A common friend's sudden death brings three men, married with children, to reconsider their lives and ultimately leave the country together. But mindless enthusiasm for regained freedom will be short-lived.
Acting
Gazzara's raw desperation, Falk's nervous energy, Cassavetes' self-destruction.
Direction
Cassavetes lets scenes breathe until they suffocate.
Editing
Rambling 20-minute conversations that somehow never bore.
Director
John Cassavetes
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Cassavetes financed this himself after Hollywood studios rejected the rambling script. The 'script' was mostly 68 pages of scene descriptions—actors improvised everything else.
The film was savaged by critics in 1970, with Pauline Kael calling it 'a huge, sprawling, messy joke.' It's now considered essential American independent cinema.
US
