Combined with a hardboiled attitude it’s set up for disaster, as he catches his wife cheating on him. Contrary to the trope, Harry is married, and seems to genuinely love his wife. Still, there is a great and original moment as we watch Harry and Ellen’s relationship.
The film grew on me by the midpoint, as the piling on of characters leveled off and I accepted the strange 70s look for what it was. I suppose I could blame this on the DVD and a bad conversion, and maybe the Blu Ray would look better, but I still have my doubts of any improvement, with maybe an exception of the closing scene. But then - why work with such uncomfortable material at all? This seems an example where an equally intricate plot without the pedophilia could have and might have worked a bit better. I assume some sixteen year girls might be more developed and sexually open compared to others her age and Penn was simply portraying that. This isn’t to criticize Arthur Penn (though the objectification of an underage girl is gross and unwarranted), so much as raises a second ethical issue in that no matter what conclusion you come to with the above situation, Arthur Penn was trying to be honest with the material. The girl is attractive (I’m saying this knowing Griffith was of age while filming seee note below*), but when when I kept recalling the fact I started feeling more and more creepy. Although the situation was wildly uncomfortable, knowing she was underage and being molested, Arthur Penn nevertheless objectified her in wearing tight outfits, which slowly through the remaining half, came off more and more. There is a strange and uncomfortable Pulanskish fetishizing of the sixteen year old girl Delly Grastner (Melanie Griffith). And it makes me wonder if it’s because the costume designers on these shoots were told to utilize the present styles rather than providing a general flavor of the styles as though they’re using the trendiest clothes instead of finding what others might wear as an alternative, more muted style. It seems to so heavily honor the exact, present year it took place in that everyone’s wardrobe and the places they live look antiquated to the point of parody. I’ve mentioned it before, but PTA said him and the costume designer had to restrain themselves from being too true to the year for Inherent Vice, as the fashion would look like an exaggeration. The largest issue is that the film feels entirely too 70s.
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