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Lost Horizon (Frank Capra, 1937)
The most successful and Award-winning filmmaker of the 1930s had his most-personal project edited so that it would make more money during its WWII reissue. They chopped about 20% of Lost Horizon out so they could play it one more time a day and earn those extra War Bonds. Those edited scenes are either gone forever or preserved in low-quality visuals. It kind of explains why the movie is great in the first place, since the film advocates living life to the fullest and being open to all of life's possibilities.
This is a movie where I may diverge with some of my fellow MoFos. I hope I'm wrong, but I can understand how some people might find the "Christian idealism" expressed in Lost Horizon as hokey beyond belief. To me, the film smoothly presages Temple of Doom, Gunga Din, The Man Who Would Be King and all the "socialist" flicks of the '30s/'40s (you guess which ones), to tell a highly adventurous story, but to fill it with beautiful philosophical overtones. Of course, it doesn't hurt that you have Thomas Mitchell and Edward Everett Horton spouting some humorous homoerotic sexual innuendo, especially when the native children repeat it, all because they love "Lovey".
This film starts out as a great adventure with guns blazing and planes flying. Then it turns into a philosophical tale; one which is very dear to my heart. In the middle of the Great Depression and before WWII, its theme of mankind looking out for itself through total love and care is heartwarming and enticing. For me, it's the scenes with the High Lama and Chang which push this movie up to . Even if you think those scenes are too hokey for words (i.e. you don't cry), you should still enjoy the uniqueness of a 70-year-old film which seems more politically- and socially-current than 95% of what's out there now and give it at least
Ultimately, Lost Horizon may never find its full support because the lost scenes will never be found. I guess you just have to have faith that the movie is as good as it seems. Either that or blow off one of the most unique films ever nominated for a Best Film Oscar.
The most successful and Award-winning filmmaker of the 1930s had his most-personal project edited so that it would make more money during its WWII reissue. They chopped about 20% of Lost Horizon out so they could play it one more time a day and earn those extra War Bonds. Those edited scenes are either gone forever or preserved in low-quality visuals. It kind of explains why the movie is great in the first place, since the film advocates living life to the fullest and being open to all of life's possibilities.
This is a movie where I may diverge with some of my fellow MoFos. I hope I'm wrong, but I can understand how some people might find the "Christian idealism" expressed in Lost Horizon as hokey beyond belief. To me, the film smoothly presages Temple of Doom, Gunga Din, The Man Who Would Be King and all the "socialist" flicks of the '30s/'40s (you guess which ones), to tell a highly adventurous story, but to fill it with beautiful philosophical overtones. Of course, it doesn't hurt that you have Thomas Mitchell and Edward Everett Horton spouting some humorous homoerotic sexual innuendo, especially when the native children repeat it, all because they love "Lovey".
This film starts out as a great adventure with guns blazing and planes flying. Then it turns into a philosophical tale; one which is very dear to my heart. In the middle of the Great Depression and before WWII, its theme of mankind looking out for itself through total love and care is heartwarming and enticing. For me, it's the scenes with the High Lama and Chang which push this movie up to . Even if you think those scenes are too hokey for words (i.e. you don't cry), you should still enjoy the uniqueness of a 70-year-old film which seems more politically- and socially-current than 95% of what's out there now and give it at least
Ultimately, Lost Horizon may never find its full support because the lost scenes will never be found. I guess you just have to have faith that the movie is as good as it seems. Either that or blow off one of the most unique films ever nominated for a Best Film Oscar.