"Picnic", Columbia Pictures, 1955. Directed by Joshua Logan, based on a play by William Inge. Starring William Holden, Kim Novak and Rosalind Russell. All photos and videos used solely for the purposes of review.
Apropos of nothing, the third installment in my slightly tongue-in-cheek classic movie review.
Recap: Sexual tensions ride high as handsome hobo Hal Carter joins the desperate women of a small Kansas town at the big Labour Day picnic.
Madge Owens has been crowned the Queen of Neewollah in a ceremony evocative of some pagan fertility ritual. Afterwards there's a dance along the waterfront pavilion. Nerdy Millie attempts to "shake her groove thang" as Hal shows her how it's done. As expected, Hal knows a thing or two about moving his body, but poor Millie can't quite get the hang of his rhythm. Watching from the staircase above, Madge gets in touch with Hal's dance and seizes the opportunity to horn-in on her little sister's date. Naturally Hal and Madge work their beautiful bods in perfect harmony. They share a sensuous dance to "Moonglow" and the hearts of women everywhere begin to melt. (Footnote: William Holden hated dancing and demanded $8000 "stunt" pay to perform this scene, thinking that would get him off the hook. The studio paid it and the rest is
history: the scene instantly became a romantic classic and "Moonglow" rocketed to the top of the charts that year.) The locals aren't too happy about it, though. Millie, annoyed that her sister has cut-in on her action and once again stolen the spotlight, is pissed. Finding Howard Bevans' whiskey bottle she quickly drowns her underage sorrows. Mrs. Owens isn't too thrilled to see Madge eschewing rich Alan for a homeless man. Mrs. Potts thinks it's pretty hot, though. And so does Rosemary Sydney, who is getting all hot & bothered watching Hal work it on the dance floor. And it seems Hal's got a little something for everyone... except Rosemary. In a jovial moment, Hal even takes Howard into his arms for a little dance. This is where the shit hits the fan.
In a jealous fit, perhaps fueled by homophobia, Rosemary puts an abrupt end to their dancing. She tries to lighten the mood with her drunken rambling. She pulls up Hal's pants, demanding to see his bare legs. Hal objects, she persists. Wedging herself into Hal's arms Rosemary lets her hands wander, and tells Hal that he looks like a statue or a Roman gladiator. She gets increasingly aggressive. Howard demands that Rosemary stop molesting Hal. In a lustful fit Rosemary tears off Hal's shirt. Hal looks victimized and ready to cry. Suddenly Millie appears, announcing that she's drunk then vomits on the spot. Alan arrives and demands to know that's going on. Half-naked Hal is too distraught to speak. Rosemary launches into a tirade equivalent to "he was asking for it" and hurls the blame for Millie's drunkenness and pretty much everything else on Hal because he's so good looking and thinks he's cock of the walk, so to speak. Effectively, it's his fault because he was "dressed provocatively", I guess. Eager to hear all the dirty details the townsfolk shine a spotlight on half-naked Hal and the whole sordid scene. Shamed and humiliated Hal runs off. Madge follows.
One interesting thing about "Picnic" is that it takes a lot of our common gender stereotypes and stands them on their head. If the tables were turned, and the genders in this film were reversed, Hal Carter could easily be a Marilyn Monroe sex-bomb type, or even a little Lolita. Consider what we would generally we think of the naive young ingenue; a vulnerable young female, usually either vacantly unaware of her power over the opposite sex and suffering unwanted attention, or otherwise as calculating and manipulative, exploiting her own feminine wiles for power or gain. Here it is Hal who takes the role of the ingenue, seemingly a victim of his own sexual magnetism. After seeing the sexual harassment he suffers from Rosemary Sydney we begin to see Hal as something of a victim of his own carnality. Suddenly that outrageous tale of the "Thelma & Louise" thieves in the sports car doesn't seem so preposterous. Of course, Hal is a bit dim-witted, but we begin to question his motives: Is he a drifter because he's a manipulative gigolo? Or is he a victim of the judgements people make about him based on his appearance? Is he the victim of his own sexy pheromones who was brought to ruin by a lifetime of exploitation and abuse? That's open to interpretation, I think. And returning to the point of gender-role reversals, have you noticed that the sexual aggressors in this film are the women, most notably Rosemary Sydney? Her outburst at the dance is an easy metaphor for sexual assault. Which, I should point out, I'm in no way taking lightly. I'm just pointing out the parallels: If it was an older man making unwelcome sexual advances on a young girl and tearing her shirt off we'd have a very different movie! It would be an interesting experiment to consider "Picnic" if all the characters were cast in the opposite sex. I think it would play out just as well, requiring only minor revisions. For example, instead of Queen of Neewollah make "Madge" a quarterback. See how easy it is? Another important point to consider about "Picnic" is the sexual themes. Remember, this is an American mainstream movie made in 1955. It seems in our post-modern age we are quick to view the past through the rose-tinted glasses of prudery. As my husband so wisely remarked, "each generation likes to think they invented sex." Of course, people have been writing about sex forever. Still, it feels unique that a movie made in the place and time that it was deals so openly with female sexuality and gender issues. Really, you have to give this movie props for that.
Next time: The stunning conclusion (I promise!)
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