死神假期

BecauseIcouldnotstopforDeath,hekindlystoppedforme;thecarriageheldbutjustourselvesandimmortality”–EmilyDickinson　　IfDeathtookaholiday,thegunswouldgosilentinIraq,theslaughteronournation’shighwayswouldcease,andthenewsmediawouldbecompelledtocoverpositiveeventsinthehumanities,arts,andsciences.Unfortunately,Deathhasnothadavacationinrecordedhistory,butMitchellLeisen’s1934fantasy,DeathTakesaHoliday,allowsustoconsiderthepossibility.Co-writtenbyMaxwellAndersonandGladysLehmanandbasedontheplayLaMorteinVacanzabyAlbertoCasella,DeathTakesaHolidaystarsFredericMarchastheGrimReaperwhotakesonhumanforminanattempttodiscoverwhymenfearhimsomuch.Whyhehaswaited5,000yearstosatisfythiscuriosityisnotexplained.　　[Spoiler]Afterabrieftryoutasashadowyfigurewhoscaresthedaylightsoutofthosethatcrosshispath,Deathshowsupat,ofallplaces,anupscalepartyatanItalianvilla,posingasthemysteriousPrinceSirki.Onlyonepersonknowswhohereallyis,thehostDukeLambert(GuyStanding),andheissworntosecrecy.Sirkiproceedstofascinatetheguests.Giventoburstsofwitandpoetry,hecanjustasquicklyturnsullenandthreatening,andsomesoonfindoutthatitisbetternottolooktoodeeplyintohiseyes.DuringthethreedaysinwhichthePrinceisatthevilla,however,peopleallovertheworldmiraculouslyescapedeathandpotentialsuicidesaredoomedtofrustration.　　Toseewhat’sbehindalltheconversationaboutlove,thesuavebutnaïvePrinceSirkifallsfortheirresistibleGrazia(EvelynVenable),thedaughterofoneofDuke’sfriends.GraziaknowswhoDeathisbutdoesnotfearhim,muchtothechagrinofherfiancé,Corrado(KentTaylor)whohasdevelopedastrongdisdainforPrinceCharming.　　MoresinisterthanBradPittinthe1998remakeMeetJoeBlack,Marchturnsinaveryconvincingperformanceasthecreepyyetstrangelyappealingguest.Althoughtheendingismelodramatic,theemotionsareveryrealandthesuggestionthatDeathmayinrealitybeafrienddisguisedasafoeisquitetouching.　　(HowardSchumann,talkingpix.co.uk)　　Inthiswearisomeandpredictableplotline,Deathfallsinloveandboresustodeathtalkingaboutit.　　(DennisSchwartz,homepages.sover.net)　　I'veheardDRACULAwasadvertisedwiththetaglineTheWeirdestLoveStoryevertold!(thisisprobablyaparaphrase),butatheart,I'veneverfeltthatyoucouldhonestlycallthatmoviealovestory.Thetaglinewouldbemuchmoreappropriateforthisone,sinceitultimatelyboilsdowntowhatamountstoalovestory.Thismovieisverygoodindeed,particularlyifyouconsiderthatitisbuiltaroundaconceptthatcouldhaveeasilybeenhandledinacuteorfacilemanner.Instead,itishandledasseriouslyaspossible,withsomerealthoughtputintohowdeathwouldtrytocometotermswithalifeandanoutlookthatwastothatpointtotallyunfamiliartohim;muchofthecreditdoesgotoFredricMarchinthetitlerole.It'squitescarywhenitneedstobe,particularlyduringthefirsttwentyminutes.Fromthenon,itdealswithitsthemeswithsubtlety,aquietwit,anenduringsadness,andaneverpresenttensiononhowDeathmightreactifcrossed.It'snotperfect;someofthedialogueisself-consciousandartificial,asifthewritersknewtheyweredealingwithweightyissuesandweretryingtobeprofound.ButIamcertainlygladtheydidn'ttrytoturnitintoamusicalcomedyofsorts.　(😉)　(DaveSindelar,scifilm.org)　(📩)　SeealsotheremakeDeathTakesAHoliday(1971)