Directed by: John Ford
Released: 1939
Country: United States
Genre: Western, Drama, Adventure
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
I started watching ''Stagecoach'' without knowing what to expect from it as I have only watched a few western movies. This film, however, left me impressed and deeply moved.
Several people start a journey to Lordsburgh on a stagecoach. They continue their journey even after they come to know that there is trouble ahead, that Apaches might attack them on their way. The people on the stagecoach are Dallas (played by Claire Trevor)- who happens to be a prostitute, Lucy Mallory (played by Louise Platt)- who is expecting to meet her husband on the way (her husband is in the army), Doctor Boone (played by Thomas Mitchell)- a doctor who often drinks, Mr Hatfield (played by John Carradine)- a gambler, Mr Peacock (played by Donald Meek)- a whiskey salesman, and Mr. Gatewood (played by Berton Churchill)- a banker. The stagecoach is being driven by Buck (played by Andy Devine), who is accompanied by Marshal Curly Wilcox (played by George Bancroft). Curly is accompanying the stagecoach because a fugitive, Ringo Kid (played by John Wayne), has escaped from penitentiary and is traveling to Lordsburgh to have his revenge on the person who killed his family members. Curly is searching for Ringo. They come across Ringo on the way and Curly arrests him. They continue their journey, knowing that there is danger ahead, that Apaches can attack any time, and on their way they slowly get to know more about each other and learn to leave their prejudices behind and accept one another.
''Stagecoach'' is a deeply moving film with great character development. My favorite characters were Dallas and Ringo. I felt so sad and infuriated when I saw the other passengers of the stagecoach initially treating Dallas with prejudice and hatred. Although she is extremely goodhearted, her fellow passengers initially neglect and ignore her just because of her occupation. Nobody bothers to ask her opinion. When Dallas sees that Mrs. Mallory (who happens to be pregnant) is feeling unwell, she offers to sit beside her so that she (Mrs Mallory) can put her head on her (Dallas') shoulder. Mrs. Mallory, influenced by her social prejudice, refuses. I felt so overwhelmed when I saw Ringo caring for Dallas. ''What about the other lady?''- he demands when nobody bothers to ask Dallas' opinion. Eventually, a deep bond develops between the two of them. The other passengers of the stagecoach eventually manage to leave their prejudices behind as well.
The performances were great, the characters were deeply developed, and the most special thing about the film was the presence of Ringo and Dallas. Such wonderful characters they were! Dallas, particularly, was the most beautifully developed character. I loved this film.
Directed by: William Wyler
Released: 1939
Country: United States
Genre: Romantic drama
Rating: 5 out of 5
''Wuthering Heights'' has been one of my favorite novels ever since I first read it back in 2010. I was indeed aware of the fact that the 1939 film adaptation omits a lot of things from the book- it excludes the entire second half of the book, for example- I loved this film. It was so hauntingly poetic and atmospheric. It retained the Gothic atmosphere of the book perfectly and although not entirely faithful to the novel, it is a great film in its own right.
When Mr. Lockwood (Miles Mander) has to spend a stormy night in the house of his landlord, Mr. Heathcliff (Lawrence Olivier), he encounters strange, eerie things, such as the voice of a woman coming from the moors. Mr. Lockwood is perplexed. The elderly housekeeper, Ellen Dean (Flora Robson) explains to him the mysteries of the house, Wuthering Heights.
Decades ago, Wuthering Heights used to be a happy house. It was owned by the Earnshaws. The family consisted of the loving Mr. Earnshaw and his two children, Hindley and Catherine (Cathy). On a trip to Liverpool, Mr. Earnshaw came across an abandoned boy and brought him to Wuthering Heights. He was named Heathcliff and Mr. Earnshaw started raising him as a son. Cathy and Heathcliff soon became great friends. However, Hindley was greatly jealous of Heathcliff. After Mr. Earnshaw's death, Hindley- now the owner of Wuthering Heights- turned Heathcliff into a stable boy, neglecting and humiliating him. Several years passed, Heathcliff (played by Laurence Olivier) and Cathy (played by Merle Oberon) were still very close and love each other deeply. However, when Cathy came across the handsome, wealthy Edgar Linton (played by David Niven), she decided to marry him, primarily for his wealth and social status. She wanted the best for Heathcliff, but also knew that she would never be able to acquire the social life and wealth she wanted for herself if she married Heathcliff. Hearing this, Heathcliff left Wuthering Heights, and although Cathy initially was heartbroken, she moved on and married Edgar, but some years later, Heathcliff returned. Now a wealthy man, he had other intentions in his mind as well.
There is no doubt in the fact that the film is not very faithful to the novel. While the novel has a lot of focus on Heathcliff's vengeful attitude and how it destroys everyone around him, the film focuses more on the relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy and I was completely fine with that. After all, I cannot possibly have an opinion about a film on the basis of how faithful it is to its source material. I am supposed to have an opinion based on how perfectly the film works. When it comes to that, this film is simply great.
I loved the atmosphere. Consider the scenes in which Heathcliff and Cathy meet on the Penistone Crags. They are just so beautiful, so very poetic. I really fell in love with those scenes. I loved their conversations. Or consider the scene in which Cathy expresses to Ellen how much she loves Heathcliff and utters the famous line- ''I am Heathcliff''. There is a storm outside and as Cathy is standing beside a window, a lightning flashes on her face. There are so many poetically atmospheric scenes throughout the film that it was just impossible on my part not to love it. The film is made more poetic by the beautiful black-and-white cinematography: I don't think color cinematography could ever be this poetic.
When it comes to the performances, they are great. Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon are great in their roles. David Niven, Geraldine Fitzgerald (playing Edgar's sister, Isabella), Flora Robson and Hugh Williams (playing the adult Hindley) are excellent as well. (I just noticed something: the physician, Dr. Kenneth, is played by Donald Crisp, the same man who played the villain in ''Broken Blossoms''!).
''Wuthering Heights'' is a hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric film. It will be injustice if it is compared to the original novel because, while the novel is one of the greatest works in English literature, the 1939 film adaptation is a great film in its own right, no matter how different it is from its source material.
Directed by: Howard Hawkes
Released: 1938
Country: United States
Genre: Comedy, Romantic
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review
''Bringing Up Baby'' was such a hilarious ride! It was really funny, sending me into feats of laughter every other minute. I laughed all the way and really admired the film.
''Bringing Up Baby'' is about a paleontologist, Dr David Hoxley (played by Cary Grant), who is about to receive a huge donation for his museum from a very wealthy woman. However, things go wrong during his meeting with the lawyer representing the woman when he comes across the eccentric, happy-go-lucky, carefree Susan Vance (played by Katherine Hepburn), who hilariously distracts him and sways him away from his meeting with the lawyer. But his accidental meeting with Susan leads him to a series of hilarious adventures and misadventures, involving not only him and Susan but also a tame leopard called Baby who was sent to Susan by her brother Mark.
I cannot describe how much the film made me laugh. It was so funny, so hilarious, so goofy. Every single incident in the story, right from the very beginning, sent me into feats of laughter. The screenplay, the dialogues: everything is so excellent, so magnificent. I loved every single thing about the film; I kept laughing out loud. Katherine Hepburn is unforgettable in her goofy role as Susan. It is such a memorable, hilarious character. Cary Grant, as the mild-mannered David, is brilliant too. The two look so sweet together, apart from the hilarity that the two characters cause. There are supporting characters too- quite a lot of them- who remain memorable as well, all contributing to the story. And there is the leopard Baby, played by a trained leopard called Nissa: he too gave such an amazing performance and looked really cute indeed!
This is an excellent screwball comedy that I would highly recommend!
Directed by: Charlie Chaplin
Released: 1936
Country: United States
Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Stanley Sandford, Chester Conklin
Genres: Comedy, Romantic comedy, Drama
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review
Charlie Chaplin's ''Modern Times'' is set during the Great Depression. It tells the story of a tramp, who, with the help of an orphaned young woman, dreams of a better life, a life without hunger and poverty, and struggles hard for it. ''Modern Times'' is really very funny like other Charlie Chaplin films, but it is also really sweet, it also has an excellent emotional depth, and yes, it is heartwarming and inspirational.
Charlie Chaplin plays a factory worker who starts suffering from mental depression that ultimately causes him to lose his job and go to a hospital for some days. After he is discharged from the hospital, he is left without a job, a home, and means to support himself. Circumstances cause him to meet a Gamin (played by Paulette Goddard), whose father died recently. Her younger siblings were taken to an orphanage, but she ran away from the authorities as she didn't want to be in an orphanage. Chaplin's character and the Gamin become great friends, and decide to get a better life, a home, to get rid of the poverty and difficulty they have to face because of the Great Depression.
''Modern Times'' reminded me how much I actually love silent films. The film is mostly silent, but there are scenes where there are spoken dialogues, and a song that Chaplin's character sings near the end of the film.
''Modern Times'' is hilarious and funny. It kept me laughing. But at the same time, it is no mindless comedy film. Instead, it deals with a very serious subject matter: poverty, sufferings of the poor people, dreams and hopes for a better life, and the struggle for it. While it is definitely a funny film, it is, at the same time, heartwarming, emotional, and beautiful. Charlie Chaplin's performance is definitely excellent, and Paulette Goddard, as the Gamine, is beautiful and equally amazing. My favorite scenes from the film are those in which Chaplin's character is released from the prison, and the Gamine is waiting for him outside the prison, and when they are meet, they look so happy, and the looks on their faces and their smiles and their reactions are so beautiful, so heartwarming! The final scene is also really very beautiful.
Overall, '"Modern Times'' is an excellent film, definitely recommended. It is funny, it is sweet, it is cute, it is emotional, it can make you smile, laugh, and cry. It is a beautiful film.
5 out of 5
