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Wikipedia describes this film as "A 1961 American romantic comedy... a naïve, eccentric café society girl who falls in love with a struggling writer." This is not what the movie is about at all! This description is misleading and inaccurate. I realize this film was released a long time ago and a lot of the film is just general knowledge by now, but if you were like me and ignored this film at all costs, I urge you to watch it again and dont read the following until after your re-watch. Now here's my take...
____SPOILERS____
****
****
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Breakfast at Tiffany's is a Romantic film, but it's not a Romantic Comedy. There are some light moments but not enough to call it a Romantic Comedy. The only Comedy elements are distastefully introduced by Mickey Rooney in what I would describe as an embarrassingly racist stereotype of a Japanese man. It's not funny at all and if the director were alive today, I would suggest releasing an edit with those scenes excised. They add nothing to the film or its message. Ignore them if you can, and if not, I understand. It was one of the reasons I never bothered finishing the film before.
Next it describes Hepburn's character, Holly, as a "naïve, eccentric café society girl" and she's not that at all! In the actual film she's a former child bride of a Texas veterinarian named Doc Golightly, who no doubt consummated their marriage when she was 14. She runs as far away as she can to New York city, where she creates a plan to free her older brother, who has some sort of learning disability, from having to join the military to make a living. When she moves to New York she finds that men will pay for her company, so she becomes a high class escort at 15. So there goes the naive cafe society girl angle.
When we find Paul Varjak, the male lead, moving into Holly's apartment she is now 19 years old, she has saved enough money and hustled her way into an apartment and is a messenger for the mob. Paul Varjak is a writer as described but he's also a Gigolo. A male sex worker currently hustling a rich older woman named Emily into financing his book, future writing projects and living quarters in New York. Holly recognizes him as a fellow hustler immediately, which annoys him at first, until he also realizes that she is also in a similar profession. So, far from being naive, both are professional hustlers of a sort and they approach the relationship in a shrewdly cynical yet honest way. Shes never dishonest with him about her plans, motivations and aspirations. In turn, he is brutally honest with her and tries to help her sort her life out because it seems she's become lost in the weeds of the underground society she's become a part of. She is not a helpless girl being saved by the strong cool man, as some have characterized her, but a flawed person who actually saves the man. He sees himself in her and liberates himself. He wants to help her see that she no longer has to chase the goal she has sought for so long.
Although she can surely bring her brother to New York by now, and they can both help each other, she seems to be caught in the hustle. It's never enough, she has to be set for life by marrying a rich man. Which begs the question, who is she hustling for? Is she still trying to save her brother? Or is she trying to attain the currently unattainable status exemplified by the jewelry at Tiffanys. Her brother is no longer on the farm, he has gone off to war, yet she has become transfixed by the glamor. When her brother dies it becomes clear that her original objective is a failure, this was clear to Paul from the beginning. She decides to spend one last day being her true self, with a man she can love but never will. Because she will be married to the rich man at all costs; at the very least she will have accomplished one of her goals or else her brother's death was for nothing. At least, that's what she thinks. Paul on the other hand is done with the hustling life, he loves Holly in all of her true self. The selfish woman, the thief, the hustler, the sister, the sugar baby he really knows her warts and all. He feels liberated in their real cynical love. She must break his heart to free him.
The crux of the film is this: Can two cynical hustlers trust each other? Can they love each other even though they have become callous to love? When sex, desire, attention and affection have no value other than as a business prospect can two people make a deeper connection? When shame, propriety and the facade of respectability are gone, can they trust their love?
It's a cynical Romantic film whose subtext make it ahead of its time. I think I'll read the book.
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Reviews with images
Breakfast At Tiffany's - DVD - Review - Audrey Hepburn at her Best
4 stars overall for the adorable 1961 romantic comedy Breakfast At Tiffany’s..5 stars for the extraordinary Audrey Hepburn and her Delightful portrayal of Holly Golightly..Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of the naive, eccentric society girl is one of her most Identifiable and Memorable roles. It captured the Imagination of movie goers around the world..Audrey Hepburn was deservedly Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She perfectly revealed Holly Golightly’s full spectrum of emotions, strengths, and weaknesses..Breakfast At Tiffany’s won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and Best Original Song..Audrey Hepburn singing Moon River will *melt your heart*. Elegance and Grace, even when wearing a towel wrapped around her hair, a sweatshirt, and jeans..No one can say “Hi” like Audrey Hepburn did in Breakfast At Tiffany’s.No one can say “Hello” like Audrey Hepburn did in Sabrina..3 stars for Buddy Ebsen portrayal of Holly Golightly’s estranged husband.2 stars for George Peppard’s portrayal of the writer Paul Varjak.1 star for Patricia Neal’s portrayal of 2-E..
Top reviews from other countries
\m/arcolino
Charmante und humorvolle Liebeskomödie mit einer ganz bezaubernden AUDREY HEPBURN!
Reviewed in Germany on July 7, 2020
\m/arcolino
Reviewed in Germany on July 7, 2020
Die Story handelt von der bezaubernden HOLLY GOLLIGHTLLY (Audrey Hepburn), die als Partygirl ihr Leben in vollen Zügen genießt. Sie macht die Nacht zum Tag, zieht von Party zu Party und wechselt ihre Begleiter wie andere die Unterhosen. Ab und an lässt sie sich 50 $ für die „Toilette“ geben, weswegen nur betuchte Herren für sie in Frage kommen.
Auch ihr neuer Nachbar PAUL VARJAK (George Peppard), ein junger und erfolgloser Schriftsteller, lässt sich aushalten, allerdings nur von einer Dame. Er hat ein Verhältnis mit der älteren und verheirateten MRS. FAILENSON (Patricia Neal), die ihn schon mal wie ihr Eigentum behandelt. PAUL ist von HOLLY fasziniert und er fühlt sich immer stärker zu ihr hingezogen, auch HOLLY beginnt sich in seiner Nähe immer wohler und geborgener zu fühlen. Zwischen den beiden entwickelt sich eine Freundschaft, doch tiefere Gefühle will HOLLY nicht zulassen, denn sie möchte sich unbedingt reich verheiraten. Als sie dann einen brasilianischen Großgrundbesitzer kennenlernt, wähnt sie sich am Ziel ihrer Träume …..
In den 60ern war das Thema Prostitution nicht unbedingt was fürs Kino, weswegen man aus HOLLY GOLOGHTLY ein Partygirl machte, ganz im Gegensatz zu dem was sie im Buch ist. Aus diesem Grund lehnte auch MARILYN MONROE die Rolle ab, was letztendlich das Glück für AUDREY HEPBURN war, der sie auf den Leib geschrieben war.
AUDREY HEPBURN ist wirklich herzallerliebts, zum Niederknien, einfach bezaubernd, schon alleine wegen ihr lohnt es sich den Film anzusehen. Aber auch sonst hat BLAKE EDWARDS wieder einmal exzellente Arbeit geleistet, in Sachen Komödien konnten ihm nicht viele das Wasser reichen. Der wusste schon was das Publikum sehen wollte, zur Not schrieb er einfach die Geschichte ein neig um, so wie in diesem Fall, wo er dem Publikum ein Happy End verschaffte …. anders als da CAPOTE im Roman tat.
AUDREY HEPBURN war wie bereits erwähnt einfach hinreißend, aber auch GEORGE PEPPARD weiß als PAUL, bzw, „FRED“, wie er von HOLLY genannt wird, voll zu überzeugen. Die beiden passen irgendwie zueinander, allerdings muss man sagen, dass AUDREY HEPBURN alles überstrahlend ist, dagegen kann auch PEPPARD nicht anstinken.
Auch in den 60ern wurde schon alles als „rassistisch“ gesehen, in diesem Film ist es die Darstellung von Nachbar MR. YUNIOSHI durch MICKEY ROONEY. RONNEY wird im Film auf „asiatisch“ geschminkt, ich wäre jetzt nie auf die Idee gekommen, dass das rassistisch sein könnte. Ich habe das nur mal gelesen und mit Unverständnis zur Kenntnis genommen ….
Mein Fazit: „Frühstück bei Tiffany“ ist ein der schönsten Liebeskomödien die ich kenne, was vor allem eben an AUDREY HEPBURN liegt. Auch sonst ist der Film unheimlich charmant, sehr humorvoll, aber auch ergreifend und gelegentlich sogar melancholisch.
Für mich ist das definitiv ein Klassiker, ein Klassiker, den ich mir regelmäßig anschaue und der mich immer wieder aufs Neue begeistert. Eine klare Empfehlung …. keine Frage!
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