DeniClassic Corner: A Patch Of Blue (1965) with Sidney Poitier
June 28th 2010 06:25
Category: Drama
It's a beautiful and engaging story about a relationship that develops between a black man, Gordon Ralfe and a young white woman, Selina who is also blind. The movie made a huge impact on audiences especially when the atmosphere in America at the time was thick with racial tension and the Civil Rights Movement was just underway. The movie boldly heralded "love is blind" theme and emphasized the interracial relationship in stark contrasts filmed in black and white.
Shelley Winters and Elizabeth Hartman
Selina lives with both her relatives in a small apartment where she's delegated to the cooking and cleaning and in her spare time she makes beaded necklaces, which she sells for extra income. She's also the recipient of physical and verbal abuse from both relatives who treat her more like the furniture. However on rare occasions they do manage to spare her crumbs of kindness when it suits them. Selina painfully endures it all because she has no choice. She's completely at their mercy, especially since she has no former education and her sole existence is dependent on their meager charity.
When Ole Pa is in a "giving" mood, he agrees to take Selina to the park, as long as she promises to finish her chores and have supper ready. Selina jumps at the chance to be outside and free to work on her beads and even daydream about herself, eyesight restored, running through the park and taking in what most people take for granted - and it's there at the park on this one fine day that she meets her savior, Gordon Ralfe.
Gordon is a handsome, self-assured, intelligent, well-educated and cultured black man and yet despite all his charms he's still seen as something less than a man because of the color of his skin, so it must have been novel for him to meet Selina, a white person who is forced to see him for who he is, not based on the color of his skin but through his actions. Sympathetic to her impoverished lifestyle and her co-dependency he teaches her little by little to become self-sufficient and independent. Gordon is moved to help this girl perhaps because she is treated no different than any other minority. The world sees her in the same way as they see him - insignificant, different, a burden which is often misunderstood and ridiculed. For just a while Gordon is under the illusion that they are the same until they share a kiss and Selina declares her love for him.
Sidney Poitier and Elizabeth Hartman
For Selina, Gordon is the first person to care about her and her well-being. He teaches her how to find her way to the park, and how to use a phone. Through Gordon she delights in many experiences like shopping, smelling the roses and even just simple conversation. The entire world and it's many possibilities which were once closed are now open to her - even the possibility of love which brings on a whole new set of complications.
Before Denzel Washington, there was Sidney Poitier. The wonders of Mr. Poitier have never ceased to amaze me. He was always an actor that was way ahead of his time. It's not only the characterization or performance, with him it was also the simplest movement - a tilt of his head, the swagger in his step, the furrow of his brow that reveals the depth of his connection to each of his characters and not to mention an undeniable enigmatic screen presence. It's not surprising that in 1967 Mr. Poitier was the first black Box Office star with three movies released, To Sir, with Love; In the Heat of the Night; and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
A Patch Of Blue was Elizabeth Hartman's first film in which was also nominated for Best Actress. She was plucked from relative obscurity, her only experience being a few stage plays. Director Guy Green was taken by her innocence and her ability to convey in Selina a wounded dove without being overly sympathetic. Despite her demoralized upbringing, Hartman was able to maintain in Selina an unsullied outlook on the world and manages to always see beauty where other people see none.
Shelley Winter's won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her turn as Rose-Ann, a racist and washed up has been, tainted with bitter regrets who has no qualms about passing on the family trade to her daughter in order to support her while she lives on easy street.
Sidney Poitier and Elizabeth Hartman are enchanting together and I can imagine that even the most hardened audience member back in 1965 were cheering them on to overcome all to find happiness. Guy Green said that this film was his proudest achievement and I agree. It's a remarkable film that is still relevant now in many different ways other than race relations.
Here's a 16 minute preview of A PATCH OF BLUE.
PART 1
PART 2
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Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Comment by Deni
Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald
Thank goodness for films like this, especially when the recent releases don't have much to offer.
I am looking desperately for a copy of The Blackboard Jungle. I think that's the only Poitier film I haven't seen.
Cheers,
Deni
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
A Patch of Blue is a classic for sure, managing to avoid being preachy for the most part on a subject that could have easily been ruined by simplification.
I am a huge Poitier fan too...love all the films he did with Richard Widmark, especially The Bedford Incident.
Night and the City and The Defiant Ones always please too.
Comment by True1
A Day in LA - Things to do in Los Angeles County
The Friendly Vegetarian
breeze
I'm going to hunt down this film now. Thanks for the great post
Comment by Deni
Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald
JD, you are right it wasn't preachy which made it's message more effective. I love it when movies just tell the story and allow the audience to make up it's own mind.
True1 - this is on my Amazon list for sure. I think it's a film everyone should own.