Post by idioticbunny on Sept 14, 2017 20:32:40 GMT
At last, I've finally finished the decade. I had high hopes for this year as it's constantly called Hollywood's "Golden Year," but really, I didn't find it to be anything particularly special. Perhaps I didn't catch the right films, but I caught the ones that I, at least, hear discussed the most. Particularly, Gone with the Wind which I can now cross off my film bucket list and can proudly call myself a cinephile once more.
That being said, GWTW felt very messy. Not in the direction, and certainly not in the production or acting, but in its script. It certainly breezes by for a near 4-hour film and it's easy to see why this made so much money back in 1939 (adjusting for inflation, could be the highest grossing even, correct?). However, the fact that I consider Clark Gable supporting says it all. I love that this is Scarlett's story, and Vivien Leigh is terrific (maybe not the all-time great as everyone says, but still damn fantastic), but the film really lacks a cohesive narrative to really make us care to watch four whole hours of her. And I think it's because Gable's Rhett Butler is only sprinkled throughout for the first 3 hours before we rush their entire romance and years together in the last hour. And it sucks, because that last hour would've made for a fantastic film in and of itself. But sadly, we're rushed through without ever really getting a chance to care for them as a couple. I don't know. Perhaps it's because I had always assumed the film was a sweeping romantic epic like Titanic and we'd follow these two for the whole film, but we didn't. So maybe I'll need to re-watch it again. Also didn't find anything particularly special about Hattie McDaniel's performance, but it was still nice for her to get a nice role and even if I don't agree with it in my own line-ups, I'm very happy she won the Oscar. Strange, though, considering the film practically glorifies the Confederacy and condemns the North (practically describing them as Nazis, which were clearly a huge looming threat in '39), it makes me worry that perhaps all that money the film made was partially due to old Confederate admirers/descendants who looked upon the film - just as many did back in 1915 with Birth of a Nation - as an inspiration to continue their ideals. For most of the film, I could understand that the dialogue and what not was part of historical accuracy, but then calling the Union destructive monsters akin to Nazis in the inter-titles was excessive and unnecessary. Left a bad taste in my mouth. So, for those reasons alone, it gets a mere 8 from me.
As for the rest of the year, it's funny that the two I had seen before and only decided to re-watch would become my top 2 once more. One is an actual inspiration to the ideals America ought to stand for and includes an incredible ensemble led by a powerful Jimmy Stewart performance - one of his best for sure. The other film is a technical masterpiece that pretty much shaped my childhood values and features an even greater ensemble. Plus some forever catchy tunes.
Biggest surprises: Rules of the Game, considering my track record with Renoir, amazed me. I still think the first half needs a lot of work and doesn't have nearly the power the second half does, but maybe that is why the second half even felt so powerful. An incredible ensemble piece with a surprisingly fantastic performance by the director himself (though the whole cast is great). But really, for once, it's his writing and direction that wowed me. I can understand why so many love this, and in time perhaps I will as well, but it's certainly a bit too dense to really fully love on a first watch. Very happily surprised, though. Tops La Grande Illusion as my favorite of his works so far.
Another is The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum. While the pacing is ungodly slow, it all serves a purpose for showing the dull and colorless lifestyle of its main character. And Mizoguchi's use of long takes help to give off the essence of a stage play, but at the same time framing each shot in such a way that it still breathes life as a film. Crazy to think there wasn't a single close-up in the film, but again proves to show the emotional distance these characters share with one another. Incredibly heartfelt and moving, but I'm not sure I can watch it again due to its pacing. Happy I saw at least one Japanese film before the end of the decade, though. Will be sure to check out more when I work my way back.
Biggest disappointments: Since I've already discussed GWTW, I'll say the two Sherlock Holmes films (the titular one and the Baskervilles one). They're fine entertainment, sure, but Adventures is so dull because the film decided to add a scene in the beginning explaining how the whole plot would go and who would be behind it that there was hardly any intensity to it at all. The point of Sherlock is to be a detective, and when you deprive the audience of that, it's hard to be involved. As for the former, at least it kept the intensity and mystery to it, especially in the way it was shot. But when you have a Sherlock Holmes film, you probably shouldn't leave him absent for nearly half of the film's running time. I think Nigel Bruce's Dr. Watson is great comic relief, but he only truly shines when playing off of Rathbone's Holmes. I was excited to finally get around to the famous Rathbone/Bruce films, as I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, but these were a pretty big disappointment so I doubt I'll really want to continue any further with them.
Wuthering Heights was a bit of a disappointment, too, but that was mostly because Olivier seemed like he was sleep-walking for the whole thing compared to Merle Oberon who gave it her all.
Overall, a strong finish to the decade, but still not as strong as it promised to be. That actress line-up is golden, though and the first four would make worthy winners any other year. Here are my line-ups:
Best Picture:
01. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
02. The Wizard of Oz.
03. The Rules of the Game.
04. Ninotchka.
05. The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum.
06. Gone with the Wind.
07. Stagecoach.
08. The Roaring Twenties.
09. Only Angels Have Wings.
10. Wuthering Heights.
-----------------
11. Another Thin Man.
12. The Hound of the Baskervilles.
13. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
14. Jamaica Inn.
Best Director:
01. Victor Fleming - The Wizard of Oz.
02. Victor Fleming - Gone with the Wind.
03. Jean Renoir - The Rules of the Game.
04. Frank Capra - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
05. John Ford - Stagecoach.
Best Actor:
01. James Stewart - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
02. James Cagney - The Roaring Twenties.
03. Cary Grant - Only Angels Have Wings.
04. William Powell - Another Thin Man.
05. Basil Rathbone - The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Best Actress:
01. Vivien Leigh - Gone with the Wind.
02. Greta Garbo - Ninotchka.
03. Merle Oberon - Wuthering Heights.
04. Judy Garland - The Wizard of Oz.
05. Myrna Loy - Another Thin Man.
Best Supporting Actor:
01. Bert Lahr - The Wizard of Oz.
02. Thomas Mitchell - Only Angels Have Wings.
03. Claude Rains - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
04. Jean Renoir - The Rules of the Game.
05. Thomas Mitchell - Stagecoach.
Best Supporting Actress:
01. Margaret Hamilton - The Wizard of Oz.
02. Jean Arthur - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
03. Gladys George - The Roaring Twenties.
04. Olivia de Havilland - Gone with the Wind.
05. Kakuko Mori - The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum.
Best Original Screenplay:
01. The Rules of the Game.
02. Ninotchka.
03. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
04. Stagecoach.
05. The Roaring Twenties.
Best Adapted Screenplay:
01. The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum.
02. Wuthering Heights.
03. Gone with the Wind.
04. The Wizard of Oz.
05. Another Thin Man.
Best Ensemble:
01. The Wizard of Oz.
02. The Rules of the Game.
03. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
04. Gone with the Wind.
05. Stagecoach.
Best Editing:
Stagecoach.
Best Cinematography:
Gone with the Wind.
Best Art Direction:
The Wizard of Oz.
Best Costume Design:
Gone with the Wind.
Best Makeup:
The Wizard of Oz.
Best Visual Effects:
The Wizard of Oz.
Best Sound Design:
The Wizard of Oz.
Best Original Score:
Max Steiner - Gone with the Wind.
Best Original Song:
"Over the Rainbow" - The Wizard of Oz.
Special mention to Max Steiner for being a golden composer for the decade, but that GWTW theme alone is probably the best thing I've heard all decade, possibly of all-time. Goosebumps, man.
Oh, and Thomas Mitchell. Dude had the year of his life. He makes my top 10 for Supp. Actor three times (Only Angels Have Wings, Stagecoach, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), but on top of that had a great role in Gone with the Wind as well. And he was damn fantastic in all of them. I had seen him in bit roles in the decade, but never knew he was that damn good.
Very happy to be finished with the decade and be moving onto the 1940's. There were some truly great films this decade, but there were a far greater amount of bland ones. And I think it has a lot to do with how static the camera is compared to its previous and following decades. It works for Ernst Lubitsch because he frames so well and his actors whip off dialogue at lightning speed, but for others who can't follow in his footsteps, it can become a bit dull on a cinematic level.
I'm planning on finishing Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca before re-watching the film through Criterion, but beside the Chaplin and two animated films (Pinocchio and Fantasia, which I haven't seen either since I was a toddler), it's pretty wide open.
That being said, GWTW felt very messy. Not in the direction, and certainly not in the production or acting, but in its script. It certainly breezes by for a near 4-hour film and it's easy to see why this made so much money back in 1939 (adjusting for inflation, could be the highest grossing even, correct?). However, the fact that I consider Clark Gable supporting says it all. I love that this is Scarlett's story, and Vivien Leigh is terrific (maybe not the all-time great as everyone says, but still damn fantastic), but the film really lacks a cohesive narrative to really make us care to watch four whole hours of her. And I think it's because Gable's Rhett Butler is only sprinkled throughout for the first 3 hours before we rush their entire romance and years together in the last hour. And it sucks, because that last hour would've made for a fantastic film in and of itself. But sadly, we're rushed through without ever really getting a chance to care for them as a couple. I don't know. Perhaps it's because I had always assumed the film was a sweeping romantic epic like Titanic and we'd follow these two for the whole film, but we didn't. So maybe I'll need to re-watch it again. Also didn't find anything particularly special about Hattie McDaniel's performance, but it was still nice for her to get a nice role and even if I don't agree with it in my own line-ups, I'm very happy she won the Oscar. Strange, though, considering the film practically glorifies the Confederacy and condemns the North (practically describing them as Nazis, which were clearly a huge looming threat in '39), it makes me worry that perhaps all that money the film made was partially due to old Confederate admirers/descendants who looked upon the film - just as many did back in 1915 with Birth of a Nation - as an inspiration to continue their ideals. For most of the film, I could understand that the dialogue and what not was part of historical accuracy, but then calling the Union destructive monsters akin to Nazis in the inter-titles was excessive and unnecessary. Left a bad taste in my mouth. So, for those reasons alone, it gets a mere 8 from me.
As for the rest of the year, it's funny that the two I had seen before and only decided to re-watch would become my top 2 once more. One is an actual inspiration to the ideals America ought to stand for and includes an incredible ensemble led by a powerful Jimmy Stewart performance - one of his best for sure. The other film is a technical masterpiece that pretty much shaped my childhood values and features an even greater ensemble. Plus some forever catchy tunes.
Biggest surprises: Rules of the Game, considering my track record with Renoir, amazed me. I still think the first half needs a lot of work and doesn't have nearly the power the second half does, but maybe that is why the second half even felt so powerful. An incredible ensemble piece with a surprisingly fantastic performance by the director himself (though the whole cast is great). But really, for once, it's his writing and direction that wowed me. I can understand why so many love this, and in time perhaps I will as well, but it's certainly a bit too dense to really fully love on a first watch. Very happily surprised, though. Tops La Grande Illusion as my favorite of his works so far.
Another is The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum. While the pacing is ungodly slow, it all serves a purpose for showing the dull and colorless lifestyle of its main character. And Mizoguchi's use of long takes help to give off the essence of a stage play, but at the same time framing each shot in such a way that it still breathes life as a film. Crazy to think there wasn't a single close-up in the film, but again proves to show the emotional distance these characters share with one another. Incredibly heartfelt and moving, but I'm not sure I can watch it again due to its pacing. Happy I saw at least one Japanese film before the end of the decade, though. Will be sure to check out more when I work my way back.
Biggest disappointments: Since I've already discussed GWTW, I'll say the two Sherlock Holmes films (the titular one and the Baskervilles one). They're fine entertainment, sure, but Adventures is so dull because the film decided to add a scene in the beginning explaining how the whole plot would go and who would be behind it that there was hardly any intensity to it at all. The point of Sherlock is to be a detective, and when you deprive the audience of that, it's hard to be involved. As for the former, at least it kept the intensity and mystery to it, especially in the way it was shot. But when you have a Sherlock Holmes film, you probably shouldn't leave him absent for nearly half of the film's running time. I think Nigel Bruce's Dr. Watson is great comic relief, but he only truly shines when playing off of Rathbone's Holmes. I was excited to finally get around to the famous Rathbone/Bruce films, as I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, but these were a pretty big disappointment so I doubt I'll really want to continue any further with them.
Wuthering Heights was a bit of a disappointment, too, but that was mostly because Olivier seemed like he was sleep-walking for the whole thing compared to Merle Oberon who gave it her all.
Overall, a strong finish to the decade, but still not as strong as it promised to be. That actress line-up is golden, though and the first four would make worthy winners any other year. Here are my line-ups:
Best Picture:
01. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
02. The Wizard of Oz.
03. The Rules of the Game.
04. Ninotchka.
05. The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum.
06. Gone with the Wind.
07. Stagecoach.
08. The Roaring Twenties.
09. Only Angels Have Wings.
10. Wuthering Heights.
-----------------
11. Another Thin Man.
12. The Hound of the Baskervilles.
13. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
14. Jamaica Inn.
Best Director:
01. Victor Fleming - The Wizard of Oz.
02. Victor Fleming - Gone with the Wind.
03. Jean Renoir - The Rules of the Game.
04. Frank Capra - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
05. John Ford - Stagecoach.
Best Actor:
01. James Stewart - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
02. James Cagney - The Roaring Twenties.
03. Cary Grant - Only Angels Have Wings.
04. William Powell - Another Thin Man.
05. Basil Rathbone - The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Best Actress:
01. Vivien Leigh - Gone with the Wind.
02. Greta Garbo - Ninotchka.
03. Merle Oberon - Wuthering Heights.
04. Judy Garland - The Wizard of Oz.
05. Myrna Loy - Another Thin Man.
Best Supporting Actor:
01. Bert Lahr - The Wizard of Oz.
02. Thomas Mitchell - Only Angels Have Wings.
03. Claude Rains - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
04. Jean Renoir - The Rules of the Game.
05. Thomas Mitchell - Stagecoach.
Best Supporting Actress:
01. Margaret Hamilton - The Wizard of Oz.
02. Jean Arthur - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
03. Gladys George - The Roaring Twenties.
04. Olivia de Havilland - Gone with the Wind.
05. Kakuko Mori - The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum.
Best Original Screenplay:
01. The Rules of the Game.
02. Ninotchka.
03. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
04. Stagecoach.
05. The Roaring Twenties.
Best Adapted Screenplay:
01. The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum.
02. Wuthering Heights.
03. Gone with the Wind.
04. The Wizard of Oz.
05. Another Thin Man.
Best Ensemble:
01. The Wizard of Oz.
02. The Rules of the Game.
03. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
04. Gone with the Wind.
05. Stagecoach.
Best Editing:
Stagecoach.
Best Cinematography:
Gone with the Wind.
Best Art Direction:
The Wizard of Oz.
Best Costume Design:
Gone with the Wind.
Best Makeup:
The Wizard of Oz.
Best Visual Effects:
The Wizard of Oz.
Best Sound Design:
The Wizard of Oz.
Best Original Score:
Max Steiner - Gone with the Wind.
Best Original Song:
"Over the Rainbow" - The Wizard of Oz.
Special mention to Max Steiner for being a golden composer for the decade, but that GWTW theme alone is probably the best thing I've heard all decade, possibly of all-time. Goosebumps, man.
Oh, and Thomas Mitchell. Dude had the year of his life. He makes my top 10 for Supp. Actor three times (Only Angels Have Wings, Stagecoach, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), but on top of that had a great role in Gone with the Wind as well. And he was damn fantastic in all of them. I had seen him in bit roles in the decade, but never knew he was that damn good.
Very happy to be finished with the decade and be moving onto the 1940's. There were some truly great films this decade, but there were a far greater amount of bland ones. And I think it has a lot to do with how static the camera is compared to its previous and following decades. It works for Ernst Lubitsch because he frames so well and his actors whip off dialogue at lightning speed, but for others who can't follow in his footsteps, it can become a bit dull on a cinematic level.
I'm planning on finishing Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca before re-watching the film through Criterion, but beside the Chaplin and two animated films (Pinocchio and Fantasia, which I haven't seen either since I was a toddler), it's pretty wide open.
