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The Magnificent Ambersons -
If any movie makes you wonder "what could have been," it has to be this one. RKO Pictures not only excised over 30% of footage from Welles' cut, but they also lost it. The aftermath ends up being a more than worthy adaptation anyway. A little bit Knives Out and a little bit Cinema Paradiso - well, maybe more former than latter - it's a distinctly American story about what's lost and gained after the march of progress passes by.
RKO dealt a blow to the movie for sure, but they did not take the maverick out of Welles in the process. You definitely see it in how he presents the mini-Xanadu that is the Ambersons' mansion. While the camera glides through it during George's party, you can practically hear your favorite filmmakers taking notes. I also love how he makes the town gossip seem like a Greek chorus. Speaking of George, Tim Holt makes him an icon of toxic privilege if there ever was one. While he would make my list of characters I love to hate, Holt manages to humanize him enough so that when he and progress collide - no pun intended - I managed to eke out some sympathy for him. As much as I enjoy Welles' narration, I would have preferred more showing and less telling of the rise of American industry and the "horseless carriage," but I cannot fault what we do get. There's the reliable Joseph Cotten as automobile man Eugene, the construction footage, etc., but what really hits hard are the indications that nobody knows or cares about anyone's business, i.e., community, anymore. Agnes Moorhead also shines as the most sympathetic Amberson, especially during the wrenching "radiator" scene.
As Charlie Chaplin put it a couple years prior in The Great Dictator, "we have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in." Community indeed becomes less important as industrialization increases and as we're forced to spend more time in our cars, but as this movie also memorably demonstrates, something else goes away that few mourn: the more parasitical members of the 1%. They obviously haven’t completely gone away, but one thing's for sure: they're more likely to have to work for it than they used to. Again, what remains after RKO's cuts deserves its reputation, but the cuts are obvious whether or not you're aware of the movie's history. Aside from that out of place ending, there is more than one time when I felt out of the loop and/or had to rely on headcanon. Other than that, it’s a must-see if you're also fascinated by Welles, especially if you want more on his stance towards those who have their hands on the wheel - no pun intended - beyond Citizen Kane. Regardless, it will at least inform you why Mr. Burns from The Simpsons wore that hat and had such long and curly hair as a child.
If any movie makes you wonder "what could have been," it has to be this one. RKO Pictures not only excised over 30% of footage from Welles' cut, but they also lost it. The aftermath ends up being a more than worthy adaptation anyway. A little bit Knives Out and a little bit Cinema Paradiso - well, maybe more former than latter - it's a distinctly American story about what's lost and gained after the march of progress passes by.
RKO dealt a blow to the movie for sure, but they did not take the maverick out of Welles in the process. You definitely see it in how he presents the mini-Xanadu that is the Ambersons' mansion. While the camera glides through it during George's party, you can practically hear your favorite filmmakers taking notes. I also love how he makes the town gossip seem like a Greek chorus. Speaking of George, Tim Holt makes him an icon of toxic privilege if there ever was one. While he would make my list of characters I love to hate, Holt manages to humanize him enough so that when he and progress collide - no pun intended - I managed to eke out some sympathy for him. As much as I enjoy Welles' narration, I would have preferred more showing and less telling of the rise of American industry and the "horseless carriage," but I cannot fault what we do get. There's the reliable Joseph Cotten as automobile man Eugene, the construction footage, etc., but what really hits hard are the indications that nobody knows or cares about anyone's business, i.e., community, anymore. Agnes Moorhead also shines as the most sympathetic Amberson, especially during the wrenching "radiator" scene.
As Charlie Chaplin put it a couple years prior in The Great Dictator, "we have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in." Community indeed becomes less important as industrialization increases and as we're forced to spend more time in our cars, but as this movie also memorably demonstrates, something else goes away that few mourn: the more parasitical members of the 1%. They obviously haven’t completely gone away, but one thing's for sure: they're more likely to have to work for it than they used to. Again, what remains after RKO's cuts deserves its reputation, but the cuts are obvious whether or not you're aware of the movie's history. Aside from that out of place ending, there is more than one time when I felt out of the loop and/or had to rely on headcanon. Other than that, it’s a must-see if you're also fascinated by Welles, especially if you want more on his stance towards those who have their hands on the wheel - no pun intended - beyond Citizen Kane. Regardless, it will at least inform you why Mr. Burns from The Simpsons wore that hat and had such long and curly hair as a child.