Sølvberget cinematek: The Day of the Locust (1975)

In the wake of New Hollywood's golden age, following films like Easy Rider, MASH*, Mean Streets, and The Godfather (both), and in the same year as another generational shift with Steven Spielberg's Jaws, came The Day of the Locust, directed by industry veteran John Schlesinger. The Englishman had made a name for himself with Billy Liar (1963), Darling (1965), and Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), and he rode the wave of countercultural New Hollywood when he made his U.S. debut with Midnight Cowboy in 1969. This film rightfully stands as Schlesinger's crowning achievement, but The Day of the Locust also deserves attention, almost on the same level as Midnight Cowboy and the following Marathon Man (1976).

The story in The Day of the Locust begins with the idea of coming to Hollywood to seek one's fortune. Based on Nathanael West's 1939 novel and set in the 1930s, the film follows Tod Hackett, a young, newly graduated man, who starts in the painting department at one of the major studios, with ambitions of becoming an art director. In this environment, especially among the residents of the San Bernardino Arms apartment building, Tod (and we) meet various characters who pull us into Hollywood's shadows, where we truly see the darker side of the dream (fittingly, the film's Norwegian release title was The Dark Side of the Medal).

In short, Tod becomes enamored with Faye Greene, trying to help her fulfill her acting dream. However, Faye must contend with rougher suitors and care for her alcoholic and unpredictable father, Harry. Though Faye likes Tod, she makes it clear that only wealth will lead her to marry. When Faye searches for Harry after one of his outings, she encounters the strange and shy recluse, Homer Simpson(!), in a Hollywood villa neighborhood. From here, the film's moral boundaries begin to unravel, and the surroundings almost literally collapse around Tod and Faye, culminating in a psychotic inferno in a dream factory that produces nothing but grotesque nightmares.

Donald Sutherland (1935-2024) sadly passed away earlier this year. His performance as Homer Simpson stands as one of the remarkable highlights from this phase of Sutherland's career, following films like MASH*, Klute, and Don't Look Now. Svein Inge Sæther, Cinemateket Trondheim

Runtime: 2h 24m (144 minutes) Country: USA, 1975 Director: John Schlesinger Cast: Donald Sutherland, Karen Black, William Atherton, Burgess Meredith, Richard Dysart, John Hillerman, Geraldine Page Language: English, no subtitles Age rating: 15 years Tickets are sold at Odeon Kino Stavanger – Cinemateket i Stavanger - Filmer på Cinemateket ODEON Kino