A View from the Bridge

This comes from a particularly satisfying period in the career of Sidney Lumet. Based upon one of the masterpieces of American theatre, the exteriors are filmed in his beloved New York whilst the interiors are shot in France. It is a Franco-Italian production and having the three leading male protagonists speaking in broken English contributes immeasurably to the films authenticity.

It is pretty faithful to the original apart from the ending and in changing the role of the lawyer Alfieri from that of Greek chorus to the voice of reason. Longshoreman Eddie Carbone has no time for reason as he is ruled by the heart and not the head. Like so many tragic characters he is basically a decent man whose fatal flaw, in this case, his improper love for his teenage niece, destroys him.

Carbone here is played by ex-footballer Raf Vallone who belongs to that rare breed: a hunk who can act. He has given some strong portrayals in his time, notably in Dassin's 'Phaedra', but this powerhouse performance has it all and he is fully deserving of his David di Donatello award.

One of playwright Arthur Miller's favoured devices is to have what appears to be a happy domestic scene shattered by a catalyst which in this piece is the arrival of two of Mrs. Carbone's cousins from Italy. They are illegal immigrants but Eddie agrees to put them up and get them jobs on the docks. Tensions mount however as Carbone's beloved niece falls for one of them.......

The immigrants Marco and Rodolpho are played superbly by Raymond Pellegrin and Jean Sorel. This is, to my knowledge, Pellegrin's strongest role and Sorel of course was always underrated because of his impossibly good looks. Another performance to treasure is that of Carol Lawrence as the niece. An all round actress/singer/dancer she was denied the chance of reprising on screen her award winning stage role as Maria in 'West Side Story' and although on paper a wee bit too old for the part of Catherine, gives a magnificent performance. Sadly, this is her only film. As Mrs. Carbone we have the accomplished Maureen Stapleton, who combines strength and vulnerability. Mention must also be made of Morris Charnovsky as Alfieri. An excellent actor whose film career was scuppered after being 'named' by Elia Kazan to the HUAC.

Historically there is a strong connection between Kazan's 'On the Waterfront' and Miller's play, for those who care to look it up. Whereas in Kazan's film to inform is an act of heroism, here it is merely an act of betrayal.

Lumet's legendary skill with actors, Norman Rosten's screenplay, Michel Kelber's gritty cinematography and the beautifully understated score of Maurice Le Roux have given us a raw, stark, passionate, searing and visceral film which also seems to have served the playwright well. Let us hope Mr. Miller approved.

Although directed by American Sidney Lumet and shot on the Brooklyn docks in Red Hook, A View From The Bridge is a French production with some shooting in Rome. My guess is that Arthur Miller couldn't get the financing here and next to On The Waterfront, A View From The Bridge looks kind of cheap. It sure has an international cast though.

Raf Vallone stars as Eddie Carbone a veteran dock worker who lives with wife Maureen Stapleton in Red Hook near his work and their niece Carol Lawrence who made her big screen debut here. As is apparently the custom they help out friends and family from the old country which in this case is Sicily. French players Raymond Pellegrin and Jean Sorel are brothers and related distantly to the Carbones. They arrive here like so many other illegals looking for work, maybe to send money back home like Pellegrin does for his family. Or like Sorel he wants to immigrate here permanently.

The attraction between Sorel and Lawrence is instant. Always in the back of your mind is that Sorel is thinking this is a fast track to citizenship. But it's in the front of your mind that Vallone is building up an unreasoning hatred of Sorel because of his attraction for his niece. Lawrence either is naive or just puts it out of her mind, but Stapleton is seeing it all too clear.

When Budd Schulberg wrote On The Waterfront, part of it was an expiation and justification of Schulberg being a friendly witness at the House Un American Activities. Miller was a most unfriendly witness and his play on the docks affirms the code that stool pigeons are the lowest form of life.

A View From The Bridge was done on Broadway with Van Heflin playing Eddie Carbone. I would like to have seen him doing it as Heflin was one of the best and most under-appreciated actors around. But you can't deny that Raf Vallone authentically Italian is just great in this role.

Sidney Lumet who seemed to shoot all of his films in the city he loved shows a different and at times terrifying side of New York. A View From The Bridge could use a remake, especially with the topic of immigration reform center stage among issues now.

Often, when you get films with multiple production countries behind them, you can end up with a bit of a mess that ties to pander more to its investors rather than its audience. Here, the casting of Raf Vallone as the increasingly troubled "Eddie" and a selection of other European actors actually helped to authenticate the Tower of Babel that New York City actually was. He is a manual worker who has long since only being going through the motions with wife "Be" (Maureen Stapleton) whilst becoming increasingly infatuated with his niece "Catherine" (Carol Lawrence). When two of her cousins arrive on the doorstep, promising that they are looking for work, they sleep on the couch and fairly swiftly she takes a bit of a shine to "Rodolpho" (Jean Sorel) - much to the chagrin of "Eddie". With the atmosphere in their tiny apartment becoming more and more toxic and claustrophobic, it may only be the presence of the elder and more savvy "Marco" (Raymond Pellegrin) that is restraining "Eddie" from asserting himself, violently, and despite the woes of both his wife and "Catherine". When the two youngsters announce their impending nuptials, "Eddie" seeks legal advice from his friend to see if he can thwart their plans, but all he can do is report them to the immigration authorities. What might that achieve for all concerned? Though it's quite heavily abridged, and we don't really get to appreciate the supporting characters as fully as I'd have liked, Vallone really does deliver quite powerfully here. So does the underused Stapleton whose affection for her husband, despite his only thinly-veiled desire for "Catherine", and her understanding nature would challenge the patience of any of the saints routinely referred to as this torrid scenario unfolds. The photography is up close and personal, and I thought Sidney Lumet allows the strength of the story to be played out by actors who almost sweat their roles onto the screen. I did not love the denouement, it is rushed and in many ways incomplete, but this is an authentic looking critique on the lives of immigrants hoping, optimistically, for the American dream, and is worth a watch.

A View From The Bridge transcends its stage-play roots to give an earthy feel for its neighborhood and its neighbors. This is high praise considering the play is one of Arthur Miller's very best to begin with. The chemistry is devastatingly hot between Raf Vallone and his illicit love for niece Carol Lawrence who, at first admires him, but later turns on him with disgust. Maureen Stapleton is magnificent as Vallone's desperate wife. Vincent Gardenia is disarmingly young in an early role. The cinematography seems to peel the layers of this blue-collar area like an onion, and the score is simply perfect. A View from the Bridge is a neglected classic that needs to be restored to prominence.

I saw this when it was first released, but I've never seen it since, not even on Turner or AMC. I'd love to know why it sank out of sight. Perhaps because Raf Vallone was virtually unknown in the USA? (Maybe if it had starred Van Heflin, who originated the lead role on Broadway.) I am glad to see a new production of it is underway. With Miller's recent death, maybe it will attract the attention it deserves as Miller's homage to Greek tragedy adapted to the lives of "ordinary" working people and to modern stagecraft. After more than 40 years, I finally saw a stage production last night, by the University of Oregon Theater Arts Dept. For a college production it was more than adequate, despite the awful acoustics of their theater. The young actor who played Eddie Carbone was quite good. But it whetted my appetite for a professional production. It's available in VHS on Amazon, but I don't want to buy it, just watch it.