MovieChat Forums > Opening Night (1978) Discussion > question about THE ORDER of the play

question about THE ORDER of the play

posted 13 years ago by SampanMassacre
4 replies | jump to latest

okay, so, when myrtle is dead drunk and walks out and does the play, the FIRST SCENE is in the bedroom of GUS and his family... so, the character in the play has already met GUS (that is, they already are reunited together)... but, in a previous rehearsal scene, Myrtle's character is meeting Gus, for the first time after many years, and it's only them in the scene...

so, if, according to the end when Myrtle is drunk, the play BEGINS with the scene inside the bedroom after GUS and MYRTLE already met, then what was that other scene being rehearsed when they were being reintroduced to each other?

[–] Felonious-Punk 13 years ago

My guess right now is that the sequence of the play was never agreed upon. We seem to be shown scenes that most reflect or best frame Myrtle's psychological state. This method of course can make the play seem illogical when focused upon. I'm curious if you think my theory is plausible....Or maybe I should watch it again before commenting....

The closest movies to my heart: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=46910443

[–] SampanMassacre 13 years ago

no it's cool i appreciate your opinion.

i was thinking that maybe they just spliced it up, and showed her in a scene that happens later in the play, but, that scene in gus's bedroom (or whatever it was... the largest bedroom ever) must have been the first scene because they HAD TO show myrtle in a first scene in order to show the arc of her drunkeness: where she begins: not being able to walk. in other words, the film couldnt have skipped ahead to another scene, or the second act, because myrtle's drunkeness was paramount: and how she overcame it.

she really should have won an Oscar for this movie. she wasn't even nominated. but i think the Oscars were afaid of Cassavetes. he was so ahead of his time.

[–] Felonious-Punk 13 years ago

Exactly! I agree that Myrtle's drunkness was paramount, and the scenes were shown in the order of her sobering up, until the last scene when she seems almost enlightened.

As for Cassavetes being ahead of his time, , for some reason I think he still is. On an up note, last year's "happythankyoumoreplease" seemed to have a little of the Cassavetes twinkle to it.

The closest movies to my heart: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=46910443

[–] sarahleigh81 (94) 3 months ago

When Gus walks in, he says "I'm sorry I was so crude to you today. You shocked me. I'd have never expected to see you again." This indicates that the scene with Gus' family does come earlier in the play.