Oscars 004

About  three years ago, I got it into my head to watch every film ever nominated for an Oscar. It's a pretty insane feat, given that the nominees are well into the thousands, but it's a project I'm yet to regret embarking on. It's just a hell of a lot of fun and has given me this sort of startling education in the history of cinema and narrative. While I've been watching films on an ad hoc, out of order basis over on tumblr, I am finally starting to be able to cross full years off my list, and as I do, I'll be recapping them here. 

If the last Oscars had women on show, the fourth year was all about genre. From domestic dramas to westerns, science fiction, mafia, prison, war films, romance and newspaper, this round of nominations was as diverse as it was interesting. It really sets up what would, by the sixties, be a pretty common array of movies, but I imagine back in 1932 it would've been an incredible showcase.

I'm really interested in the shift in tonality too. If there's one thing really apparent from this era of cinema, it's that the happy endings or the tragic ones were popular. There's exceptions to the rule - All Quiet on the Western Front being an obvious example, but the fourth Oscars - or 1931 films - seemed to dip their toe a little deeper into shades of gray. Min and Bill, The Criminal Code, The Public Enemy and Laughter all steer away from total happiness or utter bleakness. They're bittersweet narratives which start to explore the muddy waters of character and theme, instead of staying in the shallows.

Of course, there's still plenty of that too - Tabu is a straight up Romeo and Juliet style tragedy, The Royal Family of Broadway, Trader Horn and Morocco are pretty typical comic romances, and a few - like Just Imagine retain all the old tropes of the era while also being, well, totally off the wall. I haven't seen too many sci-fi musicals on Mars is all I'm saying. 

Three Films to Watch

1. The Public Enemy. Clips of this are shown throughout the six season run of The Sopranos, utilised in telling Tony’s story, and it’s easy to see why. This is such a great early gangster film, demonstrating some of the best aspects of the form. Plus James Cagney is quickly becoming one of my favourite actors from this era of Hollywood, and he is on point in this.

2. Min and Bill. This one took me by surprise. It’s rare for a small film like this starring a rugged woman like Marie Dressler to receive acknowledgement now, let alone back in 1931, and in a lot of ways, it should’ve been nominated for more. It’s a realised story, with one of my favourite tropes – created families – beating at the big, old heart of it.

3. Morocco. I really do feel that Morocco should have won best picture this year. It’s beautifully made, sensual and heartbreaking,

(Honourable mentions goes to A Free Soul and Tabu)

Three Films to Miss

1. Cimarron. This is probably the first time I’ve really disagreed with a Best Picture winner. Cimarron is bloated, boring and a bit by the numbers.

2. The Doorway to Hell. Not necessarily a bad film, but gangster movies are a dime a dozen in this era of cinema, and this one is pretty forgettable.

3. Whoopee! Another one that’s totally silly and relies on racial stereotypes and blackface to tell a weak and offensive story.