Advertisement
Our year-long Keeping the Score series continues on September 18th with a rarely seen classic from Robert Wise--I WANT TO LIVE!๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ง๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐: amblertheater.org/specials๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฒ: Susan Hayward gives a tour de force performance in this loosely biographical film about the life of habitual criminal Barbara โBloody Babsโ Graham. Expertly directed by Robert Wise (West Side Story, Sound of Music), the film traces the trajectory of her life as a petty criminal to a convicted murderer on death row in San Quentin. I WANT TO LIVE! satisfyingly walks the genre line of stylish film noir and provocative exploitation. Boasting six Academy Awards โ including a well-earned Best Actress statuette for Hayward.
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ: A conventional dramatic score would have proven entirely unsuitable for I WANT TO LIVE! and for Susan Haywardโs difficult, unapologetic performance. Composer Johnny Mandel, in his feature film debut, capitalizes on his strength with jazz to deliver an overwhelming and chaotic musical setting to underscore Barbara Grahamโs equally chaotic and unapologetic life. When the law finally comes down on Barbara, however, that jazzy score dissipates, appearing more sparsely as the protagonistโs freedom and future slip mercilessly away. Mandel shows how film music can express a characterโs core psychology in ways even the best scripts cannot quite achieve. He makes fully possible the viewerโs ability to see a frequently unlikable character with empathy and even sympathy.
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐: Be it a gentle piano interlude or a glorious orchestral fanfare, no element of filmcraft sets a movieโs tone and identity quite like the musical score. Film music has the power to underline a filmmakerโs narrative ideas, forge our bond to a heroic character, and move us to the point of tears. Join us all year long as we showcase cinemaโs iconic composers whose musical talents enrich the images we see on screen and have us humming their unforgettable melodies as we exit the auditorium. See what else is playing this year at amblertheater.org/score
Advertisement
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
108 E Butler Ave, Ambler, PA, United States, Pennsylvania 19002
Tickets
