A Patch of Blue (1965)

Directed by Guy Green. Starring Sidney Poitier, Elizabeth Hartman, Shelley Winters, Wallace Ford, Elisabeth Fraser, Ivan Dixon.

Sensitive if occasionally coarse melodrama with blind Hartman falling in love with gentle soul Poitier, much to the chagrin of her cruel, belittling mother (Oscar-winner Winters) and drunk grandfather (Ford, in his final film role). Provocative upon its release, featuring one of the earliest instances of an interracial kiss in a major motion picture, as well as a chilling rape scene (suggested rather than graphic, which only encourages the darkest recesses of the imagination); it teeters on the edge of decorum and sentimentality, but the strength of the performances keeps it on the respectable side far more often. Adapted from a book by Elizabeth Kata (“Be Ready with Bells and Drums”), which had a different, more archly pessimistic conclusion. Considering how the film had been played up to that point, preserving the original ending would have ruined the film, but a movie with a slightly different tone could have sold the caustic original, allowing for a rare instance where a skewed remake might be truly rewarding.

79/100