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Actors: Scarlett Johansson, Nastassja Kinski, Tony Goldwyn
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about An American Rhapsody |
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The story is about the personal struggle with a communist government just before WWII and a family's struggle to have their youngest child, Suzanne played by Scarlett Johansson, returned to them. Suzanne's mother, father and sister are secreted out of Hungary. Plans have been made to have her join them later because there are no infants allowed on this clandestine escape route. Suzanne's grandmother cares for her until she learns she is about to be arrested herself and she sends Suzanne away to be safe. There are two families that love Suzanne, one family is her own biological family and the other is the foster family that keeps her safe and loved in the countryside of Hungary for six years. While Suzanne's biological family is living the American dream in California and trying to locate her, she is being raised as a peasant child by two parents unable to have children of their own. Suzanne's grandmother has been imprisoned in Hungary and after she is released, she goes to visit the peasant family that has taken care of her beloved grandchild. She arranges for an overnight visit and immediately places Suzanne on a plane headed for the United States. No one has told Suzanne or the peasant family that Suzanne will not return. Once she is reunited with her family in California through the help of the American Red Cross, her inner struggle begins to take place. She doesn't feel as though she belongs in America and longs for her foster parents and lifestyle in Hungary. As she grows, Suzanne tests the limits of her family's love through drinking, disobedience and other forms of teen-age rebelling. Ten years later, she returns to Hungary to visit her foster family and grandmother and begins to understand the reasons for her family's abandonment. She also comes to understand where she belongs.
--Jody T. Bixby, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of An American Rhapsody |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1930's-1950's
Polit/Social/Race/Gender activism
Yes
Plotlet:
- communist revolution!
Inner struggle or disability
Yes
Struggle with
- search for family/history
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- student
Age:
- a teen
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- blonde
Hair type
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavey
Body type
- (woman) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- sensitive
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Eastern European
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- blonde
Hair style
- (woman) long wavey
Body type
- (woman) average
How much in movie?
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Eastern European
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- homemaker
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 60%
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavey
Body type
- (woman) average
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Eastern European
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
Europe
Yes
Farm/Ranch?
Yes
Farm/Ranch:
- farm
Misc setting
- moving train
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Movie makes you feel...
- all mixed up
Any profanity?
- Some foul language
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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