Getting the ten year mark in this project is a pretty interesting milestone. In a lot of ways, the anatomy of a good movie hasn't changed - strong script + emphatic actors + competent direction does, more often than not, a good film make.
Even more interesting is looking at the films that date and the ones that don't. It seems some themes are universal, no matter the era - films like
Dead End of a small blue collar town being taken over by the wealthy,
Black Legion where a man finds himself in an extremist terrorist group (ala the KKK) when he finds his job and lifestyle threatened, and one woman being forced to choose between a career and the man she loves in both
Maytime and
A Star is Born.
Other films though date horribly - particularly the interest in young protagonists. I touched on it in my recap of the 9th awards with the
worst movie ever,
Yankee Doodle Dandy, but this year's
Make a Wish isn't much better. I'm not saying films shouldn't have child protagonists, but in this era they are so ho hum and basic. It's more than a little cringeworthy.
On top of that though, films like
The Good Earth, which is, at the heart of it, a well-put together movie, is hindered by the now-horrifying yellow-face of the two leading actors (Luise Rainer actually won the Best Actress Oscar for this turn as well.) forcing the whole narrative back into a pretty hideous place.
It's a shame because all in all this was a really strong year for the Oscars. With nine ceremonies behind it, it had found it's footing as an award-show. While many of the awards would become superfluous (I'm specifically thinking of
Best Dance Direction) they were relevant and on point for the time, and for that, it deserves credit for being, well, a relevant and on point awarding.
Five Movies to Watch from the 10th Academy Awards
1.
Dead End was a movie that really surprised me and was probably my favourite of all the nominees. With shades of
The Last Picture Show, it follows a town on the brink as it's blue collar, dockland history gets washed out as the wealthy realise the river has some pretty nice views. It's a beautifully told story of a community on the edge, and the anger that pulses through young men and women seeing their way of life destroyed.
2.
Stella Dallas is pretty magical - a moving film about a mother doing all she can to provide a better life for her daughter. It's a total weepy, so bring tissues if you fancy the watch.
3.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a far cry from my favourite Disney movie, but even now, watching it among the catalogue of films nominated, it feels revolutionary.
4.
A Star is Born is another film that feels so far ahead of its time. Not only the first technicolor film to be nominated for best picture but a moving film that deals with the darker elements of the film industry and revels instead of undermines the strength of it's female protagonist.
5.
Stage Door is everything good about the backstage musical - solid lady friendships! Odd couples! Awesome dance numbers! Ginger Rogers! Katharine Hepburn! Amazing.
Five Movies to Miss from the 10th Academy Awards
1.
Make a Wish is, as I said above, one of those pretty awful ho-hum movies with a precocious child protagonist and a sickly sweet plot. It's barely fit for human consumption.
2.
Something to Sing About is a total shame, as I adore James Cagney, but this is such a nothing of a film - offering nothing to the backstage musical we haven't seen a zillion times before.
3.
One Hundred Men and a Girl is straight up
weird. Perhaps it's just the era, but the story of a naive and hopelessly gullible young woman trying to save her father's orchestra misses the mark more than it hits it.
4.
Wells Fargo. I don't love westerns, that should probably be my first disclaimer, but
Wells Fargo is a little bit dull in my books.
5.
The Hurricane. Weird, racist natural disaster movie! 'Nuff said.
