Nymphomania

I thought that "A Rage To Live" was a fine -yet tragic- portrayal of a nymphomaniac (Suzanne Pleshette) struggling to find personal identity outside of the bedroom, auto backseat, etc. Also, the meaning & outer realms of "love" and how it factors into a one-sided, non-monogamous marriage. Ben Gazzara's character is very dark; a hard-working Irishman who desires material wealth as well as the flesh. There are several story lines that branch from Pleshette's infidelities, one of which brings a psychologically tragic aspect to the film. A feminist approach to this film might suggest that all of the other women in the film were overly (yet appropriately for the times) supportive of their husbands alone, living or deceased. Pleshette's character felt the need to find her true self with the help of emotional love, given to her for the first time by her husband. She constantly admits to having a "problem that she is embarrassed about", however she seeks no real counsel or help. Pleshette almost appears too aware of her faults yet acts baffled when she is caught. Her character is too assuming of others' forgiveness, using the age-old "I said I was sorry" routine almost every time. The "encounters" are subtle and portrayed very tactfully as well, I suppose because it was still the 1960's; I would hate for this film to be remade because I'm sure that some of the scenes would have overblown sexual situations.

Grace Caldwell (Suzanne Pleshette) has a problem - she really likes sex. The film treats it like an addiction, probably triggered when she is raped by a friend of her brother's when she is still in high school. It seems like, if she was a guy, at least when she was single, the adults wouldn't be taking this so seriously. But abortion was largely illegal in 1965, so that's at least part of it.

So like most addicts, Grace pledges reform at certain junctures - when her mother has a heart attack after they have an argument over her behavior, and then later when she marries Sidney Tate (Bradford Dillman). She first grows to love Sidney when he defends her honor against the insults of the man who raped her in high school. But in each case, in spite of promises of sobriety, she falls off the wagon and offends again. Being married and doing this can have particularly bad consequences, and it does.

Suzanne is joined by the earthy Ben Gazzara, the patrician Bradford Dillman, the slimy Mark Goddard (offering to scrub Suzanne's back), and even Peter Graves and the oleaginous character actor James Gregory slithers around as a family doctor (!). Bret Somers (then Mrs. Jack Klugman I believe) even proves that she was a thespian at least once before The Match Game became her claim to fame. One of my favorite character actors from the '60s, Frank Maxwell also pops up in a small role, (see 1958's Lonelyhearts for a sample of his real worth as an actor).

Despite the puritanical overtones, this is really a psychodrama about the forces of lust and jealousy versus the 50's white bread fantasy of domestic bliss. A-list actors and some great camera shots make me wonder why this film isn't more highly regarded.

I really love this movie. Grace Caldwell is the ultimate bad girl, tries to turn her life around, but is crushed in the end. Nothing like the book, A Rage To Live was considered racy for the 60's. Suzanne Pleshette acted her heart out. I've been waiting for years for this to come out on video; in fact, I haven't even seen it on TV for several years.

Grace Caldwell differs from the usual "bad girl" in that she's not trading sex for money, social advancement, etc. Nor is she detached from a "normal" life of home and family. Rather she is an intelligent wife & mother who has a fling on the side just because she's horny, in the manner expected of men. A good film with strong performances by Suzanne Pleshette as Grace & Ben Gazarra as her lover.

I would definitely recommend this film to others. I especially enjoyed this film because it had a great cast and the story plays out quite realistically. A lot of modern movies have very unrealistic endings or story lines and in contrast this movie contains a solid story line and a realistic ending. It shows how an individual's actions has consequences. So from this perspective, it also has a lesson woven into it. I really like the dramatic role each character has. Characters like Mrs. Hollister and Mr. Bannon really make the story entertaining. Aside from the richness of the story line, I absolutely loved the costumes! Suzanne Plechette wears a number of gorgeous dresses throughout the film that would still be fashionable today.