1931

best film:  City Lights from Chaplin. M from Lang is a fine choice as well—both would be the single best film in virtually any year in the 1930’s (outside of perhaps 1939 with Renoir’s The Rules of the Game).

from the opening of Chaplin’s City Lights- the best film of 1931

M from Lang (here) is a fine choice as well—both would be the single best film in virtually any year in the 1930’s (outside of perhaps 1939 with Renoir’s The Rules of the Game)

most underrated:   The 3 Penny Opera from Pabst. The TSPDT consensus has it way down at #1782—barely in the top 2000—but it makes the top 500 on my list.

• I’m not overly familiar with Brechtian style so have to do my best here to analyze the film based on my cinema knowledge. I do know that Brecht believed in the distancing effect—or the alienation/estrangement effect which basically (again, as I understand it) is about how he doesn’t want the audience to overly emphasize with his characters and I see that here and how powerfully it works
• Depression-era hard-hit Germany. It centers on the lower depths of society, crime, money, bread, survival, poverty—gorgeous opening shot down an alley.
• Talented shot by Pabst- reflection in glass at the absolute perfect angle
• A roving camera throughout—plenty of shots behind windows
• The dialogue is largely unspoken—looks and glances and quite effective
• Busy mise-en-scene in the alleys and bars
• Heavy use of glass and mirrors
• Mackie- “Mack the Knife”- master of the underground- seedy vs Peachum who is beggar king
• The songs—(done largely by “the street singer” Ernst Busch) are a formal element. Strong. I’ve seen it influence everything after from Cabaret (he’s the Joel Grey character- a sort of narrator that isn’t in the story really or the main narrative). Perhaps not on the nose but I can also see its influences on Pennies From Heaven, Dancer in the Dark, Demy, and Berlin Alexanderplatz—this is a far cry from Hollywood escapism musicals that would come after
• I wish Pabst had shot Pandora’s Box this way—I love the male gaze factor, narrative arc and Louise Brooks’ performance/character but this film is directed more strongly by Pabst
• A stunner of a shot through a brothel. Tracking shot like Murnau and some nice mise-en-scene/décor clutter and detail like Caligari or on Sternberg
• Nihilistic and dark
• Narrator talking to the camera- “Even you won’t see this turn in the story coming” (paraphrase)—reflexive and breaking the 4^th wall
• The coronation parade is built up throughout as the big day and the payoff spectacle is worth the wait and anticipation. It reminds me of Schlesinger’s The Day of the Locust and Scorsese’s Gangs of New York with it being sort of a street riot and explosion
• The “Mack the Knife” song is wonderful- even nearly 100 years later
• Shadowy dystopia—a mesh between depression-era realism and an expressive mise-en-scene

The 3 Penny Opera from Pabst. The TSPDT consensus has it way down at #1782—barely in the top 2000—but it makes the top 500 on my list.

Shadowy dystopia—a mesh between depression-era realism and an expressive mise-en-scene

most overrated:  Tabu from Murnau lands at #250 on the TSPDT consensus list. This is masterpiece territory. I couldn’t even find a spot for it in my top 10 of 1931 (the consensus has it #3)—I look forwad to a revisit- I’ve only been able to catch it once- and once is never enough for an auteur on the level of Murnau.

gem I want to spotlight:  La Chienne from Renoir

• Renoir’s first sound film, first archiveable film
• There is some really nice work with some of what would come to be known as the Renoir trademarks- he does a great job doing a shot, tracking the action, reframing, and doing it again. It’s simple but revolutionary in 1931, elegant and powerful
• What looks like a hand-held camera working and tracking during the waltz scene- very well done
• Framing in the window with the flower bed in the bottom of the mise-en-scene- goes back to it later and then for the 3^rd time during the epic murder scene
• Very nice touch with the punch and judy intro
• This is a harsh and ugly serious film for a Renoir film
• Great tracking show of men in a row drinking
• Top 5 of the year quality

what would come to be known as the Renoir trademarks- he does a great job doing a shot, tracking the action, reframing, and doing it again. It’s simple but revolutionary in 1931, elegant and powerful

trends and notables:   This is the first year where it became really difficult to push great films off my top 10 of the year. Films like Tabu, The Criminal Code from Hawks and The Front Page. I think it’s a combination of things coinciding in a really strong year but chief amongst those is directors, in larger numbers, finally figuring out sound and starting to improve their quality of work. Lang and Chaplin are the big story with the two best films, the best film from each of them respectively. It’s the first archvieable film from Ozu, Hawks, and Renoir— these are giants of 20^th century cinema– three names that would help secure the case for cinema as a legit form of art.  James Whale, and Frank Capra aren’t far behind. It is just an incredible crop of auteurs. This coincides with the tragic death of Murnau at the age of 42—sad. Rene Clair gives us two films in the top 10 (in a competitive year) so that’s worth noting. Frankenstein and Dracula find a spot in the top 10 as well—a big year for Universal horror.  The incoming class of actors is as strong as the directors—it isn’t surprising as the silent stars begin to fade that you’d have a new crop come along. 1931 marks the first archiveable film for Clark Gable (A Free Soul), Edward G. Robinson (Little Caesar), Irene Dunne (Cimarron), James Cagney (The Public Enemy, Taxi), Peter Lorre (M) and Boris Karloff (Frankenstein and The Criminal Code).

Frankenstein and Dracula find a spot in the top 10 as well—a big year for Universal horror

Rene Clair gives us two films in the top 10 (in a competitive year) so that’s worth noting– this is from Le Million

and this from Clair’s À Nous la Liberté

James Cagney in the famous/infamous grapefruit smash scene in The Public Enemy– one of the many of the talented incoming class of actors including Lorre, Gable, Irene Dunne, and Edward G. Robinson

best performance male:  There is a healthy competition in this category for 1931. Charlie Chaplin and Peter Lorre may give the two best male performances of the decade in City Lights and M respectively. I’m not even going to attempt to pick between the two—both are evidence that acting is an artform. Michel Simon is not far behind in La Chienne. His range is really on display when you throw in his work as Boudu the following year.

There is a healthy competition in this category for 1931. Charlie Chaplin and Peter Lorre may give the two best male performances of the decade in City Lights and M respectively…

…towering tour-de-force performances— I’m not even going to attempt to pick between the two—both are evidence that acting is an artform

best performance female: She isn’t quite as strong as Simon—but I’ll give a mention for Janie Marèse from Renoir’s La Chienne. Tragically, Marèse was struck down by an automobile (I believe on the set of the film just after wrapping) and killed at the young age of 23.

top 10

1. City Lights
2. M
3. La Chienne
4. Le Million
5. The 3 Penny Opera
6. Frankenstein
7. Kameradschaft
8. The Public Enemy
9. À Nous la Liberté
10. Dracula

Archives, Directors, and Grades

*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film

MS is Must-See- top 5-6 quality of the year film

HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film

R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives