Libramedi Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Jugu Abraham Wonderful original screenplay by Budd Schulzberg and good performances by the leads. Good film that explores the power of the media on the same lines as Billy Wilder's "Ace in the Hole" made 6 years prior to this work. Only difference was the two films dealt with different media.

strumdatjag This sat in my DVR Cache for a bit, before I cued it up - it's an absolute 10/10. Andy Griffith, before he moved into Aunt Bea's house in Mayberry, is electrifying on screen. Other great performances by Walter Matthau, Patricia Neal, Lee Remick and even Tony Franciosa (before he became an ubiquitous TV co-star on things like Hotel and The Love Boat). The director Elia Kazan had previously directed one of the greatest films ever filmed, "On the Waterfront" and other classics (Streetcar/Desire, Tree/Brooklyn . . . ). Put this one alongside those films. Well-filmed, well-acted, well-written. Imaginative. Still relevant. Running out of superlatives. WOW!!!!!!

Matthew Kresal There are films that are both a product of the time they are created in and yet timeless. They are films that remain prescient in the years and decades after their initial release. They may linger in the background but they are films that stand the test of time. A Face In The Crowd, released in 1957 and marking the breakthrough role for an up and coming Andy Griffith, is exactly that kind of movie. As a sit here writing this review in 2016, the film seems like a warning from decades ago and a warning prescient for the time we live in now.The heart of the film is Andy Griffith as Lonesome Rhodes, a drifter who through his talents and folksy charm manages to rise not just to celebrity status but to the cusp of potential political power. For those who only know Griffith from his roles as Sheriff Andy Taylor and the lawyer Matlock, this role is a revelation. All of that charm is there but it's just the tip of the iceberg that is the Rhodes character. Griffith's as Rhodes is a volcano, a man of extreme energy and talent who can be loving and charming one minute but hateful, spiteful, and downright unlikable the next. The depth and range that Griffith shows is simply startling and whenever he's on- screen (which is much of the film) you can not take your eyes off of him as he goes through the great American story of a man's rise and fall. That Griffith wasn't nominated for any kind of award for his performance is as startling as his performance as it is a performance of a lifetime and one that stays with the viewer long after the film is over.Right beside Griffith is Patricia Neal as Marcia Jeffries, the Arkansas radio producer who first discover Rhodes and gives him his new name and who goes with him on his journey through the film. Neal's performance is just as stunning as Griffith, a woman who goes on the incredible journey with the man she falls in love with despite the man's faults and eventually finds herself sacrificing herself almost heart and soul in the process. Neal throws herself into the role, being utterly believable throughout as she becomes increasingly conflicted about her role in Rhodes life. Her performance is a fascinating study of what it's like to be the power behind the throne and the price one pays for being so. The film's supporting cast is strong as well. Walter Matthau is particularly memorable as Mel Miller, a writer who finds himself brought in Rhodes orbit from Memphis to New York and ultimately gets to deliver a particularly effective dramatic punch line in the film's closing minutes while also acting as something of a voice of conscience for Neal's Jeffries as well. Anthony Franciosa plays Joey DePalma, an opportunist who becomes Rhodes' agent on his incredible rise to power. Bringing Rhodes into a political orbit is Percy Waram as the multi-millionaire General Haynesworth who puts into Rhodes the idea of gaining political power, drawing in presidential candidate Senator Fuller (played by Marshall Neilan) who are both well suited to their roles. With appearances from Howard Smith and a young Lee Remick plus cameos from Mike Wallace and Walter Winchell, the film's cast is superb.Beyond the cast, the film is a superb piece of work in its own right. The film makes excellent use of locations as well as sets, giving it a strong sense of verisimilitude that's especially evident today. The stark black and white cinematography brings the film's various locations to life from the back roads of Arkansas to New York City and the television studios around the country. All brought together under the direction of Elia Kazan, who brings the film to life with a great sense of both drama and irony that's especially present in the film's closing minutes. The overall result is a film that feels like a portrait of a time and place in American history never to be glimpsed again but that stands as a document for future generations.That being said, A Face In The Crowd isn't that dated at all. If Griffity is the film's heart, then the screenplay by Budd Schulberg is its soul. The film is a classic American story, played out again and again in our history. It's the tale of a man who comes from nothing yet, through his talents and lucky encounters, rises to become not just a celebrity but wield immense power before his ego and inability to keep himself in check leads him to self- destruction. It's a story that we've seen played out again and again in our history and it's something that gives the film even more power. Not only does the film tell that classic story, it also explores issues that we're still dealing with today: celebrity culture, the role of popular media in politics, the question of where entertainment and politics intersect and its effect on American society. Watching Griffith's Rhodes also feels like a nearly six decade old pre-echo of personalities currently dominating in politics and popular discussions of it, something that gives the film a power and message that few films of its age can claim to have.A Face In The Crowd, for all of these reasons, is something of an overlooked classic. Made in the 1950s about the rise of television, its script and the questions it raises are ones we're still coping with today. More than that, it's a finely crafted film featuring an incredible performance from Andy Griffith who is backed by strong performances and a finely crafted film. It's remains watchable and prescient, a film that begs to be seen even now. So see it and see it soon. You may be wondering why you haven't before.

PimpinAinttEasy Dear Elia Kazan, Your over the top depiction of the sinister and abnormal marriage between the entertainment industry and the common man is not just prophetic, but influential due to its use of over the top dialogs and imagery. You conjured up a beautiful and loud warning about American culture filled with close ups of Andy Griffith's reptilian smile, hysterical noisy crowds, the sweaty bimbos who flock towards him and the creepy tasteless capitalists who use his celebrity. The noirish imagery is used rather discreetly. There were extremely beautiful women in many of the frames - usually in submissive roles of a secretary or assistants holding banners in a TV show or as objects for entertaining men.Three scenes in the film stood out for me. The first scene was a pretty sober one in a corridor where Patricia Neal seduces Griffith when he is about to leave the business and hit the road. The corridor is beautifully lit and the the background score is melancholic. The only times in the film when Griffith is true to himself is when he interacts with Neal's character whose sober and cold self is like a perfect foil for the film's over the top tone. The second one is the advertisement for the Vitajex tablets with Griffith selling his soul to the advertisement industry. Not only is it vulgar and tasteless, but the scene marks a transformation in Griffith's character from a spirited country singer to a power hungry TV host. The third scene is a beauty contest. In an amazing show of depravity, the female contestants literally launch themselves onto Griffith, almost like an orgy out in the open. It is an extremely entertaining scene with Lee Remick's sweet, beautiful and idiotic sweaty country face ogling at the lecherous Griffith while dull and hypnotized crowds look on at performing women in skimpy clothing. Griffith's must be one of the greatest "over-the-top" performances of all time. He lights up the screen with that smile and body language. But the goodness and dignity in Patricia Neal is also spellbinding. She holds her own even though Griffith has all the best scenes. The excess, greed and debauchery in A Face in the Crowd almost certainly inspired filmmakers like Scorsese (Wolf of Wall Street) and Brian De Palma (Scarface). Best Regards, Pimpin. (9/10)