THE PICKLE
US, 1993, 103, Colour.
Danny Aiello, Dyan Cannon, Shelley Winters, Barry Miller, Jerry Stiller, Chris Penn, Ally Sheedy, Little Richard, Spalding Gray, Griffin Dunne, Isabella Rosselini, Dudley Moore.
Directed by Paul Mazursky.
The Pickle is an oddball film written and directed by Paul Mazursky. For almost 25 years, Mazursky has made offbeat comedies, some of them quite autobiographical. He looked at his own career (in the light of Fellini) in the early '70s with Alex in Wonderland. He looked back to drama and theatre days in the mid-'70s in Next Stop Greenwich Village. Here, approaching 60, he makes a film about a disillusioned and compromising film director - who makes an absurd science fiction musical called The Pickle.
The material about the director is both serious and funny - with parallels to the kind of film made by Woody Allen. However, the scenes we are shown from the film within the film, The Pickle, are too absurd to make an impact. They are beyond spoof. However, at one stage it is said that it is an attempt to mix Fellini with the Marx Bros. The scenes shown do not give evidence of this.
The film has a very strong cast with Danny Aiello as the lead as the disillusioned director. Dyan Cannon is his wife, Shelley Winters his mother, Jerry Stiller his agent, Barry Miller a precocious movie executive. There are a number of guest stars who appear momentarily - including Oliver Stone on a talkback show about conspiracies.
In the film within the film, there is a star cast of Ally Sheedy, Griffin Dunne, Isabella Rossellini, Dudley Moore and Little Richard - who is allowed to go off into memories of his own singing style.
It is difficult to gauge the intended audience for this kind of autobiographical comedy, serious drama, critique of the American film industry. As the film moves towards a very serious ending, the mood changes and one is unsure whether Mazursky is saying there is hope or that the American audience and film-making, with such successes as The Pickle, means that it is not worth fighting for.
1.The intended audience for the film? Popular audience? Film buffs?
2.The work of Paul Mazursky, his perspective on the film industry? Memories of past films? His offbeat style - the New York style, comedy of relationships? Subjective presentation of a director approaching 60?
3.The strength of the cast, the charism of Danny Aiello in the central role? The veterans and their guest appearances? The cast of the film within the film? TV guests like Oliver Stone?
4.The title and its impact? The visual presentation of the actual pickle? Its absurdity? Science fiction - but the pickle appearing at the end as optimistic symbol for Harry?
5.The structure of the film: Harry and his making The Pickle, the flashbacks to the production, the black and white flashbacks to his youth? The portrait of a director, the film within the film - the cumulative effect of Harry's work and life?
6.The quality of the spoof - absurd, the mix of Fellini and the Marx Bros? The Midwest, the vegetarian styles, Cleveland as the capital of an alternate universe, the dark city? The characters, the different styles of dress? Issues? The songs?
7.Harry Stone and his career, his life? The importance of the memories of the past, as a little boy, his grandparents, his mother, telling jokes? Life and death? The making of The Pickle as compromise? His relationship with his agent and discussing, the carry-on of the young producer, his relationship with his ex-wife, their discussion about their children, friendship, his going to her for a sexual encounter? Going to hear his ex-wife, singer and her performances? His current girlfriend, living in France, tax difficulties? The relationship with the much younger woman? The relationship, urging her to go back to France? His visiting his mother, the discussions with his mother? Her accepting the reality, regretting the past? Support for him? Revisiting the old neighbourhood, the dilapidated houses, the drugs? Discussions with the young black men? His meeting with his son, discussions about his drug addiction, being clean, the plans for a film - and the talking cat? His visit with his daughter, seeing his granddaughter and his delight? The meaning of his life? Finding the old projectionist, remembering their schooldays? Promising to have a drink?
8.The world of New York, hotels, the Plaza, the fans (including wanting sex)? Everybody knowing that The Pickle was to be previewed?
9.His personal collapse, empty relationships, the failure of the film? The reassurances that it would be good - with Phil and the director? Encountering everybody - and their all going to the sneak preview? His growing sadness, going to buy the pills, taking them, the tape and the variety of farewells - indicating his relationship with everyone? The phone call, the success of the film, his change of heart?
10.The celebration - and everybody there?
11.The seeming seriousness of the ending and his suicide? The decision not to die? Whether the decision to make The Pickle was a compromise or not? The ambiguity of the ending - that a film like The Pickle could be a success?
12.What was the audience left with in terms of entertainment? Understanding?
