nightlife filled with handsome but dangerous men, drug use, and other forms of licence. There is another opposition present in the film between these incarnations, and her life as a sign language teacher. The scenes in the school, and Theresa's interest in a young girl from her class, are the most beautiful in LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR. They paint a portrait of a gifted young woman caught in a life which she does not fully understand, despite seeming aware of the pitfalls in some of her most lucid moments. Mr Brooks capably presents all of these without being preachy, allowing the camera to capture the characters, freely allowing the viewer to make up their minds about Theresa's life. In many times in the movie, though, and especially in the final reel, spectators are helpless to change the course of Theresa's fate.
The director has succeeded in fashioning a film that was relevant at the time of its release, especially with the sexual revolution taking place in the 1970s, and, the notoriety of being based upon a tragic real-life event. It was a harrowing and thoughtful experience when it first appeared on screen, and it has retained punch and impact many years after its release. While it is mainly remembered for the ferocity of its final scenes, this is effectively downgrading the film as a whole. These scenes have more power than any slasher exploitation movie could muster with their low intentions and presentation. LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR should also be noted for its unflinching honesty, and the director's courage in bringing it to the screen in the first place.
LOOKING FOR MR GOODBAR was Mr Brooks' twenty-second film, coming at the end of his career, but also, one of his best, most distinctive motion pictures. Richard Brooks had previously directed strong female characters in many of his other movies, namely Elizabeth Taylor in both THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS and CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, Jean Simmons in THE HAPPY ENDING, and Geraldine Page in SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH (1962). Things were no different with LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR, where Mr Brooks again tackled a film with a complicated, multifaceted female protagonist, this time played by Diane Keaton.
Mr Brooks has adapted author Judith Rossner's novel to the screen, based on a true story, of a sign language teacher who has a florid nightlife, consisting of sex with strangers and drug use, but, who has a terrible end. The director has made a film which is uncompromising in the treatment of its story and characters, and to some viewers this may be a turn-off, while to others a realistic move by the director. LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR is an explicit movie in terms of its sexual content, language, and drug use by the characters. It does not hold back in these areas, with nudity often showcased in many scenes. The director, though, has utilized these features in a specific manner to vividly bring to life the life, loves, and death of Theresa Quinn. It is every bit an adult film in its intentions and delivery, not for light viewing.
The director has made definite contrasts between the lives, in the plural sense, of its protagonist Theresa. On the one hand there is her family life, with a religious father who does not agree with Theresa on the value of her 'liberation', on the other is her nightlife filled with handsome but dangerous men, drug use, and other forms of licence. There is another opposition present in the film between these incarnations, and her life as a sign language teacher. The scenes in the school, and Theresa's interest in a young girl from her class, are the most beautiful in LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR. They paint a portrait of a gifted young woman caught in a life which she does not fully understand, despite seeming aware of the pitfalls in some of her most lucid moments. Mr Brooks capably presents all of these without being preachy, allowing the camera to capture the characters, freely allowing the viewer to make up their minds about Theresa's life. In many times in the movie, though, and especially in the final reel, spectators are helpless to change the course of Theresa's fate.
The director has succeeded in fashioning a film that was relevant at the time of its release, especially with the sexual revolution taking place in the 1970s, and, the notoriety of being based upon a tragic real-life event. It was a harrowing and thoughtful experience when it first appeared on screen, and it has retained punch and impact many years after its release. While it is mainly remembered for the ferocity of its final scenes, this is effectively downgrading the film as a whole. These scenes have more power than any slasher exploitation movie could muster with their low intentions and presentation. LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR should also be noted for its unflinching honesty, and the director's courage in bringing it to the screen in the first place.
Acting: The acting in LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR bolsters the movie to a significant degree. In the lead role of Theresa Dunn, Diane Keaton does an exceptional job in an extremely difficult role. Moving way beyond her usual genial film persona with this character, Miss Keaton makes Theresa Dunn one of the most complex female characters ever presented on celluloid; a tragic, but fascinating figure at the same time. She makes Theresa's utterly contrasting day, and night lifestyles/transformations believable and utterly compelling. Miss Keaton is ably supported by the remaining actors who also paint realistic characters in LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR.
Tuesday Weld, as Theresa's older sister Katherine, does a marvellous job in the movie. Miss Weld's distinctive, squeaky voice is used to great effect here, showing her confusion with her life, being in a similar predicament to Theresa, but expressing this in a different, more comical, manner. Both of these actors are three-dimensional in their portrayals, the same applying for other actors in LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR. In his role as Theresa and Katherine's father, Richard Kiley shares some strong scenes with Diane Keaton, his the sole voice raising concerns about his daughter's lifestyle. Never allowing his character to become tiring for the viewer, Mr Kiley does wonders with his religious, fervent, alpha male father figure. The other male characters in the film can be examined for how different they are to Mr Dunn in the film.
Richard Gere, as Theresa's come and go lover Tony Lo Pinto, offers an energetic and eclectic performance in LOOKING FOR MR.GOODBAR. His entertainingly hyper personality brings a note of humour to the film in the most unexpected of moments. Mr Gere's electric persona makes him the perfect morally ambiguous rogue to Diane Keaton's Theresa in her most sensual, but also, sensible moments. On the other hand LeVar Burton, with a dearth of dialogue, makes an impact with his supporting character Cap Jackson, the brother of a young deaf girl Theresa teaches at her school. Using mainly his eyes and uttering only a few several sentences, Mr Burton does a fine job as the intuitive, protective Cap. Cap is the only male character in the film to see Theresa in a more giving, dignified light, without concentrating upon her sexuality, which is something the remaining male characters share as a trait.
Tom Berenger, as Theresa's final lover Gary, is the most striking male performance in the movie. It is interesting to note Mr Berenger's non-verbal cues in the film, especially at the end of the Parade scene, sulky voice, and sad pout. His body is akin to a tight elastic band swaying in the wind that will snap at any moment, and his voice suggests deep emotional scars. Mr Berenger's excellent acting informs the audience that his character is suffering deeply, and that Gary's actions at the very end, while horrific and drug-induced, are borne out of confusion with his sexuality, being both his homosexual, and heterosexual desires.
Tuesday Weld, as Theresa's older sister Katherine, does a marvellous job in the movie. Miss Weld's distinctive, squeaky voice is used to great effect here, showing her confusion with her life, being in a similar predicament to Theresa, but expressing this in a different, more comical, manner. Both of these actors are three-dimensional in their portrayals, the same applying for other actors in LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR. In his role as Theresa and Katherine's father, Richard Kiley shares some strong scenes with Diane Keaton, his the sole voice raising concerns about his daughter's lifestyle. Never allowing his character to become tiring for the viewer, Mr Kiley does wonders with his religious, fervent, alpha male father figure. The other male characters in the film can be examined for how different they are to Mr Dunn in the film.
Richard Gere, as Theresa's come and go lover Tony Lo Pinto, offers an energetic and eclectic performance in LOOKING FOR MR.GOODBAR. His entertainingly hyper personality brings a note of humour to the film in the most unexpected of moments. Mr Gere's electric persona makes him the perfect morally ambiguous rogue to Diane Keaton's Theresa in her most sensual, but also, sensible moments. On the other hand LeVar Burton, with a dearth of dialogue, makes an impact with his supporting character Cap Jackson, the brother of a young deaf girl Theresa teaches at her school. Using mainly his eyes and uttering only a few several sentences, Mr Burton does a fine job as the intuitive, protective Cap. Cap is the only male character in the film to see Theresa in a more giving, dignified light, without concentrating upon her sexuality, which is something the remaining male characters share as a trait.
Tom Berenger, as Theresa's final lover Gary, is the most striking male performance in the movie. It is interesting to note Mr Berenger's non-verbal cues in the film, especially at the end of the Parade scene, sulky voice, and sad pout. His body is akin to a tight elastic band swaying in the wind that will snap at any moment, and his voice suggests deep emotional scars. Mr Berenger's excellent acting informs the audience that his character is suffering deeply, and that Gary's actions at the very end, while horrific and drug-induced, are borne out of confusion with his sexuality, being both his homosexual, and heterosexual desires.
Soundtrack: The use of a saxaphone tune in the opening credits of LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR suggests sensuality and illicitness, teamed with the visuals of Theresa Dunn in various adult entertainment venue locations. The tone then shifts slightly in the credits with disco music of the era, most significantly Thelma Houston's 'Don't Leave Me This Way', which add dimension, and a flavourful sense of the 1970s to the film. The film overall has music in its most quiet moments, especially when Theresa is at her most thoughtful, and in the end credits, this complementing the visuals in an apt manner.
Mise-en-scene: The outdoor location filming and sets featured in LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR are well-chosen, adding an appropriate backdrop to the proceedings on screen. Many examples of the vivid nature of the mise-en-scene can be mentioned. First of all, the opening credits introduce the viewer to Theresa's nightlife in all its uninhibited glory, this repeated throughout the movie. The smoky bars that Theresa inhabits when picking up men, the gay bar she visits in a scene from the film, the outdoor New Year's Eve Parade with its assortment of characters in costume, to name a few, set the tone of the film in an excellent way. Theresa's small, dark apartment is akin to a hell's den, with its sparse furniture, and generally unkempt nature. Aside from these, the film has utilized its sets, and lighting, to make subtle comments about the central character and her lifestyle.
The nighttime scenes of Theresa trolling bars, visiting red-light districts and afore-mentioned areas, can be contrasted with the sequences of Theresa during the daytime hours. The scenes in the school are well-lit, with copious light entering through the windows of the classroom. There is the inference that Theresa is pure during the day, and in her element. This is where she also displays compassion to others, one of the film's most powerful points. Even the scenes in the black neighborhood are better illuminated than the nighttime scenes, where Theresa is still 'in the light', and fighting for her young black student. Production design is an excellent feature of LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR, and one of the reasons it stays in the memory after many years.
Award-worthy performances in my opinion: Diane Keaton, Tuesday Weld, Richard Kiley, Richard Gere, LeVar Burton, Tom Berenger.
The nighttime scenes of Theresa trolling bars, visiting red-light districts and afore-mentioned areas, can be contrasted with the sequences of Theresa during the daytime hours. The scenes in the school are well-lit, with copious light entering through the windows of the classroom. There is the inference that Theresa is pure during the day, and in her element. This is where she also displays compassion to others, one of the film's most powerful points. Even the scenes in the black neighborhood are better illuminated than the nighttime scenes, where Theresa is still 'in the light', and fighting for her young black student. Production design is an excellent feature of LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR, and one of the reasons it stays in the memory after many years.
Award-worthy performances in my opinion: Diane Keaton, Tuesday Weld, Richard Kiley, Richard Gere, LeVar Burton, Tom Berenger.
Suitability for young viewers: No. Frequent coarse language, male nudity, female nudity, adult themes, high-level violence.
Overall Grade: B
Link: IMDB Page
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