What made me really appreciate Shampoo was seeing Coming Home. Both films are set in 1968, and they play off each other in interesting ways. In Coming Home, the characters are directly faced with the horror of the Vietnam War. In Shampoo, the characters are insulated from reality -- perfectly symbolized in a very brief bit, when Jack Warden's character drives through Beverly Hills in his Rolls Royce, and listens to the car radio. When a news report about Vietnam appears on the radio, Warden quickly changes the station to hear someone droning on about the stock market. Near the end, the Vietnam War makes a brief and unwelcome appearance -- a Marine shows up at the salon, to bring the sad news that the salon owner's son has died (not in battle, but in an accident on an American base). Rather than playing up the melodrama and pathos that most directors would wallow in to drive the point home, Ashby underplays the moment.
Also, the script is very well thought out. Every little detail connects. The way Beatty drives his motorcycle like a madman, not paying attention to road hazards or traffic conditions -- does this say something about his immaturity? This point is underscored when Beatty attempts to get a loan to open his own salon -- Beatty's character has no clue about how to deal with a "square" bank executive. Just these two small scenes tell us a great deal about his character, which is confirmed in the larger sweep of the film, as Beatty's character fumbles his way through his personal relationships.
The story structure is very clever -- coitus interruptus is used three times as dramatic turning points in the story. On a deep philosophical level, the film is saying that satisfaction is unattainable, despite the feverish machinations of the characters. There is also the conceit of emptiness amidst splendor, that these characters have lots of money and sex, and yet still feel empty. It is all an exercise in futility, and wisdom is gained at a steep price -- when it is too late. And yet, despite the bleak truth underlying the film, it is funnier than hell.
One touch I enjoyed -- George is in the dark (literally) at the beginning of the film, as he has sex with Felicia in a darkened bedroom. At the end of the film, George is in the harsh morning light, learning a hard life lesson.
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grampashab
17 years ago
You make some good points for sure. It still feels a bit lightweight compared to Ashby's best though.
Badges? We don't need no stinking badges!
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