} Crítica Retrô: Amar é Sofrer / The Country Girl (1954)

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Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Amar é Sofrer / The Country Girl (1954)

Em 1954, uma mulher baixinha com um vozeirão retomou a carreira no cinema depois de quatro anos afastada. Ela fez um longo e emocionante musical, e era a favorita para o Oscar de Melhor Atriz. Em 1954, uma moça recém-chegada, há apenas dois anos fazendo filmes, ganhou o Oscar de Melhor Atriz, contrariando todas as previsões. Judy Garland e Grace Kelly foram as protagonistas desta que até hoje é considerada uma das maiores injustiças da Academia de Artes e Ciências Cinematográficas. Mas o que tinha a performance de Grace para conquistar os votantes?

In 1954, a short woman with a splendid voice came back to making movies after four years. She starred in a long and moving musical, and was the favorite to win the Best Actress Oscar. In 1954, a newcomer, who has been only making films for two years, won the Best Actress Oscar, against all odds. Judy Garland and Grace Kelly were the two ladies involved in this controversial Oscar race, one remembered until today as one of the biggest snubs in the Academy’s history. But what did Grace’s performance have to sweep the votes?
Em “Amar é Sofrer”, o diretor de teatro Bernie Dodd (William Holden) precisa de um novo protagonista para sua peça, e quem aparece para fazer um teste para o papel é Frank Elgin (Bing Crosby), um ator e cantor que há dez anos caiu no esquecimento e no vício em bebidas. Bernie o contrata, mas fazer a peça estrear não será tarefa fácil.

In “The Country Girl”, theater director Bernie Dodd (William Holden) needs a new leading man for his play. Who appears for the audition is Frank Elgin (Bing Crosby), an actor and singer who has been forgotten for ten years, since he started drinking. Bernie hires him, but to make the play hit the theaters won’t be an easy task.

Bernie acredita que a responsável por todos os problemas é a esposa de Frank, Georgie (Grace Kelly). Aparentemente, ela é uma mulher amarga e mandona, que sufoca o marido com seu jeito de ser. Bernie não podia estar mais enganado!

Bernie believes that the one to blame for all the problems is Frank’s wife, Georgie (Grace Kelly). Apparently, she is a bitter and bossy woman who won’t let her husband even breath. Oh, Bernie, how wrong you are!

SPOILERS

Há dez anos, Frank estava saindo de uma sessão de gravação com o filhinho do casal, Johnny, quando se distraiu e soltou o garoto. Johnny foi atropelado e morto. A partir de então, Frank, considerando-se responsável pela morte do filho, se entregou à bebida, tentou suicídio e passou a evitar toda e qualquer responsabilidade. Quando questionado sobre a razão de seus problemas, ele não menciona o acidente, mas inventa comportamentos descontrolados para a esposa.

Then years earlier, Frank was coming out of a recording session with the couple’s young son, Johnny, when he got distracted and let the boy’s hand go. Johnny was hit by a car and killed. From then on, Frank considered himself responsible for his son’s death, started drinking heavily and decided to avoid each and any responsibility. When asked about the reason of his problems, he doesn’t mention the accident, but makes up that his wife has been showing strange behaviors.

FIM DOS SPOILERS

END OF SPOILERS
Grace Kelly está muito diferente neste filme, embora o imaginário do público sobre ela ainda não estivesse bem construído em 1954. Foi com “Janela Indiscreta”, do mesmo ano, que o mundo descobriu a diva Grace Kelly. Mas aqui ela está sem maquiagem, veste-se como uma matrona e tem um tom de voz frágil e caipira, muito distinto da voz aveludada que tem em outros filmes.

Grace Kelly is very different in this film, even though her public persona was not yet consolidated in 1954. It was with “Rear Window”, released in the same year, that the world discovered Grace Kelly, the icon. But here she doesn’t use makeup, dresses matronly and has a fragile, simplorious voice, very distinct from the velvet voice we hear in other films.
Não foi, então, um Oscar dado para uma atriz interpretando um papel diferente do habitual. Bing Crosby, este sim, impressiona com a seriedade que imprime em Frank, e seu sofrimento traumático é genuíno. Mas voltemos à Grace Kelly.

This refutes the hypothesis that the Oscar was given to an actress playing against type. Her type wasn’t even printed in the audience’s mind by then! Bing Crosby, on the other hand, is impressive in the serious role of Frank, and his suffering is traumatic and believable. But, back to Grack Kelly…
Georgie não tem uma vida fácil. Ela perdeu um filho, e agora precisa vigiar o marido inseguro o tempo todo. O que você faria no lugar dela? É uma personagem de comportamento antiquado, que se sacrifica e prefere ver o homem que ama feliz a ser ela própria feliz. Nesse aspecto, o filme e a personagem envelheceram mal.

Georgie doesn’t have an easy life. She lost her son and now has to look after her insecure husband all the time. What would you do in her place? She is an old-fashioned character, one who sacrifices herself and her own happiness to see the man she loves happy. In this light, the film and the character aged badly.
A Esther Blodgett / Vicki Lester de Judy Garland sofre vendo a carreira do marido, Norman Maine (James Mason) entrar em declínio enquanto a dela ganha força. É de se espantar, aliás, a semelhança temática dos dois filmes: “Amar é Sofrer” e “Nasce uma Estrela”. Show business, apogeu, queda e reerguimento, relacionamentos, o papel de marido e mulher no show business.

The Esther Blodgett / Vicki Lester played by Judy Garland suffers when she sees her husband Norman Maine’s (James Mason) career going downwards at the same time hers goes up. By the way, it’s surprising how thematically similar the two films are: “The Country Girl” and “A Star is Born”. They talk about show business, relationships, rise, fall and comebacks, the role of husband and wife in show business.
A diferença é o comportamento das personagens. Vicki Lester passa por um tour de force, e exige muito emocionalmente de Judy Garland. Ela é esperançosa, determinada, sofredora, apaixonada, mas resiste e dá a volta por cima. Georgie abdica de si mesma, e prefere viver à sombra de seu marido. Sim, amigos: foi mais uma escolha machista e antiquada.

What makes them different is how each character behaves. Vicki Lester has a tour de force, and she is a character that demands a lot emotionally from Judy Garland. She is hopeful, brave, she suffers and falls in love, but, most of all, she goes on and overcome the obstacles. Georgie abdicates from her own happiness, and prefers to live in the shadow of her man. Yes, my friends: it was another sexist, old-fashioned choice.
Se não fosse a controvérsia do Oscar, “Amar é Sofrer” estaria esquecido no meio da filmografia de seus astros. Tenta ser nobre, ao estilo “A Malvada”, e funciona bem como drama. O veredicto? Grace está bem, mas Judy merecia o Oscar.

If it wasn’t the Oscar controversy, “The Country Girl” would be forgotten in the middle of its stars’ filmography. It tries to be as noble and wise as “All About Eve”, and it works well as a heavy drama. The verdict? Grace is good, but Judy deserved the Oscar.

This is my contribution to the 2nd Wonderful Grace Kelly Blogathon, hosted by Virginie at The Wonderful World of Cinema. 

5 comments:

  1. Interesting article and well written Leticia

    I think this film will always be associated to the "Oscar snub scandal". I have to be honest, I've never seen A Star is Born so I can really compare the performances. Maybe Judy deserved the Oscar, but I think Grace deserved it too. Unfortunately we can only have one winner. Exceptional in 1969 when both Katharine Hepburn and Barbara Streisand won the award
    I've always been amazed by this Grace Kelly's performance because it shows her versatility as an actress and that she could do more than just play the society ladies. It would have been even more interesting to see her evolution as an actress if she wouldn't have stop make movies.

    thanks so much for your participation to the blogathon!

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  2. Hi Le...great post...as usual. I can't wait for your Blogathon tomorrow...my post is patiently waiting! Bring it on!

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  3. Assim Nasce Uma Estrela: 5*

    Muita música, drama e romance é o que este poderoso filme tem para oferecer.

    Cumprimentos, Frederico Daniel.

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  4. Country Girl is an amazing movie and it is not a forgeatable one.

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  5. And Grace deserved the Oscar

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