Product: Shadows [VHS] (1959)
Rating: 4.0
Out from the Shadows
Cassavetes was just warming up when he made this in the late '50s, but what a debut! He'd have better actors and more focused scenes in future movies, but the willingness to tackle intense subjects in unexpected ways is already here in full force. Race isn't so much the issue in "Shadows" as it is an occasion for exploring a whole range of folks uncomfortable in their own skins, from the 'racist' lover who wants Lelia back to the goofy hoods in Ben's gang. Cassavetes is especially sensitive to the way that people who are forced to conform to any of society's ideas--about the artist, the intellectual or the racial outsider--can be violent in turn towards others. A great taste of the films to come!