Customer Reviews

Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, the

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After spending the time to finally read the book "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter", which, by the way, is an excellent work depicting such sadness and angst, I purchased the movie that had been made some years ago. I found this to be an excellent movie. It encapsulates, as best as is possible for a 2 hour movie to do with a novel, the basics of the story. Of course, the book is much better, but that is because books have the opportunity to supply more depth and detail. That being said, I believe Alan Arkin does a fantastic portrayal of Mr.Singer and Sandra Locke's interpretation of Mick Kelly is 'bang-on'.
Well worth the purchase.

Arkin is superb, depicting a compassionate, intelligent, and thoughtful deaf mute who communicates better than most hearing individuals. Although the movie veers somewhat from the book, in that Mick has fewer siblings, it clearly captures the loneliness of the characters and well displays the tension between blacks and whites in the south.

It's such a relief when a movie does justice to a book. GONE WITH THE WIND comes to mind with its sweeping family sagas and passion, as does FRIED GREEN TOMATOES. Both are excellent adaptations and joining those two is the movie, THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER. With stellar performances by not only Arkin, but everyone else as well, this sweet, disturbing, haunting look at small town life during the Depression is a classic. One can only hope that McCrae's book, THE BARK OF THE DOGWOOOD gets treated as well as these two. Highly recommended.

this is the most beautiful movie of all times! alan arkin is masterful, chuck mcCANN stacy keach and sandra locke all TERRIFIC. I love this movie....

This 1968 film is based on the book by Carson McCullers. The basic story is still there, which is that of a deaf mute who helps people but somehow cannot help himself. But a lot is missing. Alan Arkin, then 34 years old, plays the deaf mute and does a masterful job. Sondra Locke plays a teenage girl whose family rents a room to Arkin, Stacy Keach plays a drunk. And Cecily Tyson plays the angry grown daughter of the Afro-American physician played by Percy Rodriguez. All are excellent in their roles.

The film is about loneliness in all its forms and is sometimes too sentimental and slow. I understand that the story lines had to be changed in order to fit it all into a screenplay, but the result is an over-simplification of the complex novel. Without the richness of language and depth of characterization of the book, the film is a mere shadow of what I would have liked it to be. But the acting is so good and the theme of prejudice of various kinds against each of the flawed characters is done so well, even winning couple of Academy Award nominations, that it certainly has some things going for it. I might have liked it more if I had not just read the book, which seems as fresh today as when it was written. The screenwriter made a noble attempt, but he's just not Carson McCullers.

Any fan of the heart-wrenching Carson McCullers book that spawned this movie will kick themselves for buying this flick. The themes in the book are subtle in their intensity, like an ocean sunset. The movie takes these themes and defiles them - they are ... to the point of "after-school special" simplicity. The characters have no depth, no evolution.

Arkin turns in a great performance, rising above the poor screen adaptation of a beautiful novel.

Robert Ellis Miller's film version of "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" is decent and straightforward, but what makes it a classic is the performance of Alan Arkin as deaf-mute John Singer. Arkin's performance moved me to tears in 1968, and subsequent viewings confirm my conviction that Arkin gives here one of the greatest performances ever recorded on film. Why has Arkin's work in "Heart" been so thoroughly forgotten? When "Premiere" magazine a few years ago did an article on actors throughout screen history playing handicapped characters, it completely ignored Arkin, although his performance was Oscar-nominated. "Heart" also contains fine early performances by stars-in-the-making Stacy Keach and Cicely Tyson, as well as a performance (also Oscar-nominated) by Sondra Locke that far exceeded anything she did afterward. But it is Arkin who dominates this film, and those who see his performance will cherish it forever.

This is a good movie. Alan Arkin is magnificent, and every other actor in the film is at least very good. There are great scenes, important messages, basic humanity - well portrayed with all its evil and all its glory.

It is not "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter."

The movie's focus is on one relationship, the one between John Singer and Mick Kelly. It almost ignores important characters like Biff Brannon, whose character is ever present in the novel, and turns Jake Blount's character into a bit part. The movie takes extraordinary, and unnecessary, liberties with the many plots and relationships.

Advice to buyers: If you have neither read the book nor seen the movie, watch the movie first - that way you won't be disappointed by it. If you have seen the movie but not read the book, read the book. Its reputation is well deserved, and you'll probably read it again some day. If you've read the book, and are considering watching the movie: Don't.

As my profoundly deaf father once said. I salute Alan Arkin for his masterful performance, it's the nearest I've seen a hearing person get to a truly profound rendition of deaf consciousness and an inspiring study.To be blind and have language and be able to be heard and enjoy relationships with people is a comfort not afforded by the solitude of a profoundly deaf man in a cruel world. However deaf people I know remain unconvinced by Arkin.Respect is due.

Purchased and viewed on a recommendation. This movie was a nice surprise. Not what I expected. "Heart of a Lonely Hunter" takes you inside a deaf man's world during the time of Civil Rights. John Singer a deaf-mute, Played by Alan Arkin, must hold a card that speaks for him. It reads, "I am a deaf-mute. I read lips and understand everything that is being to me. Please do not shout."

It was interesting... in the begining, I reguarded that "simple" card as a prop in a movie. Soon, at least for me. The card with the "simple" statements became a seperate character all its own.

The draw Alan Arkin has playing Singer to both the cast and the audience is remarkable. I felt myself drawn to John Singer, the character from the begining. This is do to what Arkin brought to the screen in the way of, sincerity to his character and good Samaritan helpfulness. I have not experienced anything like it since Melissa Gilbert played "Helen Keller," in the 1979 version of, "The Miracle Worker."

Singer's believe ability as a character, I think is what earned Arkin an Academy Award nomination."Heart of a Lonely Hunter" also marks the movie debuts of Sandra Locke and Stacy Keach.

A surprise gem of a sleeper movie, found! Remarkably touching. Don't miss it!