LOLLY-MADONNA XXX (1973)

Title: LOLLY-MADONNA XXX (Alternate titles: THE LOLLY-MADONNA WAR, FIRE IN THE MEADOW)

Year of Release: 1973

Director: Richard C. Sarafian

Genre: Drama

Synopsis: A long-standing feud between two farming families, the Gutshalls and the Feathers, reaches a tragic head in rural Tennessee.

Within a film history context: Movies about family feuds have been featured on various occasions in cinema history. One of the first was Charles Brabin's THE ADOPTED SON (1917). Concentrating upon the feud between two Tennessee families, along with the romance and drama there were some unexpected surprises. Another documented film dealing with family feuds was ACROSS THE DEADLINE (1922), directed by Jack Conway. In this movie, two brothers are divided along moral lines, and their differences cause untold problems for their families. John G. Blystone and Buster Keaton's OUR HOSPITALITY (1923) was less serious in its execution, being a comedy. Set in the 1830s, a long-running family feud between two clans is reactivated when a man from one side falls for a young woman from the other family, not knowing her identity. A famous film of its time, and a box office success, it was a triumph for actor-director Buster Keaton. A possibly lost silent film, ACE OF ACTION (1926), directed by William Bertram, was about a feud between two families over a waterhole, and how an outsider becomes involved in this dispute, particularly with reference to his romance with a young female family member. Movies about family feuds continued into the sound era from the silent screen.

Alfred Hitchcock's THE SKIN GAME (1931) revolved around the feud between two families, one old money, the other new money, and how conflict over property bring these people nothing but unhappiness and dissension. Young love, and family feuds were the raison d'etre of THE GUILTY GENERATION (1931), directed by Rowland V. Lee. A feud between two Italian-American mobsters reaches a head when their offspring fall in love. Vengeance again played a role in Henry Hathaway's TO THE LAST MAN (1933). Two Kentucky families fight over a murder, and budding love between two members of the warring clans. A more humorous take on family feuds was served by IN OLD KENTUCKY (1935), directed by George Marshall. As with TO THE LAST MAN, the film featured two battling Kentucky families, but differed in that the feud was to be settled by a horse race between both clans. It was mainly notable as the final film of Will Rogers, and released after his death. Much more intense was George Cukor's ROMEO AND JULIET (1936). The oft-told story of two warring aristocratic families, and a romance between two members of these clans, featured Leslie Howard, and Norma Shearer, in the titular roles of the tragic lovers. Into the 1940s, more films employed the feuding family theme in various ways.

Programmer BEYOND THE PECOS (1945), directed by Lambert Hillyer, followed two clans coming to loggerheads over the discovery of oil on ranch land, coupled with two male members of each family seeking the love of a woman. Brian Desmond Hurst's HUNGRY HILL (1947) was of a similar persuasion, this time set in Ireland, with two Irish families battling over a copper mine. In contrast, THE GAL WHO TOOK THE WEST (1949), directed by Frederick De Cordova, set in the Wild West, concerned itself with a feud between two cousins from one family over a woman. This alternated from the many movies on the topic where conflict occurred between members of different families. On the other hand, Irving Reis and Nicholas Ray's ROSEANNA MCCOY (1949) dealt with the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud, particularly focusing upon the romance of the eponymous character with Johnse Hatfield, which caused further discord between the families. The 1950s and beyond also had several notable movies about family feuds.

VENGEANCE ALLEY (1951), directed by Richard Thorpe, concentrated upon two men from the same Colorado family, one a biological son, the other adopted, and how they cross swords concerning their father's cattle empire. The feud of the Montagues and the Capulets was again brought to the screen in Renato Castellani's ROMEO AND JULIET (1954). The classic love story was shot in Technicolor in this incarnation, and starred Laurence Harvey, and Susan Shentall in the lead roles. As with previous entries such as ACE OF ACTION and HUNGRY HILL, THE BIG COUNTRY (1958), directed by William Wyler, dealt with two families sparring over land, and how a sailor becomes embroiled in this quarrel. Franco Zeffirelli's ROMEO AND JULIET (1968) was yet another telling of the story of two ill-fated lovers, and family feud, but a movie that captured the mood of the times, making its creators a healthy profit. In the 1968 version Romeo was played by Leonard Whiting, with Olivia Hussey as Juliet. A lighter touch could be found in ANGEL IN MY POCKET (1969), directed by Alan Rafkin. A new pastor in a small town church finds that its founders, being two families, have been feuding for years over anything to do with it, the pastor discovering a way to bring the opposing members to unite. LOLLY-MADONNA XXX contained elements of many of the previous films about family feuds, and took these in completely different directions.

As with the vast majority of films with a family feud at their core, the conflict in LOLLY-MADONNA XXX is between two opposing families, similar to THE ADOPTED SON, BEYOND THE PECOS, TO THE LAST MAN, THE BIG COUNTRY, and others with a rural setting. The wounds are deep for both sides, with much heavy emotional torment present for the characters. Generally the sore point is a battle over land, coupled with romantic entanglements between a member from each family, which in most cases boil over dramatically. Disagreements over land propels much of LOLLY-MADONNA XXX, which brings about death and despair to both sides. In terms of romance, where this film differs is that one of the marriages between two members of opposing families ended prematurely with an accidental death. The death of a daughter-in-law is something that weighed down upon a patriarch, and causes him to finally lose his mind, and kill his son. This attention to characters' complex internal psychological motivations takes the film far and away from the more simplistic situations of entries such as IN OLD KENTUCKY, with its cheerier setup, which does not as such delve deeply into why its characters do what they do. Other features of LOLLY-MADONNA XXX are also worthy of analysis.

Another distinguishing factor of many family feud movies is that the smallest of events can cause a meltdown between both families that brings thoughts, and acts of retaliation to the surface. This is what LOLLY-MADONNA XXX has in common with its predecessors, such as OUR HOSPITALITY. In the case of LOLLY-MADONNA XXX, a faux letter sent from the member of one family, to the other family is the impetus for action, and an innocent young woman, mistaken for the party who wrote the letter, is drawn into the fray. Outsiders brought into conflicts without their consent is something the film shares with ANGEL IN THEIR POCKET. In LOLLY-MADONNA XXX one is given access to Roonie Gill's view about the feud, and how she is essentially powerless to be able to do much to bring about a change in this family feud. The positioning of Roonie in the movie is akin to the viewer wishing to intervene in the feud, and bring about peace between both sides, but being unable to despite her/the viewer's best intentions. This is just one of the factors which makes LOLLY-MADONNA XXX such an incisive, powerful experience. A great addition to movies about family feuds, LOLLY-MADONNA XXX stands out for its vigorous, sincere presentation.

Overview: Richard C. Sarafian was an American director with fifteen films to his credit over a twenty-eight year period. He made a mixture of movies with a leaning toward action and adventure films, but with a thoughtful twist which gave them depth. His first motion picture, TERROR AT BLACK FALLS (1962) was a western about a Mexican gunman whose son was lynched for a crime not of his doing, the gunman subsequently jailed, but plotting revenge once free from jail. Mr Sarafian's next film, ANDY (1965) was the touching story of an intellectually challenged man, and the difficulties both he, and his parents experience in life. At the inception of the 1970s came FRAGMENT OF FEAR (1970). This suspense story of a man becoming enmeshed in the murder investigation of his aunt in Italy starred David Hemmings in the lead role, and Flora Robson as his aunt. One of Richard Sarafian's most-remembered works was VANISHING POINT (1971). The story of a drugged, shady ex-policeman who takes to the road in cars, hotly pursued by the police force, and encountering others along the way, it was an action-packed, profitable film whose reputation has grown considerably over the years. Mr Sarafian next tackled a western, MAN IN THE WILDERNESS (1971), which was about a fur-trapper in 1820s United States and his tenuous story of survival, and heartbreak. He followed this with another western, THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING (1973). A widower in the American West falls for a woman fleeing from her cruel husband, and the film charts their relationship, and the many obstacles they face in being together. 

SUNBURN (1979) was a comedy vehicle for Farrah Fawcett, about a private eye investigating the death of a man in Mexico, and enlisting the assistance of a woman in this mission, but things are not as they seem. THE BEAR (1984) was the biography of real-life football coach Paul Bryant, nicknamed 'Bear', who presided as coach of the University of Alabama's football team, with Gary Busey in the lead role. Completely different in tone was EYE OF THE TIGER (1986). Again starring Gary Busey in the main part, it was about a Vietnam War veteran, just released from jail, who discovers a motorcycle gang wreaking havoc in his town, and decides to do something about this, with violent results. Similarly action-oriented was Richard Sarafian's penultimate film, STREET JUSTICE (1987). A CIA agent, as with the protagonist of EYE OF THE TIGER, returns home to find things different, this time to ensure the safety of his wife from an unscrupulous, power-hungry family who dominate the town. Mr Sarafian's final movie, SOLAR CRISIS (1990) was a foray into science-fiction territory, with an astronaut seeking to avert a solar flare causing untold damage to the earth by planting a bomb on the sun, but encountering many difficulties. LOLLY-MADONNA XXX was Richard Sarafian's seventh motion picture, and one of his best movies.

Mr Sarafian has crafted a captivating, thought-provoking film with LOLLY-MADONNA XXX. The story of two feuding families in rural Tennessee has received potent, sympathetic treatment from its director. While, at first glance, the reason for the reignited feud between the Gutshall, and Feather families, being a faux letter sent from one family to the other, subsequently drawing a stranger into the fray, may seem far-fetched, the director, writers, and his cast make it work beautifully. Viewers are offered an intimate glimpse into the two core families, and one discovers what makes them tick, their idiosyncratic quirks, which make them all the more real. All the little details and events add up over the course of the movie, leading the spectator to feel for the outcome of its characters. Pacing is excellent, unrushed, but never sluggish. In this respect, scenes are fully-formed and satisfying, giving the viewer sufficient information without overkill. In addition to this, further facets of the movie are worthy of discussion.

LOLLY-MADONNA XXX is also pleasingly subtle in its other areas. Promotional material, such as the film's poster, may lead one to believe that LOLLY-MADONNA XXX is a bloodthirsty, 'shoot-em-up' type of story, with a heavy exploitation appeal, but the execution of the narrative is anything but amoral or vindictive. The violent content occurs in a naturalistic manner, informed by character passions and actions, without ever being over the top or gory. It is not the type of film whereby the deaths are treated in a cartoonish manner, and people dropping like flies in an inhumane way. Everything is always backed up by the story and its characters, and the death scenes themselves are not detailed or gratuitous. The camera does not linger in these moments too long, which is a credit to the movie as a whole. This one tendency lifts LOLLY-MADONNA XXX into a more artistic, nuanced realm of motion pictures. 

In a related manner, the mood of LOLLY-MADONNA XXX is somber and pensive, a quietly suspenseful atmosphere which works. There is the keen impression that the participants in the feud, being the two families, are uncomfortable with it, despite the appearance of drawing guns at a moment's notice. The photographs which are featured of both families at the beginning, and end of the movie give the impression that they were somewhat friendly at various stages, but events occurred which soured that relationship. This gives the film a bittersweet, tragic aura that makes its characters all the more intricate, and definitely not gun toting, violent hillbillies. A great film which deftly explores themes of family, loyalty, and honor, LOLLY-MADONNA XXX is a movie that shows off its director's abilities to excellent effect.

Acting: LOLLY-MADONNA XXX has an illustrious cast of veterans and younger actors who all perform admirably. The director has extracted performances from an ensemble who have been utilized excellently, with everyone showcased in a balanced manner. The movie is headlined by Rod Steiger as Laban, patriarch of the Feather family. In another great performance, Mr Steiger makes his Laban a character who is not a cardboard villain, but someone who believes that what he is doing is right. Mr Steiger, especially in his final scenes, makes the viewer feel sympathy toward him, despite a particularly nefarious act. As Laban's foe Pap Gutshall, Robert Ryan shows why he was one of the best-ever actors from Classic Hollywood. With his square jaw, intense gaze, and unflappable demeanor, Mr Ryan is utterly convincing as the determined Pap. As wife Elspeth, Tresa Hughes has many fine moments, especially the revealing scenes with Joan Goodfellow as daughter Sister E, where events are inferred, but powerfully presented. Kiel Martin supercharges passion as Ludie Gutshall, the trigger-happy eldest son in the family. An actor who brought excitement and danger to the movie, the handsome Mr Martin is a performer gone too soon before one could see further excellent interpretations. Jeff Bridges brings another memorable character to life as Zack Feather in the movie. With his distinctive voice and all-out sincerity, Mr Bridges makes his transition from pacifist, to protector of his family, with ease and credibility. As his love interest, Season Hubley makes an auspicious debut as Roonie Gill, the young woman caught in the crossfire between the two warring families. An attractive actress perfectly cast as the foil in the film, she does very well as the empathetic, sensitive Roonie. Six other actors also do marvelous work in LOLLY-MADONNA XXX.

Ed Lauter, as Hawk Feather, with his bald pate and flashing eyes, does wonders as the man with aspirations of being a rock star. A distinctive-looking actor, he is given many opportunities in both comic, and dramatic moments, and pulls all of these off with élan. As Sister E Gutshall, Joan Goodfellow, in her film debut, is another striking actress. An actress who struck gold as Billie in 1974's BUSTER AND BILLIE, here she is equally commanding, as the quiet young woman who seems to attract both attention, and trouble. With her cold-eyed stare and quiet disposition, which say more than any dialogue could, she is excellent in the first of her three screen roles. Scott Wilson, as Thrush Feather, shares some amazing scenes with Rod Steiger which propel the movie in its final stages. An actor with a friendly visage that makes him suitable for villainous roles, he is likewise admirable. As the youngest Feather son Finch, Randy Quaid is masterful. As with Joan Goodfellow, he is given a dearth of dialogue in the film, but his body language, and facial expressions say it all as the quiet, perceptive Finch. Another striking character portrait is by the reliable Gary Busey as Zeb Gutshall. With his trademark smile and singular easy-going ways, Mr Busey creates yet another affecting screen portrayal, making his exit in the movie shocking to witness. The final acting of note in LOLLY-MADONNA XXX was by Paul Koslo as Villum Gutshall. Specialising in playing characters on the edges of society, such as in WELCOME HOME SOLDIER BOYS, Mr Koslo is superlative even though he does not have as much screen time as other performers, his final scenes a tour-de-force.

Soundtrack: The musical theme of LOLLY-MADONNA XXX, composed by Fred Myrow, is a brilliant, moody, quiet piece that formidably complements what is taking place onscreen. Played at both the beginning, and end of the film, it perfectly sums up the contemplative, sad tone which LOLLY-MADONNA XXX expresses so well. Incidental music played at various intervals, such as the thoughtful scenes between Zach and Roonie, is always well-judged, never upstaging the visuals.

Mise-en-scene: LOLLY-MADONNA XXX has meticulous attention to detail in its mise-en-scene. Cinematography by Philip Lathrop is beautiful, with just the right amount of colour without becoming washed out. This is particularly effective in highlighting the landscapes, and homes of the film's core families, lending the movie a subtle touch which is in keeping with the somber tone throughout. Set decoration by James Payne is another striking feature of the film. The homes of the Gutshall, and Feather families are where the majority of the action occurs, and these exude a country atmosphere in their styling. The sets seem as if people lived there in actuality, which is a testament to My Payne's hard work. Aside from this, the use of black and white photographs of both families at the beginning, and conclusion of the movie, is a splendid move. It allows the audience to compare their perceptions of the characters, what has occurred in the film from start to finish, and what they have learned after watching LOLLY-MADONNA XXX unfold.

Notable Acting Performances: Rod Steiger, Robert Ryan, Tresa Hughes, Kiel Martin, Jeff Bridges, Season Hubley, Ed Lauter, Joan Goodfellow, Scott Wilson, Randy Quaid, Gary Busey, Paul Koslo.

Suitability for young viewers: No. Infrequent coarse language, brief female nudity, adult themes, high-level violence.

Overall Grade: A

Link: IMDB Page