I did not want to post this in the video section because it is not a clip buy possibly a useful link for film lovers.
I first read the book America America in Iran in early 70's. I bought it accidently. It was in a bundle of paperbacks on sale. I bought the bundle because it had all the Sadegh Hedayat's paperbacks. My intention was to keep Hedayat, eyeball the rest and keep those worthwhile.
Reading was the only escape from the internimable boredom of summer school breaks in Teheran. Playing football in the street was the only escape. But it was simply out of the question during noon or afternoon (as nosebleeds would ensue). By the way that is probably where the astute Indian observation that became the famous English saying 'only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun', comes from.
Once I read Hedayat and motivated myself to at least have a look at the rest of the bundle, I got to America America and I could not put the book down. Kazan was not just a great director but a very good storyteller. I read the book so many times in the coming summers before I left Iran that I lost count.
Elia Kazan's America America full video on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clpya6Wcr3I
PS:
I seem to keep experiencing the cliche 'real life is stranger than fiction'. Before she passed away my aunt, sent me a few bits and pieces of mine. As I went through the decades old junk, there it was, the only item worth preserving, America America! The same beaten old paperback!!
I never made it to the (real) promised land. I visited when I was much older and I decided it was 'no country for old men'. I still have a soft spot for the ideals before the Empire. I guess I am from the generation that caught the tail end of optimism about the 'new country' and 'continent'.
I highly recommed the above either in film or book format.
PS2: I wish the person putting it on Youtube had not put the jngoist roll in the beginning. The story does not need it.
great movie. i love the part where mr. kebabian says, "this is america, hamal! this is america".
Thanks so much for sharing. You can embed the video on this page. Copy the embed code from YouTube, click on Edit on this page, then on the top left corner of the panel click on "Source". Then you can paste the video embed code in any part of the text. Click on submit and the video will become visible on the page. Thanks again for sharing a great film.
I will do it JJ when on my PC. I posted it from my IPad.