The Love of the Last Tycoon (1941)

-

by F. Scott Fitzgerald



F. Scott Fitzgerald's final novel, left uncompleted because of the author's death, tells the story of Monroe Stahr, a hotshot Hollywood producer facing his mortality and longing for a second chance at love.

 


The Hollywood sections, which were informed by the time Fitzgerald spent as a screenwriter, are wonderful, featuring the snappy dialogue and fast pace of a screwball comedy from the 40s. 



The prose in the romantic parts is a bit overheated and sappy, but no doubt that would have been improved by the author had he lived long enough.

 


A brilliant scene near the end, in which three children encounter the wreckage of a plane crash, makes me ache to read the novel that will never be.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lust, Caution (2007)

-
Image
Director: Ang Lee Writers: James Schamus, Hui-Ling Wang, based on a story by Eileen Chang Stars: Tang Wei, Tony Leung, Joan Chen, Leehom Wang, Chung-Hua Tou, Zhi-Ying Zhu, Ying-Hsuan Kao, Lawrence Ko, Johnson Yuen, Lar Lok Chin A young woman living in China during the Japanese occupation (Tang Wei)  becomes entangled with a collaborator (Tony Leung), whom she has been assigned to seduce and set up for execution.  The assignment eventually becomes the context for her entire life, until her very sense of self is wrapped up in layers of deceit and betrayal.  Ang Lee's masterful film introduces us to our characters when they are young college students swept up in idealistic fervor and then rejoins them years later when they are older and wearier, fighting the same battle more out of necessity than idealism.   This is a long film because Lee takes his time fleshing out these characters, but it is time well spent.  I was thoroughly engrossed and shattered by the film's harrowing conc
Read more

Ranked: Horror Movies

-
Image
A ranking of all the horror films that have been reviewed on this blog. 144   Jonah Hex (2010) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2023/10/jonah-hex-2010.html 143 Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2024/10/beyond-black-rainbow-2010.html 142 Night of the Demons (1988) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2020/10/night-of-demons-1988.html 141 House on Haunted Hill (1959) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2024/10/house-on-haunted-hill-1959.html 140 The Last Exorcism Part II (2013) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-last-exorcism-part-ii-2013.html 139 Monsturd (2003) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2020/09/monsturd-2003.html 138 Hannibal (2001)  https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2023/10/hannibal-2001.html 137 The Gift (2000) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-gift-2000.html 136 Infection (2004) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2022/10/infection-aka-kansen-2004.html 135 Female V
Read more

Ranked: The 1990s

-
Image
  A ranking of all the films released during the 1990s that have been reviewed on this blog. #65 Angels in the Outfield (1994) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2020/08/angels-in-outfield-1994.html #64 Showgirls (1995) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2021/11/showgirls-1995.html #63 Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (1997) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2020/08/knocking-on-heavens-door-1997.html #62 The Living Sea (1995) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-living-sea-1995.html #61 The Ninth Gate (1999) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-ninth-gate-1999.html #60 Thelma & Louise (1991) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2020/11/thelma-louise-1991.html #59 Forget Paris (1995) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2022/11/forget-paris-1995.html #58 Superstar (1999) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2021/11/superstar-1999.html #57 The Mummy (1999) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-mummy-1999.html #56
Read more