It feels a little funny to write this post only days after the nominations for the 87th Oscars have been announced. It makes me realise how far the Academy has come in some regards and how little in others. The diversity in genre and subject matter is leaps and bounds forwards from an era that seemed to rotate around ruined women, backstage musicals, prison dramas and war films, but the diversity in the voices telling them hasn't really moved at all. It's disappointing to say the least.
It's also interesting to see Meryl Streep take centre stage again. I love Meryl, but didn't love Into the Woods all that much. Meryl's become a staple of the awards though, and so looking back at the sixth ceremony is oddly well-timed as it's when another staple exploded onto the scene. Katharine Hepburn would be nominated for twelve Oscars in her lifetime, and would win four, the first one she won this year for her work in Morning Glory, a sweet film about a young actress working her way up to stardom. It relies on the same tropes of many women-centric films of the era, only instead of punishing her like All About Eve, Sunset Boulevard and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? do, it rewards her.
Unfortunately, that's probably one of the few interesting things about this year. Not that it was a bad one, just if the third, fourth and fifth were more compelling years for cinema, 1933 felt like going through the motions. Backstage musicals, prison films, war films, biopics and romances dominated with little to break up the monotony.
Well, all but The Sign of the Cross. This seems to be the start of epic, biblical or at least Christian-inspired films. The Sign of the Cross is the first real epic to not focus on World War I and to instead turn an eye to religious themes and Roman empires. It'd be followed in later years by more iconic films like Ben Hur. Samson and Delilah and even The Passion of the Christ, all of which would receive greater acclaim and recognition from the Academy.
Three to Watch
A Farewell to Arms. I'm not really sure why this beautiful adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel didn't receive greater recognition. It's beautifully made by incredible filmmaker and first ever best director winner, Frank Borzage (who you may remember from his earlier work 7th Heaven and Street Angel, both nominated in the first ever Oscars), and wonderfully performed by the always-charming Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes. It circles themes of obligation both socially and politically against a backdrop of World War I in similar ways to All Quiet on the Western Front. It's a pretty special film.
Gold Diggers of 1933. Backstage musicals are a dime a dozen in the thirties through to the early sixties, which is why it's exciting to see a film get it so right and have so much fun with the form. This story about a broke production scrambling to save itself is totally charming with some amazing costumes
One Way Passage. This one took me by surprise. The premise is a bit of an odd one. A murderer and a woman suffering from a terminal illness meet on a ship and fall in love. It could've been awful, but with the charismatic William Powell and Kay Francis in the leading roles, and the wonderful cinematography by Robert Kurrle it becomes something magical.
Three to Miss
Cavalcade. Since starting this project, I'm noticing a trend across best picture winners of films that seem to be topical or of the moment, but don't translate well beyond the fact. This isn't always the case of course - All Quiet on the Western Front is both iconic and every bit as relevant today as it was in 1930. What I'm saying is that Cavalcade hasn't aged well, and on top of that it's both really long and really boring.
Rasputin and the Empress. In some ways, this is worth watching purely because all three Barrymore siblings are in it. In other ways, it's totally not worth watching. It's chock-full of caricatures, over-acting and at just two hours, it feels like six.
She Done Him Wrong. It's hard for me to say this as I love Mae West, but this is such a weird little film that never seems to really go anywhere. Plus, it's got a bit of an icky ending played off as romantic when it's really not.
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