A Real Vivien Leigh

Author: Guo Tao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: She is the epitome of beauty and talent. Long eyelashes, rosy lips, tiny dimples, expressive eyes, and a vibrant vitality. She embodies the classical elegance and refinement, as well as the modern passion and liveliness, earning her the title of "God's artwork." In Gone with the Wind, she is glamorous and passionate, brave and persistent; in The Blue Angel, she is gentle and demure; in A Streetcar Named Desire, she is tormented and tragically beautiful; characters like Anna Karenina, Cleopatra, and others shine under her performance. "She is so beautiful that talent is unnecessary; she is so talented that beauty is superfluous"—her beauty is endless. She has a perfect career but cannot have a happy life. She treats roles as her own and herself as a role, blurring the lines between acting and reality, which severely harms her physically and mentally, leaving her plagued by depression. Oliver's heartless departure only adds to her suffering, as she lives for love. Her body and spirit ultimately collapse. In the quiet residence of Titchfield, she often gazes intently at the light clouds in the blue sky and the butterflies playing in the grass, for hours on end, until the sunset paints the distant horizon in hues of red, far from the noise and chaos—her sorrow is endless. If there is a next life, she would still do two things: "become an actress" and "marry Oliver." She is a person with "unwavering devotion." Her dedication to art "unwaveringly" shaped her career as an actress; her devotion to Oliver "unwaveringly" led to the exhaustion of her body and spirit.
In 1940, at the age of 27, she married Laurence Olivier; in 1957, at 44, Olivier heartlessly abandoned her; in 1967, at 54, she lived alone in her residence until her death. "Her life began with love, kindness, and beautiful memories, but ended in tragedy," said an elderly woman. Churchill called her "God's artwork." The Eulogy praised her as "no actress can be as outstanding on stage as she is, no theater actor can be as radiant on screen as she is." One of New York's most stern critics, Walter Kerr, called her "a pearl on the crown." A waiter at the Neapolitan Hotel said, "I have never served anyone as lovely as her." Director Kramer said her courage was remarkable and that among the actors she worked with, she was "the most hardworking and career-driven." John Gielgud called her charm unmatched, describing her as "a great beauty, a genius, a dazzling film star, and a versatile theater actress."
This book is suitable for:
- Scholars or enthusiasts of British film history
- Scholars or enthusiasts of European film history
- Advocates or opponents of love above all
- Scholars or enthusiasts of women's life history
- Advocates or opponents of aestheticism
- Students and young adults