BLAZE
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 1989 Mark R. Leeper
Capsule review: Not as well-hyped as other films this holiday season, BLAZE is still a front-runner for plaudits with a solid performance by Lolita Davidovitch managing to steal the show from Paul Newman. Rating: high +2.
For a while the most interesting films of the year were released during the summer. These days the period with the best films is the winter holiday season so they are fresh in people's minds for Oscar nominations. released with very little fanfare, BLAZE is certainly a contender. BLAZE manages to be a serious film and at the same time delightful, not an easy feat. History records that Governor Earl Long of Louisiana, brother to empire- builder Huey Long, was himself a crafty politician and an eccentric character. Earl risked his career to continue a long-standing affair with a notorious stripper, Blaze Starr. BLAZE is the story of Blaze Starr's career, Earl and Blaze's relationship, and Louisiana politics.
The story starts with Blaze (played by Lolita Davidovitch) leaving the Appalachian hill country and going to New Orleans to find work. She is tricked into becoming a stripper, but once she gets used to it she becomes a major New Orleans attraction. Once she meets the Governor (played by Paul Newman) they start spending time together. At some point unclear this stops being social climbing on Blaze's part and becomes a deeply felt, mutually supportive love. The wilder and crazier Earl gets, the more loyalty Blaze is able to muster. At first Earl is enough of a politician to support the rights of blacks and sell it as racism to a constituency that will buy only racism. When he can no longer fool the racists he continues to support equality, knowing it may be political suicide. His political enemies retaliate by using his undeniable eccentricities against him in the press. Blaze does not always understand Earl, but she unfailingly knows what Earl needs.
With an actor of Paul Newman's stature acts as eccentrically as Earl Long, a virtual unknown of a co-star runs the risk of going totally unnoticed. That was now what happened at all. If anything, Davidovitch walked away with the film. A Yugoslav by birth and a naturalized Canadian, she is convincing as a touch but gentle woman from Appalacia with an ability to hold audience attention that goes beyond her physical attraction. Davidovitch had small parts in ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING and THE BIG TOWN, but is unlikely to get any more small parts.
Ron Shelton previously directed BULL DURHAM with good characterization but not such a good story. His BLAZE has a better story and gets a rating of a high +2 on the -4 and +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
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