[FilmReview]Charly(1968)6.3/10

“Ifthepluralofmouseismice,thepluralofspousemustbespice.”awisecrackfromourprotagonistCharlyGordon(Robertson),tryingtoconvinceviewersthatitissomethingageniuswouldjestwithhisgirlfriend,bothsun-drenched,lyingonacozymeadow.ButthisisnottheCharlyweknowinthebeginning,andinhindsight,theopeningscenehasalreadypresagedthedownbeatpayoff,CharlyisamentallychallengedmanwhoismiraculouslycuredbyanexperimentalsurgeryconceivedandcarriedoutbytheteamoftwoextraordinaryscientistsDr.RichardNemur(Janney)andDr.AnnaStraus(Skala).BasedonDanielKeyesprestigiousshortstory,RalphNelson’sCHARLYfacesadauntingtasktoconvinceaudiencetheinconceivabletransubstantiationfromasimpletontoagenius,notonthescientificlevel(sinceitisafantasyasyetunaccomplished),butthegiantmentalleapofitssubjectwhichwecanempathizewith.SowhatthemoviechoosestopresentisCharlyenunciatingalitanyofscientificjargonandliteraryexcerpts,ashemasterstheentirecurriculumofanordinaryperson’seducationwithinweeks,andhislimitseemstobeuncapped.Butasanaxiomaticbelief,intelligenceshowsmoreinone’sactionthanwords,whatCharlydoesdoesnotindexwithhissurgingI.Q.,hyperbolicallythrustshis“suddenawakening”libidointoahorrendousrapeattemptonhisnightschoolteacherAliceKinnian(Bloom)isalowmove,aFreudianinstincthasverytenuoustie-inwith“becomingsmart”,moreprickly,aflaring-up’sAlice’sretortwiththat“R”wordisanastyslaponthemovie’sownface,maybeinthe60s,“pitysex”isnotanoptiononthefilmmakers’plate,whichwouldbeveryprobableunderthatscenario.Weirderandweirder,afterajarringmontageofCharlyexperiencingthatera’scounter-culture(aka.motor-ridinghippiedom)inthewakeofAlice’sspurn,aproposofnothing,thelatterhascometohersensesthatinfactshedoeslovehim,theybecomeapairandenjoytheirephemerallifeofRiley,untilbadtidingsfromCharly’serstwhilecompetitor,anintelligence-enhancedmousenamedAlgernon,suggeststhatCharly’sprogressmaynotbepermanent,areversionseemstobeinevitable,butoneshouldn’tdespair,Charlyisalwaysagailychump,thereischancethatlifewouldbebetterifhekeepsthatway.WinningCliffRobertsonanOscarforhisdiametricalimpersonationsfrommentallyhandicappedtowhipsmart,Robertson’sperformanceisanythingbutgroundbreaking,savingfromdeployingCharly’sbefore-and-afterpersonaswithtriteticsandtraits,hehaslittletogingerupthesmartCharly’sformulaic,stoicalcharacterizationwhenthestoryveersintoadifferentdirection.Whereasawell-coifedClaireBloomandasteelyLiliaSkalamovewithtruegritintheirthinlydevelopedcharacters,ifonlyRaviShankar’sclatteringsitarscorecouldsavetheday,aratherordinarycinematicadaptationofaninstructivetall-tale,Robertson’sOscarwinisararefluke,especiallypickedoverPeterO’Toole’scothurnus-turninTHELIONINWINTER,achoicetheAcademydefinitelyruesfromthegroundup.referentialentries:BarryLevinson’sRAINMAN(1988,8.2/10);SidneyLumet’sEQUUS(1977,8.2/10).本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。