On M List of Movie Reviews

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Magnificent Obsession (1935)

Rate: 3
Viewed: 5/14

Mag35
5/14: Magnificent Obsession is a hopelessly dated picture.

I'm sure the film made for a fine viewing during 1935, but it fails to stand the test of time for a couple of reasons.

First, notice how the scenes between characters are filmed with dialogue in a long continuous shot. There's no energy to keep me awake. Hence, John Stahl must have not seen Bronenosets Potyomkin. Because I got bored, it took me four days to finish the film.

Second, there's no life behind the spoken words. The players say their lines and segue to the next scene with no feeling. When they went through the motions, I ultimately asked myself, "Why should I care, either?" That's when the movie fell apart.

The artificiality of emotions and the lifelessness of characters will always spell doom. Films like Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, and All Quiet on the Western Front, all products of the 30's, have stood the test of time because they're emotionally powerful. Unfortunately, Magnificent Obsession has been sneered at for its fatuousness and soap opera themes, and I concur.

All in all, Magnificent Obsession it is not.