Berlin - New Yorker Lorenz Hart (1895-1943) may have died as melancholic and depressed as the beginning of his most emblematic song, Blue Moon , suggests in 1934. At least that's what the film inspired by the final phase of the composer and lyricist, who died at age 48 from pneumonia contracted after spending a night drunk in the gutter of a bar in winter, posits.
By capturing Hart's state of mind a few months before his death, Blue Moon is nominated for two Golden Globes at the ceremony scheduled for January 11 in Los Angeles. Nominated for Best Comedy or Musical and Best Actor in the same category (with Ethan Hawke), the film directed by Richard Linklater serves as a foreshadowing of the tragic and premature fate that awaited the composer.
The viewer only needs to witness one night in Hart's life to delve into the psyche of the lyricist, who allowed himself to be destroyed by insecurity, bitterness, alcoholism, and loneliness. Even without knowing the composer's background, the beginning of the song "Blue Moon ," composed in partnership with Richard Rodgers, already gives an idea: "Blue moon, you saw me alone. Without a dream in my heart. Without a love just for me."
“Lorenz Hart had a striking personality because he knew that, without it, nobody would notice him. He felt ignored, starting with being such a short guy,” said Ethan Hawke, referring to the composer's diminutive stature of 1.47 meters.
"It's heartbreaking to follow such an irreverent and funny guy, but who hides a deep sadness, of someone who didn't feel worthy of love," the actor added to NeoFeed at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Berlin.
Still without a defined release date in Brazil, where it will be distributed by Sony, Blue Moon pays homage to the composer known for his witty and, at the same time, profound and melancholic lyrics. Not only his depression and addictions are said to have influenced his work, but also his homosexuality, kept secret due to the period in which he lived, marked by great discrimination.
Perhaps the suffering and frustration from a love life made up only of clandestine encounters led Hart to write such romantic songs as My Funny Valentine (1937), or ironic songs like The Lady Is a Tramp (1937).
All of his most significant work was done in partnership with Rodgers, with whom Hart worked from 1919 until his death in 1943. Together, they wrote over 500 songs and nearly 30 musicals, including Broadway hits such as On Your Toes (1936) and Babes in Arms (1937), which marked an era and shaped the modern musical with early productions that blended humor and dance on stage.
The deterioration of the partnership with Rodgers, due to alcoholism that made Hart increasingly unfit for work, was a hard blow for the composer. This explains why the script for Blue Moon focuses on the night of March 31, 1943, precisely at the opening of the musical Oklahoma!, which Rodgers preferred to write with another lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein II, leaving Hart aside.
The entire action, imagining what could have happened that night, is set in the bar of Sardi's restaurant, the venue for the reception after the Broadway musical's premiere. While waiting to greet Rodgers (Andrew Scott), who will try to keep his distance from his former partner, Hart talks to whoever he encounters, be it the bartender or the pianist at the establishment.
Hart is a sort of verbal machine gun. And he tends to make the people around him very uncomfortable, always sharing more than he should – including his recent obsession with a student (Margaret Qualley).
The evening functions almost like a therapy session. In his monologues, Hart ends up opening his heart, exposing his romantic and professional disappointments, although he never abandons his sarcasm. Even wanting to resume his partnership with Rodgers, he can't even hide his disdain for Oklahoma!, which he considers too sentimental.
“The key to the performance was finding the balance,” said Hawke, impeccable in the role of a man who needs help but is too cynical to admit it. “The idea is that the film has the same effect as the song Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered ,” stated the actor, citing the popular song from the musical Pal Joey , written by Hart and Rodgers in 1940.
“It’s eight minutes that blend different tones and moods. This jazz music is sad, funny, sensual, and captivating all at once. And the film aims to be as infectious as the song,” commented the actor, a longtime collaborator of Linklater.
Among other titles, they starred together in the Before trilogy, a classic of postmodern love, with the films Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013).
It's true that the Blue Moon project is old, but did Linklater wait for Hawke to become "less attractive" to play the lonely Hart?
“Yes. Linklater first told me about the script 15 years ago. I wanted to play the character immediately, but he said I wasn’t ready. Linklater wanted more wrinkles on my face. He said I needed to suffer a little more in life,” the 55-year-old actor said, laughing.
