Key Highlights
- Ethan Hawke delivers a stellar performance as Lorenz Hart in “Blue Moon.”
- The film is set on the night of March 31, 1943, focusing on Hart’s life and work.
- Richard Linklater directs another nuanced, character-driven piece with real-time storytelling.
- Hawke owns the screen top-to-bottom, showcasing a range of conflicting emotions in his portrayal.
The Film: “Blue Moon” – A Night at Sardi’s
Stream It Or Skip It: “Blue Moon,” available on VOD platforms like Amazon Prime Video, is a real-time, single-setting dramatization of the life and work of songwriter Lorenz Hart. This film, directed by Richard Linklater and starring Ethan Hawke, offers a poignant exploration of Hart’s final night in March 1943.
Ethan Hawke’s Masterful Performance
The centerpiece of “Blue Moon” is undoubtedly Ethan Hawke’s portrayal of Lorenz Hart. Hawke delivers an acrobatic and multidimensional performance, conveying a dozen conflicting emotions in single line-readings. He plays the man with wit, humor, anger, sadness, lust, and more – all while dealing with his alcoholism and need for love.
Hawke’s character is described as vulgar yet hilarious, spewing his psychology across Sardi’s Restaurant.
His interactions with fellow characters at the bar are filled with sharp dialogue that is both entertaining and loaded with subtext. The film presents a trainwreck in slow motion, showing Hart’s self-destructive behaviors and the impact on those around him.
Richard Linklater’s Direction
Richard Linklater masterfully captures the profundity of time and its silent tragedy through his direction. The film is set entirely within a single night, March 31, 1943, with key flashbacks to Hart’s earlier work on Broadway and his relationship with Richard Rodgers. Linklater’s real-time narrative style emphasizes the fleeting nature of moments and the inevitability of decline.
The director also employs forced perspective techniques to make Hawke fit Hart’s five-foot-nothing stature, which adds to the authenticity of the character’s portrayal. The film’s setting at Sardi’s Restaurant becomes a microcosm of Hart’s life, where he interacts with various characters who offer different perspectives on his situation.
Conclusion
“Blue Moon” is a powerful exploration of alcoholism and depression through the lens of a celebrated songwriter. Ethan Hawke’s performance stands out as one of his best yet, while Richard Linklater provides the perfect direction for this nuanced character study. For those interested in backstage Broadway or seeking a wily, acrobatic performance, “Blue Moon” is definitely worth streaming.
What do you think? Be the first to share your thoughts on “Blue Moon.”
STREAM IT!