Overview"A Memory of Two Mondays" is a 1971 drama film directed by Paul Bogart, based on Arthur Miller's 1955 one-act play. The film displays a raw, untainted piece of post-war American life that unravels through the eyes of the main character, Bert, played by Harvey Keitel.
Setting and CharactersThe movie is set in a dingy auto-parts warehouse in New York City throughout the late 1940s post-World War II-era. Bert works there to conserve cash for college. The base pay workers, an amalgamation of different characters, add to the psychological landscape of the film, such as Tom, the alcoholic foreman, played by Jack Warden, Raymond, the quixotic and semi-literate worker seen in Joseph Wiseman's portrayal, and Jerry, a hurt war veteran played by Martin Sheen.
Plot"A Memory of Two Mondays" presents a direct narrative spread throughout 2 particular Mondays. The movie starts with Bert, a young and enthusiastic high school graduate, entering into the bleak world of the auto-parts storage facility. Here, he fulfills his co-workers, each with a different individual strife which they bear with an exceptional sense of humor and sociability.
The first Monday is set throughout the peak of summer season and explores life within the boundaries of the storage facility. Bert quickly recognizes the task isn't just about the ordinary job of shipping orders however more about making it through in the midst of screening human drama. He witnesses Tom's struggles with alcohol addiction, Raymond's disappointment versus the confines of his life, and Jerry's trauma from the consequences of war.
Subsequent Developments and ClimaxAs summer goes beyond into a cold, severe winter, the movie moves onto the second Monday. Bert's last day and a sense of clean slate is contrasted poignantly with the gloomy stagnancy of his coworkers' lives intensified by the departure of Tom due to his alcoholism. With the head of the home metaphorically gone, lesser mortals like Raymond and Jerry suffer. Jerry not only loses his mentor in the storage facility however likewise his buddy with whom he shared his uncomfortable war memories.
Like the very first Monday, the second also checks out the personal lives of the employees. However, it serves more as a conclusion to the bottled up disappointments, unfinished dreams, and unmentioned tales of the warehouse employees subsequently exposing how no one can leave their fate.
Conclusion"A Memory of Two Mondays" is an effective movie that magnetizes viewers to its simple, reasonable story. Miller's writing, combined with Bogart's instructions and good efficiencies by a star-studded ensemble cast, highlights the daily lives of ordinary individuals, their dreams, aspirations, disappointments, and their battle for survival.
The film concludes on a grim yet confident note highlighting Bert's departure for college, juxtaposed versus the seclusion felt by the staying storage facility workers. It is a bitter-sweet bye-bye that Bert quotes to his colleagues, leaving them to withstand the extreme winters alone, however likewise to embark on his own journey of growth and self-discovery. Throughout the thick emotional story of the movie, the essence of human resilience and sociability is magnificently preserved, making the movie a substantial contribution to American remarkable movie theater.
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