Explores the confrontation between the woman who has everything, including emptiness, and a penniless poet who has nothing but the ability to fill a wealthy woman's needs.Explores the confrontation between the woman who has everything, including emptiness, and a penniless poet who has nothing but the ability to fill a wealthy woman's needs.Explores the confrontation between the woman who has everything, including emptiness, and a penniless poet who has nothing but the ability to fill a wealthy woman's needs.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaTennessee Williams stated that this was the best movie version of any of his plays that was ever produced. The rest of the world did not seem to agree, for the monumentally expensive production bombed at the box office.
- GoofsNear the beginning of the film, when Taylor is lying on the bed, she pushes a button on the cassette player at her bedside which introduces John Barry's soundtrack music. However, the button she pushes is "rewind", not "play".
- Quotes
Flora 'Sissy' Goforth: Did somebody tell you I was dying this summer? Did somebody tip you off that Sissy Goforth was about to go forth this summer?
Chris Flanders: Yes. That's why I came.
Flora 'Sissy' Goforth: Well, well. I've escorted six husbands to the eternal threshold and come back alone without them. Now it's my turn. I've no choice but to do it, but I want to do it alone. I don't want to be escorted. I want to go forth alone. And you... you counted on touching my heart because you knew I was dying. Well, you miscalculated with this one. The milk train doesn't stop here anymore.
- ConnectionsFeatured in A Dirty Shame (2004)
Flora "Sissy" Goforth is a lonely woman of immense wealth, who reigns supreme over her servants and a nurse upon a rocky Italian island; evidently quite ill, Sissy is demanding and often cruel to those around her. Enter Chris Flanders, a some-time poet with an address book whose pages list the names of deceased women; also known as the "Angel of Death," Flanders washes up on the shores of Sissy's island. For some bitchy spice, Flora's flamboyant friend, the Witch of Capri, arrives and is carried on the shoulders of a muscular servant up to the villa. Taylor is much too beautiful, young, and vibrant to be a dying recluse, although she is excellent in a part that echoes her Oscar-winning Martha. Burton is always worth watching, and his magnificent voice gives some of Williams's lines the poetic justice they deserve. Coward is Coward and is amusing in his few scenes.
The visuals are often striking; the Sardinian scenery is magnificent; and a white Mediterranean villa, perched atop a cliff, and filled with striking art works, makes a suitable backdrop for the actors who are garbed in outlandish Japanese-inspired costumes. However, Barry's music is intrusive and inappropriate at times, and, unfortunately, Joseph Losey's direction is self-consciously arty, and he uses much symbolism, even beyond Williams's obvious Goforth, Angel of Death, and Witch of Capri monikers. Taylor is always dressed in white, while Burton is wrapped in a black samurai kimono and often carries a sword. Burton references the film's title several times, which is taken from the boom of the waves against the rocks below the villa. "Boom" is generally slow, pretentious, ponderous, talky, and difficult to recommend to any non-fans of Taylor, Burton, or Williams. However, for Taylor-Burton devotees, the film is essential viewing, and they will not be disappointed by Taylor's performance or Burton's reading of William's lines.
- dglink
- Dec 2, 2016
- How long is Boom!?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $10,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $322
- Runtime1 hour 50 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1