#6: Gone with the Wind

My wife loves this movie.  For the last four years of my life all I have heard about is how much she loves this movie, how good this movie is, how it is the best thing that has happened since sliced bread (whatever that means).  That is right today I am reviewing Gone with the Wind.  The 1939 film Gone with the Wind is based of the Margret Michelle novel of the same name and is directed by Victor Flemming and stars Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh.  Anyways lets get on with the review before we are dust in the wind.

This film is an American epic.  This film was the longest running film (almost four hours) and was one of the first films filmed in color.  It broke the box office becoming the highest grossing movie shortly after it came out.   And to do this day if you adjust for inflation Gone with the Wind is the highest grossing movie of all time.  This film also is referenced much as well as having one of the most famous lines from film, "Franky, my dear, I don't give a damn".  On top of all of this Gone with the Wind won 8 academy awards for Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography (color), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress (Vivien Leigh), Best Supporting Actress (Hattie McDaniel), Best Director, and Best Picture.  It also received honorary and technical Oscars and was nominated for 5 other awards.  McDaniel was the first African-American to win an Academy Award.

The internet also has postive things to say about this film.
IMDB: 8.2 out of 10
Rotten Tomatoes (Critic Rating): 96%
Rotten Tomatoes (Audience Rating): 91%
It seems the internet agrees that there is something special about this movie.

The acting in this movie was very good for an older film.  I usually find older films to have really bad acting but this movie was great.  Starting with the supporting characters we have family members of Starlets family and they are decent nothing special.  Then we have Mammy who was played by McDaniels.  This character was so funny and so sassy.  She also liked to use the phrase "white trash" which I had no idea was around back then. But the problem with this movie is that for every great enjoyable character we have one of these:

Ugh Prissy!  The same goes with the main characters as well.  Clark Gable as Rhett Butler (which I learned is not Bret Butler the ex-Dodger).  Clark was great.  He was funny and likeable.  Ashley the Boy was also well acted and an enjoyable character.  His wife Melanie was great and probably the nicest person in the movie.  But with all of these good likable characters we knew the there had to be a realy annoying character the problem this time is that the annoying character is the main character Scarlet, played by Vivien Leigh.  While I cannot complain about the acting the character is so unlikeable.  She is selfish, lacks empathy, uses people, and is just a general brat.

The story aspect of the movie is really what was hard for me to enjoy.  The movie felt like it had no point other than to follow Scarlett as she dealt with the Civil War.  When the end came I felt like saying "that's it?".  I put 4 hours into this film and what I got was really nothing.  This movie is definitely based on novel.  It is long, not about to much but character development.  At times I felt like I was watching Twilight with Team Rhett and Team Ashley.  On the bright side I did learn somethings:
#1. There were eating disorders in the Old South (20 in waist was big?)
#2.  They all hate the Yankees as much as I do.
#3.  Must not be an age of consent.
#4. They really are into incest in the South:

The music was fairly good and the settings and cinematography were very good too.  At times I felt like I was at Disneyland.  I do not fully know why but it just reminded me of Fronierland or Critter Country.   The green screen on the other hand is not very good:

In conclusion this movie was long and at times left long.  The acting and cinematography were great but the characters not so much.  The movie has definitely left  a huge impact on American film.  I have to give Gone with the Wind an A.

#11: City Lights

Ugh.. Not another one of these!  Silent movies are so boring.  After Modern Times there is no way I was looking forward to this Charlie Chaplin "classic".  That's right boys and girls today I get to review another Charlie Chaplin Silent movie.  Today we will take a look at City Lights.  This 1931 silent film stars, is written and directed by Charlie Chaplin.  We lets get out quiet on and get on with this review.

City Lights came out in 1931 and did very well despite the fact that "talkies" were on the rise since 1928 and silent movies were on their way out.  I wish 3D movies were on their was out:   

The film was well received by Depression-era audiences, earning $5 million (guess that was a lot back then) during its initial release, and became one of Chaplin's most financially successful and critically acclaimed works. 

The internet gave the following ratings:
IMDB: 8.6 out of 10
Rotten Tomatoes (Critic Rating): 100%
Rotten Tomatoes (Audience Rating): 94%
100%!!!!! Are you kidding me!  I hate the internet sometimes

Though there were only three characters in this film the acting in this movie was pretty decent.  The drunk millionaire was defiantly my favorite character.  He was just so fun though I felt that he was sometimes a little to friendly with Charlie:

The next character is the blind girl.  What can I say about her other than she is blind.  Okay this character is boring lets move on.  Charlie plays the Little Tramp in this movie.  I found this interesting because I thought he was always the Little Tramp.  I guess I am not up on my silent movie trivia.  Anyways Charlie did a great job.  There were many times where his facial expressions made me laugh.  Though I am curious if the Little Tramp is gay:

The story was fun and kept me much more engage then I expected.  The relationships between Charlie and the millionaire and Charlie and the blind girl were both very well done.  This movie was also funnier then I expected.  Then again there were other "comedic" scenes that I just didn't get.  Also sorta annoying was the cliff hanger ending.  There were a few things I did learn though:
#1. I wish I only paid $22 in rent.
#2. Charlie Chaplin came up with the idea for Joe Millionaire
#3. Blind people can get a surgery so they are not blind anymore (more blind people should do this; blind people if you are reading this, go get that surgery)

The music in this film was decent but nothing special, the stunts and physical comedy was ok.  Actually most of this movie was just ok, except for the talking.  The talking sucked. 

In conclusion this movie was much more enjoyable than Modern Times but that is not saying much.  I still found my self having a hard time paying attention (though that may have been due to the beers I had).  I give City Lights a C-