SUBWAY STORIES
US, 1997, 80 minutes, Colour.
Bill Irwin, Kris Parker, Christine Lahti, Denis Leary, N' Bushe Wright, Kevin Corrigan, Jerry Stiller, Steve Zahn, Bonnie Hunt, Mekhi Phifer, Lily Taylor, Michael Rapaport, Mercedes Ruehl, Zachary Taylor, Peter Sarsgaard, Sarita Chowdhury, Nicole Ari Parker, Sam Parker, Rosie Perez, Mike Mc Glone, Gretchen Mol, Gregory Hines, Anne Heche.
Directed by Bob Balaban (5:24), Patricia Benoit (Fern’s Heart of Darkness), Julie Dash (Sax Cantor Riff), Jonathan Demme (Subway Car from Hell), Ted Demme (Manhattan Miracle), Abel Ferrara (Love on the A Train), Alison Maclean (Honey-Getter), Craig Mc Kay (The Red Shoes), Lucas Platt (Underground), Seth Rosenfeld (The Listeners).
Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground is a television compilation of stories, commissioned by Home Box Office Television for New Yorkers to send in stories from their experience in the subway. Six writers including playwright John Guare (Six Degrees of Separation) transformed the stories into screenplays. Guare’s episode is The Red Shoes.
Most of the stories are very brief. Audiences from New York and those who have travelled in the subway will resonate with many of the episodes. However, while some have some substance, others are very slight, the shortest of stories.
The film also has a strong cast, a great number of actors in very small roles in the stories.
Amongst the directors, the best known are Bob Balaban, Oscar-winner Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs), Alison Maclean (Crush, Jesus’ Son), Ted Demme and Abel Ferrara, the controversial director of such films as The Bad Lieutenant.
1.The idea behind the series? Commuters and their stories of the subway? As transformed by professional writers? As directed by professional directors?
2.The visuals of the subway? The entrances, the vendors, the platforms, the subway cars themselves, the tunnels? Authentic feel? The range of music?
3.The aura of the New York subway? Its role in New York’s history? Various films and the use of the subway?
4.Subway Car from Hell: Bill Irwin, his buying the hot dog from the vendor, everybody buying the alternate food, the chatter, his mouth being burnt, two dollars for the drink, his going down into the subway, his vain attempts to get into the crowded cars, his instrument? His giving up? The reprisal of his story at the end, joining with the musicians, playing in the subway?
5.The Red Shoes: The people sitting in the car, the Vietnam veteran coming, lacking a leg, wounded, his wheeling over the passenger’s red shoes? Her anger, her comments? The antagonism, exposing him as a fake? Taking his cup and the money? Getting out of the train? His remaining, appealing to people’s sympathy? The young woman in the train, denouncing the two as con artists? The writer and his asking her the truth, her comments about welfare paying for everyone, her not knowing whether they were con people or not? The audience not knowing whether it was a con or not?
6.The 5:24: The businessman on the train, sharing his paper with the old man, their discussions about stocks and shares? The narrative with the various days? The voice-over? The well-dressed man, the commuter, listening, sharing his paper, getting the information, the temptation to invest, his deciding not to? His avoiding the man on the train? Following the price rise over the year, what might have been? A year later, getting into the train, seeing the old man and his spiel for another young business executive?
7.Fern’s Heart of Darkness: Fern, her phone call to her mother, her nerviness, on the train, people looking at her, checking about her stop, hurriedly getting out, her being trapped in the exit? Unable to get out, appeals for help, the deserted station, the train passing and the rail man just looking at her, her trying to get out, squeeze through, sleeping the night, the official reprimanding her for vagrancy?
8.The Listeners: Belinda and Jake on the train, talking, the tension between them, his not listening, her being upset? His getting the flowers? His getting off the train, Belinda left with the old man, the discussion about politics and the state of the nation? Her getting off and the reconciliation with Jake?
9.Underground: Violence on the underground, Wayne and his meeting people, the various boys, thuggish, bashing Wayne? His meeting Leyla, her listening to him, the dark glasses, the romantic advance? Getting off the train? What future? The subway musician?
10.Honey-Getter: Women on the underground, the approach of the men? Humera, her wariness, racial background? The confrontation with the boys, her kicking the boy, her being arrested for assault? Their sitting on the bench, talking about their backgrounds? The contrast with Sharon, her place on the underground? Women? The officers and the arrest?
11.Sax Cantor Riff: The people on the subway, the woman ringing her mother, not being able to get through in the hospital, her deciding to sing to her mother through the phone? People’s reactions, comments, the subway…? The beauty of the song, the relationship of the woman to her mother?
12.Love on the A Train: John T., his relationship with his wife, their talking together, his being on the train, seeing the girl, the interaction between the two? Her not saying anything? His voice-over, his own experience, the repetition of the ride, eventually speaking to the girl? Her indignant reaction? The reaction of the wife?
13.Manhattan Miracle: Jack, on the platform, looking across the rails to the pregnant girl, her distress, walking up and down, the potential for suicide? Her standing near the edge, his concern, the trains going past? The old man saving the girl? Jack and his happiness that there had been something of a Manhattan Miracle?
14.The cumulative effect of all these stories, perceptions on human nature, perceptions on life in the underground, the commuters, the passengers, all the problems of contemporary life?
