Film 25: The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

Netflix Summary: Director William A. Wellman's Western digs into the mob-led lynching of three innocent men. The film centers on cowboys Carter (Henry Fonda) and Croft (Harry Morgan), who reluctantly join a hunt for murderous cattle rustlers. Led by ex-soldier Tetley, the posse captures three transients (Dana Andrews, Anthony Quinn and Francis Ford). When Tetley calls for their execution without proof of their guilt, Carter faces a moral dilemma.





Film Viewing Due Date: 11/3

Kings Row (1942) Reviews

Juror #3 says: Kings Row feels out of place within our film study lineup.  Immediately after watching the movie I googled "Kings Row soap opera" as I was curious to find if there were any comparisons out there - turns out that it's often cited as the precursor to the 1950's soap opera Peyton Place.  It's an extremely melodramatic film which got on my nerves.  In Kings Row, like a soap opera, characters change rapidly and it feels unnatural.  An audience can be forgiving when it's within an expected environment but I wasn't prepared for it here.  I thought Ronald Reagan was excellent...but I thought he was good because he was the only one who didn't seem to be playing a soap opera-esque character, so maybe he was the worst actor in a way as I'm assuming he shouldn't have come across as a classically-trained actor in this particular film.  

It's worth noting that if we stopped our film study here and had to name a "most influential filmmaker" it would clearly be Hitchcock.  A piece of Hitchcock seems to appear in every film now and the early creepiness of Kings Row is no exception.  My recommendation would be to read the book.  Rated 2/5.

girl by locker says: It is safe to say that I hated this movie though I really wanted to like it. I actually want to like all the movies we pick for Cinema Cram but this is the first one that I wanted to end and kept thinking “Please make it stop.” Essentially, I never connected with the story and never cared deeply about the characters. I felt disjointed and disconnected from what was happening. It never made sense to me why Dr. Tower took his daughter out of school and ultimately killed her, giving mental illness as an explanation. I find it much more plausible that they were having some sort of incestuous affair and thus ended her life. Robert Cummings as Parris Mitchell irritated me to no end. I understand that all the characters are stereotypes of some sort and Cummings’ stereotype is that of the good grandson who will save everyone. He was too one-sided and didn’t have the depth of the other actors. I wanted him to stay in Vienna. The ending wrapped up too neatly for me, and I completely disagree with other reviews that say, “Even after 60 years, the ending still packs a wallop.” A big speech about the truth will rarely snap someone out of depression that easily. 

The good parts of the movie: Ann Sheridan, Ronald Reagan and the cinematography.  The first two gave stellar performances and I especially loved Reagan after he lost his legs. "Where's the rest of me?"  The film was beautifully shot and helped redeem the story.  I give this 2 out of 5 stars on Neftlix.  

Film 24: Kings Row (1942)

Netflix Summary: This powerful drama nominated for three Academy Awards takes you beneath the sleepy facade of a picturesque American small town, where painful secrets and bitter grudges threaten the dreams and aspirations of several childhood friends. Boasting an all-star cast, the film features Ronald Reagan in a breakthrough performance as Drake McHugh, a dashing yet conflicted young man. It's often considered Reagan's career best.


There are a lot of rumors online about the theme of Star Wars being "influenced" by the theme to Kings Row.  Check it out below.



Film viewing due date: 11/18

Citizen Kane (1941) Reviews

girl by lockers says: Knowing that Citizen Kane has been rated the number 1 movie of all time on various lists and also knowing it is Juror #3’s favorite movie, I had very high expectations. Fortunately, I was not disappointed and was, in fact, wowed. I’m sure if I did in-depth research and was more familiar with film technique, I could quote the ways in which this film was ahead of its time. However, I will just say that it was beautiful, simply beautiful. The lighting, the camera-work and the way the image helped shape the story knocked my socks off. I was impressed with the solid acting and a script that captured my attention. I can’t say that it is the number 1 movie of all time, but I can say that it is a must-see for any movie buff and I might possibly put it in my top 10. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars on Netflix.


Juror #3 says: Occasionally a movie comes along where you are amazed at the attention to detail and the subtle creativity imposed.  Citizen Kane is legendary for exactly that.  But the technical achievements applied weren't used by the 26-year-old Orson Welles to be different or dictate a "style" for himself.  No, they were used to help tell the story better visually...in all aspects, and for no other reason.  I could talk for days about the success of the production of Citizen Kane but instead I'll direct you to watch the commentary by Roger Ebert on the special features of the disc.  Citizen Kane is my favorite movie of all-time for several reasons - 1) it's nearly flawless in its production, 2) it's an engaging story with a life lesson, and 3) the background for the movie is as dramatic as the production itself.  Orson Welles was granted complete control of a Hollywood studio at the age of 26 and created a masterpiece which ended up blackballing him from Hollywood for the majority of his professional career.  Again, I'll direct you to watch the documentary "The Making of Citizen Kane."  It was this documentary that catapult Citizen Kane to #1 on my all-time list and added Orson Welles as one of my answers to everyone's favorite dinner question, "what 3 people alive or dead would you like to dine with?"  Need I say that I rate Citizen Kane 5/5?


The White Stripes, one of my favorite bands made the song "Union Forever" using lines from Citizen Kane.  There are a bunch of these mashups on youtube, here are two of my favorites:

Film 23: Citizen Kane (1941)

*

Netflix Summary: Orson Welles reinvented movies at the age of 26 with this audacious biography of newspaper baron Charles Foster Kane, which, in essence, was a thinly veiled portrait of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. Welles's complex and technically stunning film chronicles Kane's rise from poverty to become one of America's most influential men -- and it's considered one of the best movies ever made.


A few fun facts from IMDB.com:
*The camera looks up at Charles Foster Kane and his best friend Jedediah Leland and down at weaker characters like Susan Alexander Kane. This was a technique that Orson Welles borrowed from John Ford who had used it two years previously onStagecoach (1939). Welles privately watched Stagecoach (1939) about 40 times while making this film. 
*William Randolph Hearst was so angered by the film that he accused Orson Welles of being a Communist in order to keep the film from being released. 
*During filming Orson Welles received a warning that William Randolph Hearst had arranged for a naked woman to jump into his arms when he entered his hotel room, and there was also a photographer in the room to take a picture that would be used to discredit him. Welles spent the night elsewhere, and it is unknown if the warning was true. 


Note from Juror #3:  This is my all-time favorite movie.  I greatly urge you to watch the documentary about the making of the movie within the special features.  The story behind the story makes the film that much more legendary.





Viewing Due Date: 11/3

Rebecca (1940) Reviews

Juror #3 says: I went through a Hitchcock phase a few years back but had never seen Rebecca.  I find it odd that this picture net him his only Best Picture Oscar when, in my humble opinion, this may not even crack his top 5.  Rebecca seemed more like a play than a film, with long stretches of dialogue.  The positives however included the acting - Lawrence Olivier was sublime as were the entire cast - and the directing was perfect, big surprise.  Hitchcock did a fantastic job creating creepy and suspense-filled scenes through techniques still used today. But no one has ever done a better job of using shadows to help elicit suspense, all lighting professionals should make this a mandatory viewing.  In the end though, having just watched Gone With the Wind, I was slightly disappointed in Rebecca.  I rate it 3/5 


girl by locker says: I wasn’t sure what to expect from Rebecca. I had heard Hitchcock fans think there are better movies made by him and that this shouldn’t have been the only movie of his to win an Oscar. As someone who hasn’t seen much by him, I was prepared to love it, and I did. I hadn’t read the book by Daphne du Maurier, but I am a fan of the Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. It wasn’t that the love story reminded me of Heathcliff and Cathy but rather I got a similar feeling. The dark foreboding, the creepiness of Mrs. Danvers, the tension and apprehension I felt as I watched the second Mrs. de Winter fight to overcome the powerful memory left by Rebecca. The cast was stellar, and I was particularly impressed by Judith Anderson as Mrs. Danvers who, in my opinion, embodied everything great about the movie. She was subtle and sinister and kept me on the edge of my seat. I give this 5/5 on my Netflix ratings.

Film 22: Rebecca (1940)

Netflix Summary: The only Alfred Hitchcock film to win an Oscar for Best Picture, this mystery stars Laurence Olivier as Maxim de Winter, a widower whose hapless second wife (Joan Fontaine) moves into his mansion only to find the memory of his first wife still governs the household. Intimidated by the home's hostile staff, the living Mrs. de Winter begins to go mad in Hitchcock's eerie adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's Gothic classic.


Wikipedia fact: The theatrical release of Rebecca was delayed in order to give it a shot at the 1940 Academy Awards - the 1939 Awards would (obviously) be dominated by Gone with the Wind, another Selznick production.

From Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940)
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Viewing Due Date: 10/12