The Man Who CriedI find the story to be beautiful time after time of watching it, and I am writing this after one such of those times. To begin, those who know me, know many things that make me up, and one such of these characteristics is that I am little on tears. I will not cry easily, but my emotions must be raked and my heart truly understanding to the characters. I must be moved, and I will not cry unless it is from my inner soul that is touched to do so. I am more apt to laugh so hard that I am on the verge to weep. This film is one of the few that touches me deeply. This film is one that can bring me to tears. This film has a power and once it begins so suddenly it has an essence and a European flavour that just rolls endlessly. To those reading, I hope you have seen the film or there will be a hell of a lot of spoilers, and I am a true believer in going into a film blind. In all things, live it to the full… do not sneak a peek at what your present may be… but enjoy that gift to the extreme the day you unwrap the present. Do not yearn to know more about a film or someone else’s thoughts without first seeing it and deciding your own. Be individual in that regard… and every respect in life. That is the true colour in life… the differences we all possess. And this film brings to life those differences as well as the common threads… the common ties…. the common desires of four strangers that fatefully come to one meeting… and their time together leave imprints for better and for worse on the hearts of all around them.
My reason for seeing the film: at the time all I knew was the cast… all of whom I admire work of, and most of all at the time Johnny Depp. As well, I knew it to be one of his more obscure films at least from the Hollywood eye, and I am one to generally go against the grain and so, it seemed fit that this was just for me… and as you are about to tell I was not disappointed!
The Beginning: First of all I adore how directly following the few interluding credits we get straight into the heart of the film… and find ourselves (the first time) disoriented. The fire, and Christina Ricci struggling for survival, if that didn’t hook me at once, the music certainly did! The entire soundtrack is sensational and bless my brother for getting me a copy of it!
The beginning to the music is so powerful and we meet without many words Susie and her father. A young girl of innocence and her native heritage of Russian Jewish blood. The few scenes of them together is so sublime, and the kind of relationship any young girl growing up desires from her father (a way I relate… my dad is nothing but the greatest to me… I feel this is a founding characteristic in a young girl/lady’s maturing… it is your first view of men, and it will forever track the course you take… the beliefs you form and the choices that you make… in love and in life in general. This also comes to play in the strength of the film’s ending… when she is torn between the two men she loves… the one of her past and the one of her present. She barely knows Cesar and she returns to the hopes of finding her father… so crucial… so heartbreaking. But then you must also take into consideration the time period and the choices of the surrounding characters, but nevertheless, her last encounter with her true lover …and when he weeps and holds her close I cannot help but find my sleeve too)
((OK I officially suck at staying to a point!))
Furthermore, I relate to Susie in the fact that she has had so many hard knocks in her life, but does not squat down and feel sorry for herself, but picks up and finds a way to manage and is able to find happiness in her everyday things… most importantly to survive. The first of these times when the ship set off for America reaches no where of the sort… when I went to the foreign speaking country (granted I was with my family) but I can totally relate to some of the school scenes, getting whipped for not speaking the proper language.. being ridiculed for not fitting in. (Another occurrence that brings me near to tears is when her new family smashes the photograph of her father… and seemingly all of her dreams of ever finding him again)
Susie then falls or comes into her talent as a human being, one of many that I find her to have, and that is her voice. Though, here she is turned away at first because she is a modest young girl… and the cabaret is new.
Starting here the true story begins to unfold… the tangled stories of love and betrayal! Lola, Dante, Cesar and Susie… all meet through the theatre and are all so vastly different. This is one thing that makes the film so exquisite… no character resembles another, and you cannot foresee the next step… The very beginning when Cesar, Lola and Susie do the first act outside of the balcony, and then Dante begins to sing is just haunting. The music aspect returns… and we see again without words a foreshadowing of events. Lola is infatuated with Dante.. or at least his talent (and later we find his money) …and Cesar has a true longing for Susie… though she is timid. And as he rides off (Johnny on a horse does it for me
Though I do here, get a bit too critical… being an accomplished equestrian myself, his style is not the best, but… I will get over that for the over all beauty of the film!!) But just this haunting foreshadowing of so many lives coming together…
Lola as we learn… or begin to see unfold is Russian herself, and through the photograph discovers that Susie is too (beautifully done!! I love how it comes so slowly… the build up and there is not just… bam… okay, done, move on… we really get to see, and feel the characters and learn bit by bit about their lives) She is also the most talented of the cabaret artists, at least in the dancing respect. Lola knows how to get by in the harsh world she lives in. She knows how to walk the walk, and talk the talk… she may not always be happy but she is secure. (Cate is exquisite, really …she has everything from the Russian accent to the confidence down… she is absolutely stunning too, but this is nothing new!)
Dante is in my opinion an egotistical man that is out for all the world can serve for him.
These two collide, and Lola begins the process of pursuit and courtship of him, she flatters and warms up to him, and he eats it right up… (I cannot stress enough however much I hate the character of Dante I have great respect for the process and the product that Tuturro went through to get there!)
So here we have our outspoken couple….
Then the ones I have more interest in, as again I relate to more are Susie and Cesar. They are quiet and do not need words to convey what they think or feel. I love how she stands up for him, and yet knows their boundaries. Also, I enjoy that he is in the position of courting (as call me old fashioned, but I prefer when it is the man going after the woman)
The scene of them together going to the small dancing tavern is so sweet, you can tell by their smiles that they are genuinely happy to be in each others presence and do not need to fill the void with words or trinkets… just each other… just together is enough, as it should be, but so often that is tainted and distorted! It is so profound to be able to be with someone, and not have to say a word, and not have it be awkward, to just be there… knowing there is no where else you’d rather be, what greater gift is there than that? Time is so precious, and time shared together.. is maximum! –also in this scene that he allows her to dance with the other man… OH! So important! I find it a big step on his part, that he allows her to make choices for herself that he does not try to limit her, and that he trusts Susie despite some uncertainties we are sure that he has. It is soooooooo crucial in any relationship to have the rein to be who you are, express yourself as you please and want… and not to be bogged down by fear! And when he walks her home, that he respects her boundaries… he goes to caress her cheek and she shies away, and he respects that! I love his sentiments and Cesar’s love of family… the gypsy in him brings such an intriguing quality to the film!
((Have I bored you by now??))
Again we begin to see the Russian / Jew theme take hold as the Madame that lives beneath Susie’s apartment speaks in foreign tongue …and then invites her in… later she is being carted away when Germany invades Poland and the war truly becomes vastly more extensive.
((One of my all time favourite scenes follows))
Cesar is on his Andulusian (the white horse) and two other gypsies are on a bay and a sorrel and they are cantering along… as Susie is going after on her bike (absolute cinematography at its best!)
“All the children here are mine. All the older ones, my parents. We are family, we are one” << SO powerful! So true!
And the scene of all of the gypsies singing and doing songs together is so touching, they really know how to live and take life as it comes, nothing for granted. I love how they offer Susie to join in and enjoy her song as well… what a welcoming gesture (as well as the women giving her the cloak and washing her hands.. high symbols in their culture)
Later I find it soooo gut wrenching that Lola is confiding in Dante about Susie’s truth… and he is no man to be trusted with this knowledge!! You can sense the turmoil that will result and want to scream at this point.
We return then to Susie and Cesar, and she has just stood up for him on stage (infuriating Dante that she is friends with the gypsies and will not give him the time of day as she does not believe in that :: GO SUSIE!)
“Then what are you?” << powerful.
Okay… the next scene I know some feel is …well okay these are my opinions and I feel the sex scene was eloquently done. I love how he whispers to her, and is taking things slow for Susie, that there is the seduction build up and that his pace inside of her begins neither too rapid nor slow, and that he is also paying attention to the needs of the rest of her body… and through the pain you see on her face you can infer that this is her first time and she is hesitant ..but I feel that he is very good to her, and not just in it for himself, but truly, truly loves her (yes I realize it has not been long of knowing each other… but love does not know a time limit… nor many boundaries… it is one pure emotion that can defy anything, and I feel that theirs does just this!)
Lola and Dante are moving along together as well by this point and there is a scene when Lola is describing that Dante is a good man… I am not sure if she is trying to convince Susie or herself… but we know she is not doing this out of love for him (moving in and possibly getting married) I think it is so strong of Susie to say “I thought that was one of your rules” … it takes a real friend to point this out, and even though Lola could not hear it at the time I think it is a quality she admired in the young girl…. However, heartbreakingly we get this:
“I’m not accusing, I haven’t said a word.”
“Your kind never do.”
:’( She is beginning to type-cast like Dante and I feel myself begin to lose more and more respect for Lola… at first you can see why she would do things as she does, but that was beyond my limit.
Then is the scene of dreams… as Dante is singing (his dream) Lola sees her dream of becoming a synchronized swimmer… and Susie and Cesar are making love (their dream of being together)… this time we see Susie more passionately involved too which leads us to believe there really undeniably is that link of love between them.
Then the Nazis invade, and several of Cesar’s family are killed :’( (I love the foreshadowing of the horse’s ears pricking all directions, they are such attuned creatures and I love that coming into play!)
Susie is beginning to realize that she must leave and here comes the redemption of Lola, getting her way out… but that would mean leaving behind Cesar :’( and the final scene of them together there are no words for… but their toasts to each other are beautiful, and their sentiments so sweet. Again, I could write out all of the quotes, but for those who have seen the film I need say nothing more.
However I lose control of tears when he is holding her and sobbing as she sleeps, and she leaves without waking him, and yet he was never truly asleep :’(
And now we are back to the beginning (I love this…)
And on the last stretch: the hunt for her father… it is killing to know that he has given up his religion or at least said that he has… and forgotten his family (we know he must to survive, but there are things, integrity that all people should hold onto and family, beliefs and religion rank in my top 5!!) His family is so rude to Susie I cannot stand it… but when he finally sees her again… it is all worth it…. You feel satisfied and yet empty, knowing she left the love of her life to fight for his family, when she continued her life long pursuit of finding hers.
It is heartbreaking, it is beautiful… the story of four lives tangling in passion and betrayal… how can you not love this film!?
Sorry for all of my side comments, tangents and odd commentaries… I guess that is why I am “une tangente”
many people don't like that movie, i always wondered why... i have to say that christina ricci isn't my dreamcast, but she is doing a very good job there...concerning cate..umm, i better don't start, it would be a loooong post...
)
) But yes, I will definitely. Thank you for your encouragement (PLEEEEEEEEEASE 
and she didn't disappiont me