Year: 1957
Director: Elia Kazan
Country: US
Language: English
Many critics and cinephiles feel that the late 50's Elia Kazan flick A Face in the Crowd is more relevant than ever due to the rise of Donald Trump. Like the main character, Lonesome Rhodes, Trump was a reality TV star known for his gimmicky catchphrases and a poverty line audience that regards him as a "straight shooter", even as he looks down on them from his penthouse. He's the guy who pretends to be against the elite, even though he is the elite.
A Face in the Crowd charts the rise of a raucous hayseed named Lonesome Rhodes (Andy Griffith) from itinerant Ozark guitar picker to local media rabble-rouser to TV superstar and political king-maker.
The Director himself has claimed the film "anticipates Ronald Reagan", a Hollywood movie star of the 1950's who became the 40th US president in the 1980's. A Face in the Crowd isn't explicitly a picture about any particular political figure however; like Network (1976) it is primarily a darkly comic satire about the corrosive influence of celebrity and mass media—particularly television—on public opinion.
A Face in the Crowd has a consistent high frenetic energy that is due to pacing, editing and the insurmountable quick pace of Andy Griffith. Never have I seen an actor put such constant chaotic excitement into his character. The cinematography holds some very memorable images, although I'd say some of the camera's framing make Griffith's character a little too cartoon-ish. Extreme close-ups of Griffith's face make his look feel right at home in the Batman universe.
Though it received mixed reviews when it first hit cinemas, overtime Kazan's picture has become quite favored among those willing to find it. Despite its cynical nature, A Face in the Crowd is a fun film to watch and doesn't feel as dated as a film from the 50's should be.
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