Monday, April 30, 2012

The Magnificent Ambersons

Orson Welles, 87m, 1942

Following close on the heels of the hallowed Citizen Kane, this is another miracle of compressed narration, flawless inter-cutting and explosive energy. Without losing a second or missing a beat, the history of the eminence and decline of an American family around 1900, is encapsulated in this gem of under an hour and a half. This is the era in which the automobile came into its own and with a wealth of period details a bygone time is resurrected. Powerful acting, a brilliant script--this is the prodigy in his heyday.

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