Movies 21-25
1939 - Stagecoach (#63) - I first watched this film last July, and I kind of hope that it's the last time I watch it, too. As you may recall, movies in this project are up for second viewings if either a) I think I was too harsh or too generous last time around, or b) I just really like them. Neither is the case for Stagecoach. If you like stereotypical "old school" westerns, where the Indians are the bad guys who are easily dispatched by gunslinging cowboys, or you want to see all of John Wayne's movies, this is for you. Otherwise, it's like they took a cardboard cutout of every cliched Western character, from the misunderstood saloon girl to the rogueish desperado to the pretentious upper class guy, and threw them all into a stagecoach for some reason. Along the way, they're attacked by Indians, which amounts to little more than a carnival shooting gallery for John Wayne, up to a finale that means almost literally nothing to the viewer. I don't much like Westerns in general, but this one is at the bottom of the barrel for me.
1 out of 5 stuffed bears for John Wayne
1939 - The Wizard of Oz (#6) - You've seen this movie, so there's no need for me to summarize it; and you love it or else you're some sort of zombie. What's not to love? The wonderful fantasy story of a girl transported to an incredible colorful world, the zany characters met at every turn, the quick wit of the dialog between them, the great theme of finding happiness at home, and of course the songs you simply have to sing along with. Not to mention flying monkeys, which make pretty much any movie better. In fact, had Stagecoach featured flying monkeys, it would have rated way higher. In all seriousness, though, I really was concerned I wouldn't like this film after having seen (and loved) the musical Wicked, fearing I'd have a hard time accepting Dorothy's side of the story anymore. But we stumbled upon it in a hotel room in Kansas City last winter, and what started off being a way to kill a few minutes ended up being a movie night, cozily hunkered down with a familiar favorite from years past. And even though I know almost the entire movie rote, I was happily surprised to see how well it holds up and how much I enjoyed seeing it again.
5 out of 5 flying monkeys (what else?)
1939 - Wuthering Heights (#73) - Another film that didn't warrant a second viewing. Again, you can look back to my archives to see why I didn't like it at first, but here's the short version. I don't require movies to have happy endings. In fact, tragic films, or those that involve overcoming immense hardship can be some of the most beautiful, touching or poignant of all. However, movies that are only tragic due to the intentional stupidity of the characters, I simply find frustrating. This adaptation is based on a book, and it could be the most faithful rendition possible; I wouldn't know as I haven't read it. But if that is the case, I imagine I'd intensely dislike the book as well. Two hours of film spent on characters deliberately mistreating one another only to futilely claim at the end to love one another just is not my kind of movie. Maybe it's just really deep and I'm not getting it, but for now I'm okay with that. I won't watch this again of my own volition.
I literally can't think of a fun little icon for this movie, so just 1 out of 5.
1940 - Fantasia (#58) - Everyone knows the Sorcerer's Apprentice portion of this film, but I have to say that it's not one of my top vignettes. Not that we need to pick favorites, but I found the most enjoyable to be The Pastoral Symphony, followed by The Nutcracker Suite and Night on Bald Mountain. Interestingly enough, Night on Bald Mountain and my other remembered favorite, the dinosaurs of Rite of Spring, weren't as great as I remembered. But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Fantasia is unlike other Disney films in that it has no main storyline, but simply consists of individual animated vignettes set to classical music. This makes it rather hard to rate as a film, since most of my typical criteria don't really apply. You almost have to think of Fantasia more as an abstract work of art, in which case some segments really work and others still lag. The Pastoral Symphony is fun, as pegasuses (pegasi?) and unicorns gather to celebrate something with Bacchus, the god of wine. But it's also animated beautifully and makes for a peaceful and stunning world. The Nutcracker Suite is more abstract, going from simple lines to flowers, fairies, mushrooms and more, but there's something pretty about it all. Night on Bald Mountain is a creepy tale of a demon conjuring up souls from graves, which (like the others) fits perfectly with the mood of the music. These are the great ones. But the dinosaur segment is tedious, Sorcerer's Apprentice feels like pandering, and the dancing animals of Dance of the Hours are too cartoon-y. It's almost as though in an attempt to gather more mass appeal, Disney watered down the true art pieces with less significant parts. There are parts of this film I'd love to watch again, but I doubt I'd be excited to watch it all the way through again.
3 out of 5
1940 - The Grapes of Wrath (#21) - I know what you're thinking. How could a movie about a family desperately traveling cross-country simply wanting to work possibly resonate with me, a person who strives to work as little as possible? Well, somehow it did, and even though the film differs significantly from the source novel (which I've never read), I really found the story captivating. Set in the dust bowl era in Oklahoma, the film follows a family forced to pack up and leave, heading for promised work in California. Not everything goes quite to plan, as the travels are hard on the family, and not all the work is as honest as it should be. But while the plot is important in showing the hardship of the Great Depression, the reason the film is great is the people in it. Anyone who's grown up in a close-knit family can't help but feel for the struggles the Joads face trying to keep the family together through their struggles. And anyone who cares about social justice and letting people earn a fair living should be inspired by Tom's heartfelt speech toward the end, followed by Ma's almost-as-great soliloquy. But the thing that perhaps got me the most in this movie is the connection these people have with the land. Muley Graves is supposedly a little crazy, but perhaps he says it best with the line "That's what makes it our'n, bein' born on it... and workin' on it... and dyin' on it! And not no piece of paper with writin' on it!" In a country with a food system so industrialized and corporate, the struggles of a people who toiled and cared for the land is something we'd do well to think more about. The movie poignantly captures the beginning of the end of the family farmer in the mainstream and shows us just what effect our "progress" can have.
4 out of 5 jalopies
Next batch is an exciting one. Two of the top three rated movies in AFI's list, plus another that I know I love. The 1940's were a great era in American cinema, and I'm excited to get started on that group.
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