Friday 30 September 2016

Blind Spot Series: Breakfast at Tiffany's




A few people have been surprised that I haven't seen this film but to me, it just never appealed. Visions of the Holly Golightly ‘look’ were everywhere, on bags, t-shirts, purses, posters and it was rather suffocating. There has always been a part of me that was intrigued by the film as it was based on Truman Capote’s novel but apart from that I have avoided it. I picked it for my blind spot list this, as it was just the time to watch it. I had actually planned this film for February but plans do change.



I think I misunderstood what sort of film this was. Being a film for icon Audrey Hepburn or was it the film that made her an icon, she is Holly Golightly, a fun loving, easy-going socialite who may or may not be a call girl. When writer Paul (George Peppard) moves into the building the two become friends despite their obvious attraction to each other. Paul is trying to write but is in the middle of an affair with rich married woman who basically pays for everything. He's her project/charity, while Holly accepts money from weird rich guys and works for a mobster in jail. The two are just perfect for each other. But Holly, who calls herself a 'wild thing' that doesn't belong to anyone, can't seem to see what would be best for her. 



Holly is laid bare almost in this film, from the start. We see her at the start dressed in the famous outfit eating breakfast starring through Tiffany's in the early hours of the morning. This is who Holly is. She's dressed up putting on a facade and looking through at a world she wants to be part of. All so we think. We later see her going on 'dates' with wealthy men, hosting crazy parties, planning on marrying a rich guy but she keeps coming back to Paul for company. We also meet her husband she married at 14! Nice pleasant older man who took her and her beloved brother in. But she had the wedding annulled and moved away. She had out grown that old life. We also see her go through tragedy, her brother dying, arrested, abandoned by her supposed fiancé. Holly is in the spotlight and Paul is telling the story. We never get the know Paul, apart from the fact he's a writer and he's a kept man and that he's in love with Holly.



It's difficult to say if this is a love story or about two people who are trying to avoid commitment and life by taking money of others to skim through life. Holly's cat, named Cat, could be seen as a metaphor or a symbol for Holly. She does compare herself and cat to being wild and not belonging to anyone not even each other. Paul then retorts that thinking like this has cut her off  (basically) and she'll be alone. Cat is in a way a connector for them, like Holly he is wild but wants a home, he never runs away. Like Paul he is also an outsider, sulking around in the background at parties not really wanting to be involved. And the end scene just creates this visualisation.

I was surprised and enjoyed the film for the most part but Micky Rooney cast as Mr. Yunioshi almost ruined the film for me. It's beyond racist and I really can't see why they didn't cast a Japanese actor. It may be a sign of the times but it was terrible. 

Not wanting to end on a bad note, I'll leave it on this...





To see where it all started and for an excellent insight to film, have a look at The Matinee and have a look HERE for more Blind Spot posts from other bloggers.