Blue Moon Film Analysis: Ethan Hawke Delivers in Richard Linklater's Heartbreaking Showbiz Split Story

Breaking up from the more prominent colleague in a showbiz duo is a dangerous endeavor. Comedian Larry David did it. The same for Andrew Ridgeley. Presently, this witty and deeply sorrowful small-scale drama from writer Robert Kaplow and filmmaker Richard Linklater narrates the all but unbearable tale of musical theater lyricist Lorenz Hart right after his split from Richard Rodgers. The character is acted with theatrical excellence, an unspeakable combover and fake smallness by actor Ethan Hawke, who is frequently technologically minimized in size – but is also occasionally recorded placed in an off-camera hole to gaze upward sadly at taller characters, addressing Hart's height issue as José Ferrer in the past acted the small-statured artist Toulouse-Lautrec.

Layered Persona and Elements

Hawke gets large, cynical chuckles with the character's witty comments on the concealed homosexuality of the film Casablanca and the overly optimistic stage show he’s just been to see, with all the rope-spinning ranch hands; he sarcastically dubs it Okla-gay. The sexuality of Hart is complicated: this film clearly contrasts his homosexuality with the straight persona invented for him in the 1948 theater piece Words and Music (with Mickey Rooney playing Hart); it cleverly extrapolates a kind of bisexuality from Hart's correspondence to his young apprentice: college student at Yale and aspiring set designer Weiland, portrayed in this film with uninhibited maidenly charm by actress Margaret Qualley.

As a component of the legendary musical theater songwriting team with composer Rodgers, Hart was accountable for unparalleled tunes like The Lady Is a Tramp, the number Manhattan, the beloved My Funny Valentine and of course the titular Blue Moon. But exasperated with the lyricist's addiction, undependability and gloomy fits, Richard Rodgers ended their partnership and partnered with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II to compose the musical Oklahoma! and then a multitude of live and cinematic successes.

Psychological Complexity

The movie envisions the deeply depressed Lorenz Hart in Oklahoma!’s opening night NYC crowd in 1943, observing with envious despair as the show proceeds, loathing its mild sappiness, hating the exclamation point at the finish of the heading, but dishearteningly conscious of how devastatingly successful it is. He realizes a hit when he views it – and senses himself falling into failure.

Prior to the intermission, Hart miserably ducks out and heads to the tavern at the establishment Sardi's where the rest of the film takes place, and anticipates the (certainly) victorious Oklahoma! company to show up for their post-show celebration. He is aware it is his entertainment obligation to praise Richard Rodgers, to pretend everything is all right. With polished control, the performer Andrew Scott acts as Richard Rodgers, evidently ashamed at what they both know is Hart’s humiliation; he gives a pacifier to his ego in the guise of a brief assignment writing new numbers for their existing show A Connecticut Yankee, which simply intensifies the pain.

• The performer Bobby Cannavale portrays the barman who in traditional style attends empathetically to Hart’s arias of bitter despondency
• Actor Patrick Kennedy portrays EB White, to whom Hart accidentally gives the idea for his children’s book the novel Stuart Little
• The actress Qualley portrays the character Weiland, the impossibly gorgeous Yale attendee with whom the movie conceives Lorenz Hart to be complexly and self-destructively in adoration

Hart has earlier been rejected by Rodgers. Surely the world wouldn't be that brutal as to get him jilted by Elizabeth Weiland as well? But Margaret Qualley ruthlessly portrays a youthful female who desires Hart to be the laughing, platonic friend to whom she can disclose her exploits with guys – as well of course the Broadway power broker who can promote her occupation.

Standout Roles

Hawke shows that Lorenz Hart to a degree enjoys spectator's delight in listening to these young men but he is also truly, sadly infatuated with Elizabeth Weiland and the picture reveals to us something rarely touched on in pictures about the realm of stage musicals or the movies: the terrible overlap between occupational and affectionate loss. Yet at one stage, Hart is rebelliously conscious that what he has achieved will endure. It’s a terrific performance from Hawke. This might become a stage musical – but who would create the numbers?

The movie Blue Moon was shown at the London cinema festival; it is available on 17 October in the USA, November 14 in the United Kingdom and on 29 January in the Australian continent.