Go Off With A Bang
'In Praise of Older Women' is one of those films I first saw on late night tv in the 90's as a teen and I cannot lie. It was definitely strong sexual themes, content that caught my eye. I've never forgotten it, but only by chance do I revisit and find myself appreciating it for other elements now. Largely because it's plot headlined by Tom Berenger goes for gravitas in matters of love and fails spectacularly.
András Vayda (Berenger) a young boy in war torn 1940's Hungary loses his father and is raised solely by his mother. An able go between for American GI's, black market supplies grants him his first taste of female pleasure. Now older he finds young women his age difficult and his search for love, sex turns to the mature set. As his country, world changes before him so does he and it's one romance after another, lessons in heartbreak and moving on.
Watching this now, I was surprised at what we young men used to find arousing. We've come a long way with nudity in cinema and what's on display is relatively tame and in much shorter bursts than I recalled. Though I'm not sure what light to view a young boy's encounter with a prostitute under anymore. Erotic? Fantasy? Distasteful?
When that wasn't occupying my mind it was me trying to keep a straight face. Buying into Tom as an awkward young man (he was nearly thirty here). A bit when he reveals contemplating suicide if he didn't get the nerve to ask Maya (Karen Black) to have sex. Then later on offering a woman a ceramic ashtray as a gesture of love. What?
My younger self enjoyed the sex, appreciation for older women even if I couldn't grasp the cinematic badness going on, historical elements. The mature me can see 'In Praise of Older Women' is not a great film and bungles many of it's ideas, theme, but still retains an interesting notion or two.
András Vayda (Berenger) a young boy in war torn 1940's Hungary loses his father and is raised solely by his mother. An able go between for American GI's, black market supplies grants him his first taste of female pleasure. Now older he finds young women his age difficult and his search for love, sex turns to the mature set. As his country, world changes before him so does he and it's one romance after another, lessons in heartbreak and moving on.
Watching this now, I was surprised at what we young men used to find arousing. We've come a long way with nudity in cinema and what's on display is relatively tame and in much shorter bursts than I recalled. Though I'm not sure what light to view a young boy's encounter with a prostitute under anymore. Erotic? Fantasy? Distasteful?
When that wasn't occupying my mind it was me trying to keep a straight face. Buying into Tom as an awkward young man (he was nearly thirty here). A bit when he reveals contemplating suicide if he didn't get the nerve to ask Maya (Karen Black) to have sex. Then later on offering a woman a ceramic ashtray as a gesture of love. What?
My younger self enjoyed the sex, appreciation for older women even if I couldn't grasp the cinematic badness going on, historical elements. The mature me can see 'In Praise of Older Women' is not a great film and bungles many of it's ideas, theme, but still retains an interesting notion or two.
- refinedsugar
- Apr 3, 2024