Atlantic City (1981)

Atlantic City was nominated for Best Picture of 1981. It's the story of a long-time but low-level gangster named Lou (played by Burt Lancaster), who falls in love with a much younger oyster bar waitress named Sally (played by Susan Sarandon), who has aspirations to become a croupier. Neither of them has yet to be successful at achieving his/her dreams, as evidenced by the rather seedy apartment building in which they both live. In fact, hardly anyone in the movie has managed to live out her/his dreams: Grace, the bedridden showgirl who was married to a mobster; Dave, Sally's husband who has gotten involved with cocaine smugglers; even Sally's younger sister, whom Dave has impregnated. But all of them have aspirations, and all of them believe that they will succeed if given just one more chance.

Watching this film is like watching a master class in acting. Lancaster had been out of the spotlight for many years when he got this part. He's amazing to watch, even better (I think) than he was when he starred in films like Elmer Gantry and The Birdman of Alcatraz. You can see all of the failed attempts at getting out of the criminal life that he has taken, but you can also see the fire of passion that still burns in him as he watches Sally use lemons to wash off the smell of her job at the end of the day. He has such gravity to him, such weight, when he walks or even when he's observing other people.

This was relatively early in Sarandon's career, but you can already see just how talented she is. Despite being stuck in a low-paying job, which she took out of necessity to escape her impoverished past, Sally too has a powerful desire to better herself. The frustration she experiences as she attempts to learn how to work as a casino dealer is written clearly on Sarandon's face; at times, everything seems to be conspiring against her shot at success (or escape). Both performers convey so much even without dialogue, although the script itself is also excellent, using these people's lives to show a time of transition in the title city, as the old apartment buildings are being torn down to make way for the casinos which promised redemption for Atlantic City.

I might never have seen this film had I not started this project. Nothing about the plot summary suggested that it would be one that I enjoyed. Who could fathom a love story between someone of Lancaster's age and someone of Sarandon's age? Who would believe that these two unlikely partners would get themselves involved in dope peddling? However, this is truly a forgotten classic. People don't talk about it very much these days; maybe there are just too many other films from that era getting more attention, or perhaps not that many people have seen it. That's a shame. This film deserves a wider audience.