Gilda

Gilda is a film noted for the breakout of Rita Hayworth, and it is notable for the rather provocative moments of her first appearance well being asked if she is "decent". The legacy is in Hayworth, and even more so more in terms of iconic imagery than truly a great performance. The rest of the film is a noir troubled by a lack of an engaging cast. Not that they are wholly bad, but their is no one there to really energize the proceedings past a rote noir. The characters, outside of Gilda, are incredibly forgettable and really again Gilda isn't in herself a great character as they avoid a true femme fatale unlike in Ava Gardner's breakout role in The Killers from the same year. There are certainly memorable moments in the film, the aforementioned one in particular, but overall it is not all the memorable as a film.
3.5/5

Duel in the Sun

Duel in the Sun is a film that attempts many stories. The story of a half Mexican/half Anglo woman trying to fit in a family, general racism of the period, a forbidden romance, a brotherly rivalry, the conflict of power in a town, there's even a gun toting preacher thrown into the mix. Now a film can try to cover a variety of themes and ideas, but the problem with a Duel in the Sun is it really does not do any of them well. We get parts of the stories, parts of the whole, but they never cohere into anything satisfying. This a particularly odd one in that it does not even feel like one aspect works, they all seem haphazard and all fail as one. It does not help in that the majority of the cast is either bland or hideously over the top.
1.5/5

The Yearling

The Yearling is the usual story of a boy and his pet though his pet happens to be a dear. This is not some sweet story evidenced by its rather harsh ending. The film has many admirable elements. The technical elements are memorable particularly in the stylized realization of Florida in pioneer times. Claude Jarman Jr. gives a fine leading performance as the boy. Jane Wyman also does well actually despite having the thankless role as an extremely cold mother. Gregory Peck though sticks out like sore thumb the entire film with his awkward turn as struggles to speak the dialect of his character. The story also seems somewhat unsure of its tone at times as it has some extremes that hinder the natural flow of the story. It still works in the end despite some obvious flaws.
3.5/5

The Best Years of Our Lives

The Best Years of Our Lives the film that unfortunately for some may merely be that film they say "what's that" when they see what beat It's A Wonderful Life for Best Picture in 1946. Well that's unfortunate because it deserved its success, and is one of the best films to take the top prize. The film details WW II veterans difficulties when coming back from the war through three stories. The film is terrific in actually the unassuming approach it takes to the material. There are some intense moments in there, but that's only part of the film. It's just as well is a film that just is attempting to capture everyday life of a moment in time, which it seems to do marvelously. The emotional payoff of each story is well earned, as it paints such a moving depiction of the way life goes on even after such a life changing experience as war has interrupted the flow of it all.
5/5

It's A Wonderful Life

It's A Wonderful Life is rightly stated as one of the greatest films of all time, and it is certainly Frank Capra's best film. This film above all his rest managed to capture the exact tone he seemed to be trying to establish with all of his other films. Where others he could fall on the sides of melodramatic or corny at times, this is never the case in this film. Capra strikes the right balance as he does have some sweet moments in there, but overall it's actually a depressing story of a man who fails to live out any of his dreams sacrificing it all, at his own choice, for the common good. The film brilliantly builds to its supernatural climax which comes in a surprisingly effective fashion. The performances are uniformly excellent with James Stewart giving his career best performance which is really saying something. The supporting cast does not have a weak element with some memorable turns particularly from Lionel Barrymore and Henry Travers. It really is the film Capra spent his whole career building to as it is the perfection of his style. It is also proof that a happy ending can be just as effective as a sad ending, as this has one greatest endings of all time.
5/5

The Razor's Edge

The Razor's Edge is a film that feels as self-important, as our central hero's personal journey to enlightenment. There's a serious problem with the film in that the potential for the story should have been found in the transition of a troubled war veteran to a self-actualized individual. The problem is Tyrone Power can't pull that off, or at least does not try, as his changes are not earned in the least by his performance. The films other elements are scatter shot, there just so our hero can fix them, or almost fix them all in the last act. We get a catty Gene Tierney, a troubled Anne Baxter, and Clifton Webb doing his usual thing. The first is resolved as you'd expect with Power's character ignoring her shallow advances, the second tragic and is one of the best elements of the film due to Baxter, and the third is weird. Webb does his pompous routine the film views him as pompous then suddenly it wishes that we really care about him in order to end the film on. The film may have been able work with a stronger leading turn, but as it is it feels just like a messy of strain threads that fail to intertwine.
2/5

My Darling Clementine

My Darling Clementine tells the story of Wyatt Earp against the Clantons and probably takes the most liberties with the story. In this version he and Doc Holliday are not really friends, and the whole set, involving Old man Clanton, is considerably different than other versions. It is a good version though as a fairly straight forward, Sheriff cleaning up that town variation, but with enough of an addition involving Holliday to make something a bit special out it. Holliday in himself is a bit of a surprise altogether as Victor Mature gives a rather lively performance for once. Other than that aspect the story proceeds as you'd expect though in an effective fashion particularly in a rather well directed final shootout by John Ford.
4/5