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The Magnificent Ambersons – 1942 Welles
- As you can see from the three pictures it’s a visual stunner full with depth of field stylistic cinematic benchmarks and opulent mise-en-scene
- One big question on the film remains Tim Holt’s lead performance. He’s in almost every scene and it’s not an amazing performance.
- #70 all-time on TSPDT
- A continuation of Citizen Kane’s stylistic showpiece.
- Of course it’s nearly equally famous for being mutilated by RKO. Welles is very dramatic about this and how this film isn’t nearly as good as what once was (and was destroyed)—that said- it’s a masterpiece
- A meditation on nostalgia, unrequited love (for both sets of couples) and maturation
- The opening montage (Welles does voice over) is fine but that ball entrance with the doors flying open and the wind blowing is a stunner and when the film truly starts
- Depth of field—deep focus work on luxurious mansion— not shot by Gregg Toland so don’t give me that he’s the true master
- Score by Bernard Hermann
- Heavy Oedipal study
- Welles repeatedly frames, tracks, and then reframes within the same shot—just stunning
- Show-off miniatures like the reflection of a sleigh in the water puddle
- The mise en-scene is expressionism. Shadows and cluttered frames blocking and shaping- Von Sternberg, Murnau
- Wipes and iris work in editing
- Another film on the collapse of a once great family – just as Kane was the fall of a once great man (and nostalgia for his beloved Rosebud)
- The narrative is superb- I particularly enjoy the Agnes Moorehead performance and character narrative as it gives the film such depth. She’s a complex character
- The pans in the background of the kitchen scene between Moorehead and Holt (couldn’t find a nice enough pic to post) is an example of this. It’s just not two people talking at the kitchen table. It’s art.
- Twin long dolly tracking shots of Baxter and Holt moving. One in a carriage and the other walking
- Again, it’s a tough watch in some respects as the narrative hitches you to this loathsome and grating character (holt)
- Impressive work with shadows. A triumph here.
- Great tracking shot through room and door of Moorehead as she cracks up with guilt
- Truncated optimistic ending
- Robert Wise the editor
- Masterpiece
Drake2020-07-03T10:31:11+00:00
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Hmm. The story to me was forgettable, kind of dull. Id have this as a must see for visual film lovers. Certainly no Kane, or the stranger, a lesser known welles noir I love
@Tupac– thanks again for the note here. Interesting. I like “The Stranger” as well but the visuals aren’t close to “The Magnificent Ambersons” so i can’t compare the two seriously.
Really sad, I did not know that this movie was 148 min, and even so, incomplete, you have it as MP, same with Touch of evil, these movies could be equal to or better than Citizen kane.
Welles is the most tragic artist in cinema
I just came back, i did not remember it was so impressive, i was speechless.
Great review by the way, i seem to remember you said you had this over Casablanca, that would make Welles together with Iñarritu give the best movie of the year back to back? pretty impressive if so.
When you update, some other director apart from Iñarritu will achieve it?
@Aldo- happy to hear it on Ambersons and thanks for the comment on the review. So far as I update my archives by year it is only Buster Keaton in 1923 and 1924
[…] The Magnificent Ambersons– Welles […]
– I did not even know this movie existed until a few years ago and it’s become one of my favorites, the interior shots of the Amberson house are incredible, I love all the shots of staircases.
– I’ve always enjoyed films that dissect families as films have a tradition of focusing on individuals (not complaining).
– Tim Holt’s character has to be one of the most irredeemable and obnoxious characters in history, not only does he have no ambitions of his own but he actually looks down on people who do, the entire film I was just waiting for him to get his Comeuppance along with all the other characters!
– Orson Welles might have the greatest voice in cinema history along with Morgan Freeman, James Earl Jones, Sean Connery (although more his accent), Alan Rickman
– This might be the most epic 88 minute movie of all time, I guess it makes sense since it was initially supposed to be much longer but it still has the scope and feel of an epic even if it is only about half as long as a typical epic
About Holt’s character, Orson Welles once said that he often felt later on in his life that he may have been more successful in Hollywood if he presented himself more as a movie star than as a director, and one of the things he regretted that could have led him along that path was not deciding to play Tim Holt’s character himself.
The voices of Robert De Niro and Klaus Kinski are pretty great as well in my opinion. To this list I would also add Brad Pitt, Samuel L. Jackson, and perhaps Robert Mitchum, Christoph Waltz and Martin Sheen (although perhaps not since I believe the voiceover in Apocalypse Now was really done by his brother Joe). Even if his movies for most of the past quarter-century haven’t been as good as these others (I don’t know why I’m leaving De Niro out here as if it doesn’t largely apply to him as well), Nicolas Cage’s voice is also pretty distinctive.
@Zane – yeah those are all great examples, I was just listing a few of my favorite off the top of my head. Mitchum is definitely one of the best.
As for Tim Holt’s character, yeah it would have been fascinating to see Orson Welles in the role, he plays a great Villain in The Third Man (1949) and although it’s a very different type of role it certainly shows Welles acting range.
What are the worst major acting performances in great movies? Tim Holt in The Magnificent Ambersons seems to be an example that many would nominate. I don’t think he’s horrible, but his acting certianly lacks some necessary depth. What are some other examples of great films that are sullied by lackluster performances?
@Graham– fun question. Yeah I’d add Holt, I like Anderson’s suggestions- especially Polanski– it depends on how far down you want to go with the “great movies” — the way I look at is not if these guys were horrible or bad– but how much do I wish there was another actor in that role? I’d like to see someone else in Heston’s role in Touch of Evil. Sign me up for someone else playing Paul Dano’s role in There Will Be Blood. How about Kevin Costner in JFK? Ryan O’Neal in Barry Lyndon…. I’m sure I’m still missing a few.
I agree with you on some of those, but I’ll have to strongly counter your suggestion of Costner in JFK. I think he is actually quite good there.
@Graham- I’d love to see like Jeff Bridges in that role
Hmm.Including Costner is a little bit harsh.Then Yalitza Aparicio in Roma belongs in the same category.Can’t blame the academy for oscar nominating Costner and Aparicio for their work in the year’s best film.
Sorry my bad.Costner was only nominated at the Golden Globes.
@Graham DiCaprio in Gangs of New York,Sofia Coppola in Godfather Part 3,Cameron Diaz in Gangs of New York,Chloe Webb in the belly of an architect,Roman Polanski in The Tenant,Quentin Tarantino in Django Unchained,Keanu Reeves in Bram Stoker’s Dracula to name a few.
Watched Magnificent Ambersens for at least the 5th time and it was the 1st time I noticed this:
https://twitter.com/karaszewski/status/1304179825834246147
Amazing! Cotten’s Eugene Morgan in one of the final scenes is reading a newspaper where he learns of George’s accident. Right before you can see the newspaper he is reading has an article written by “Jed Leland” which is Cotten’s character in Citizen Kane (1941). The newspaper section is called “Stage Views” which made me remember that in Citizen Kane Cotten’s Jed Leeland gets fired by Kane for writing a scathing review of the Opera performance of Charles Foster Kane’s mistress.
Orson Welles going Quentin Tarantino with his own movie Universe. Interested if this is the only time Welles did this.
“Something had happened. A thing which, years ago, had been the eagerest hope of many, many good citizens of the town, and now it had come at last; George Amberson Minafer had got his comeuppance. He got it three times filled, and running over. But those who had so longed for it were not there to see it, and they never knew it. Those who were still living had forgotten all about it and all about him.”
The film should have ended right after this scene, perfect ending in everyway imaginable. It really is amazing that this film still (deservedly) ranks as an all time great despite the studio’s butchering. It got me thinking what are some other films that should have had a perfect ending but continued too long? To be clear I am not just talking about a bad ending but rather films that essentially had a perfect ending, but kept going kind of like Michael Jordan hitting the iconic game winner in the 1998 NBA finals and then returning to play on the Washington Wizards.
Mystic River (2003) after Sean Penn’s character discovers he killed an innocent man, his friend Dave, he answers the question Kevin Bacon’s character, a detective, asks about when he last saw Dave Boyle with something to the affect of “the last time I saw Dave Boyle? That was twenty-five years ago, going up this street, in the back of that car.” It should have ended right then and there, perfect ending. The last 5 min or so is a bunch of nonsense.
Woman in the Window (1944) is a terrific Fritz Lang noir featuring Edward G. Robinson. I won’t get into specifics for anyone who has not seen but the film went on for just 30 seconds too long which might not seem significant unless you watch.
I’ll admit I am not sure exactly where I would have liked to end it but I felt that Gone Girl (2014) went on about 10 min or so too long, I realize that its an adaptation but I do wonder if a better ending would have left the fate of Nick (Afflect) and Amy (Pike) more open ended instead of confirming Nicks decision to stay with the psychotic Amy since she is pregnant.
No Country for Old Men (2007) is an amazing film, a clear MP for me but it really should have ended with Anton Chigurh limping away from the accident. Don’t get me wrong I love the performance that Tommy Lee Jones gives as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell and while it’s well acted the ending just felt anti-climatic and unnecessary regardless of well acted it is.