Faces By Cassavetes Essay

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Faces is a black and white movie directed by John Cassavetes in 1968. Cassavetes in his 4th long movie depicts a part of a middle-aged couple’s life, Maria (Lynn Carlin) and Richard (John Marley). In Faces, Cassavetes confronts the viewer with human routine crises and confusions in his own unique way that is influenced by French New Wave. In the late 1950s, a new cinematic movement arose in French that stressed on social and political issues using radical editing and visual style. In terms of form, Psychedelic movement that arose in the 1960s somehow follows the New Wave Pattern. Both of them are rebellious and indomitable, and try to make confusions. Inspired by French New Wave, Cassavetes directed his chaotic movie, Faces, that explains …show more content…

In Faces, alcohol is medicine for relieving from the everyday pain, and in the same time, it releases the pain of regret. The very first rising incident in the movie’s plot starts right after drinking when three drunk persons enter in a house and talk about almost everything and also anything. Alcohol takes control of the storyline and characters follow their drunk instinct. Cassavetes, with his Faces, illustrates a sad and lonely human who struggles with his daily life and shows himself as a lucky and happy person. Everyone in the movie dances, smiles, and laughs; however, nobody is lucky or happy. Going forward in the movie plot, Cassavetes unhides the fake happiness for the viewer through the insane and psychedelic actions. In addition, betrayal is an inseparable part of the movie. Betrayal comes after another one, and Cassavetes denounces it in a deeper layer; however, he shows it in a delicate appearance. Similar to Faces, Psychedelic art is a polished and delicate face of a sick mind. This sickness usually was created intentionally with drugs to reach the psychedelic states of consciousness. Faces also depicts the post-drinking actions and decisions and its

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