Elia Kazan’s reverberating if under-celebrated debut feature, adapted from Betty Smith’s 1943 eponymous novel, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN takes a closer look on a second generationIrish-American family in the year of 1912, dwelling in their cramped tenement apartment in Brooklyn, struggling with immiseration and bereavement.

If the synopsis sounds depressing, conversely, the film is nothing if not life-affirming, Kazan attests to be a top-drawer storyteller with his unobtrusive camerawork, snaking dexterously within a two-by-four space,the narrative is unfolded from the POV of Francie (Garner), a sensitive, studious and impressionable 13-year-old girl, who develops a quasi-Electra complex towards her buoyant father Johnny Nolan (Dunn), at the expense of a small chasm between her and the more matter-of-fact, diligent housewife mother Katie (McGuire). The Nolans is a happy family, Francie also has a younger brother Neeley (Donaldson), except for their hand-to-mouth existence, because Johnny is anything but an adequate breadwinner, his forte is to bring contagious elation to those around him, with his chirpy singing and devil-may-care spirit, a pipe dreamer afflicted by intemperance, he is more contented in dreaming up what he will do when his ship comes in, than actually actuating it, alas, Johnny's American dream never actualizes, but this doesn’t make him a lesser human being, on the contrary, he is a generous giver, lading out merriment whenever, wherever, spontaneously, only the sad truth is that he is not up to raise a big family, which flags up why contraception is more an imperative than an immoral contraption for humans. James Dunn wins an Oscar (beggar belief this is the film’s sole Oscar nomination!) for his brimful, simpatico earnestness beautifully corroded by a telling patina of pathos.

Katie, on the other hand, is the hinge of the household, husbanding every cent (but regularly ponies up their weekly premium nonetheless), and her disenchantment of a rosier future starts to gnaw at her when it clocks to her that it might never occur, yet, it is the thought that she loves Johnny for who he is, conciliates her and puts her on her mettle, in the end of the day, it is the bonhomie the family basks in really matters, Dorothy McGuire wholeheartedly avails herself of Katie’s plain demeanor and modest rig, and pours out her ambivalent emotion with unrivaled assurance and veracity, the final reconciliation between her and Francie strikes such a profound chord that it is an oceanic remiss her low-key brilliance is stiffed by the Academy here, among many an awards-worthy achievement of this refined gem.

Serendipitously, child actressPeggy Ann Garner is conferred with a special Oscar for her central performance, in fact, the whole movie is her Bildungsroman and Garner makes good in both those emotion-charging demands and those plumbing into Francie’s more infantile dispositions, as in completing for parental attention from Neeley,Ted Donaldson also shines with a naturally cavalier mien that largely countervails Garner's more precocious headspace. Last but not the least is aunt Sissy, Katie’s elder sister, played by Joan Blondell with snazzy verve and pizzazz, thrice married and naming all her hubbies Bill, she is by any rate, a different kettle of fish from Katie, yet the exemplar of a kid’s favorite aunt, a happy-go-lucky counterpart of Johnny, but free of livelihood worries, a bonus to be a woman of its time, isn't it?

A humane, unassuming drama inculcating precious wisdom of growing up, of calibrating one’s life aspect and of finding hope and sunshine in one’s darkest moments, if one claims A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN is Kazan’s best work, most likely, it is not an overstatement.

referential entries: Kazan’s ON THE WATERFRONT (1954, 8.1/10), A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951, 9.0/10), GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT (1947, 7.8/10).

1

中國(guó)人有一句話，叫理解萬(wàn)歲。

想理解一個(gè)人太難了。片中的爸爸酗酒，天天在外面進(jìn)行演出，深更半夜不著家。盡給孩子和媽媽許諾一些空頭支票。但在他酗酒失足去世以后，無(wú)數(shù)的人到他目前來(lái)哀悼，因?yàn)樗褮g樂(lè)帶給過(guò)他們，他是如此用心，每個(gè)人都記著他，也記著他的好，好像緩解了他們生命的悲慘。

片中的媽媽豆腐心刀子嘴，這也不讓做那也不讓做。甚至乖女兒學(xué)習(xí)那么有天賦，也想讓她輟學(xué)給家里掙工分。更不要提她從來(lái)不看女兒的作文了。但我們發(fā)現(xiàn)這樣的媽媽太偉大了，又當(dāng)?shù)之?dāng)媽，甚至連自己要生產(chǎn)的時(shí)候?yàn)榱斯?jié)省家用都不去醫(yī)院，自己在家生產(chǎn)。為了孩子和家人，她犧牲了一切。

當(dāng)然還有我們的小女主角，這個(gè)女兒學(xué)習(xí)太用功了，發(fā)誓要把區(qū)圖書(shū)館的書(shū)從 a到Z全讀一遍。有一天他借了一本憂郁的解剖，這恰好是我最愛(ài)的一本書(shū)，16 17世紀(jì)寫(xiě)當(dāng)事人的生活方式的。圖書(shū)館員說(shuō)，你怎么能讀這么枯燥的書(shū)？但這個(gè)女孩子就是如此愛(ài)學(xué)習(xí)，家里花盡錢(qián)財(cái)買(mǎi)了一本莎士比亞全集，所有人都讀不懂，但是他還是要從頭讀到尾。這使人非常感動(dòng)，因?yàn)樵谀菢哟緲愕臍q月，大家對(duì)于文學(xué)是那樣的尊重。買(mǎi)一本莎士比亞全集，是一個(gè)非常了不起的家庭大事。一本圣經(jīng)也是那樣。

在我們這個(gè)年代，往往感到懷念的就是那種淳樸。那種暖暖的人情味兒。

即使你的小姨是做女招待的，三天兩頭換個(gè)男友。突然有一天發(fā)現(xiàn)他的前丈夫現(xiàn)在在當(dāng)救火英雄，已經(jīng)生了4個(gè)孩子，他會(huì)氣的要死。

即使你的外婆是個(gè)歐洲移民，但是他會(huì)很用心的告訴你，在我們那個(gè)歲月一個(gè)人干死了，也不會(huì)超過(guò)自己的父親，而我們費(fèi)盡心力來(lái)到了美國(guó)就是為了追逐美國(guó)夢(mèng)在這里你只要想干，你就能獲得自己想要的理想生活。

卡贊就是想表現(xiàn)這一點(diǎn)。 2

想起了媽媽真不易。為了節(jié)省家用，他們搬到了這棟出租公寓的最頂樓。其實(shí)省的也不多。

但是上一任老太太因?yàn)楦恫黄饛拇翱诎徜撉俚馁M(fèi)用，就是讓他們托管。爸爸就彈了一首勞瑞的曲子。

似乎每個(gè)人都能在這個(gè)片子里找到自己生活的影子。

片中的圣誕節(jié)讓我想起了卡博特的少年。他們等待賣(mài)冬青樹(shù)的人把最大的那一顆送給他們 ，前提是兩個(gè)小朋友能把它接在手上。他們攢了所有的積蓄，給媽媽買(mǎi)了一小瓶玫瑰香油，有點(diǎn)那個(gè)時(shí)代的護(hù)手霜的意思。而給他們熱愛(ài)的爸爸呢，就用男孩子的鞋帶扎了一個(gè)懷表帶兒。雖然爸爸沒(méi)有懷表，但是他也開(kāi)心極了。

物資越匱乏的時(shí)候，人們?cè)侥苡浀盟麄兊臍g樂(lè)。

因?yàn)槟鞘牵藗冏钣袗?ài)。