The Rain People

Solid pre Godfather film from Coppola. The ending makes it all worth it. Shirley Knight got on my nerves a lot though.

Coppola's directing style at this early stage still seems a bit rough around the edges, but his affection for his characters suffuses the film. His love of dramatic irony stands out in particular, with his protagonist trying to evade responsibility only to find herself with the most responsibility of her life (to a college football player nicknamed "Killer," of all people). Before I knew it, I found myself reeled in by the narrative, and before I knew it, the downbeat ending blew me away.

75.500

(Viewed on 07/04/10): The plot is threadbare, but Coppola does a great job at revealing the emotional life of these characters, using editing techniques to relay back story that were uncommon in similar American films of the period. The shots are simple yet effective, conveying both the moody desolation of the open highway and the emptiness of American suburban life, infused with a gentle melancholy provided by the film score. Coppola never made anything quite this low-key again.

Coppola went on to direct some utterly famous movies, and this one stands stands before us weathered and forgotten for good reason. I place all of the blame on Knight's horribly unlikable character. The ending unfolds in the only foreseeable manner possible when there's an innocent child of a man in a world full of corrupt, selfish people.

75.000

An interesting film with some good performances by a very young Robert Duvall and James Cann. The female lead is also very good.

75.500

It's a good film that's more interesting than anything else. Caan is extremely good, avoiding the kind of tics you often see in characters like this. Robert Duvall is typically wonderful in a small, but significant role. It's the kind of film that raises a lot of interesting ideas without necessarily resolving them. Outside of Coppola's amazing streak of 1970's masterpieces, I think it's his best film.