Went in with much skepticism for this film... I try to not read anything about the movies before watching and to go in knowing as little as possible to get the whole experience. I did the most logical thing and judged a book movie by its cover... this one in fact:
I'm...just going to say I went in not really expecting too much. "Oh, look at his cute white gloves. The Broadway dancers. That New York vivacity*."
The best thing that can happen to a person, is to be wrong. I personally loved it. It is a sort of musical, but more like a movie about music. It centers around the Broadway mastermind, George M. Cohan. For those who don't know the first thing about Broadway or its celebrities, (such as myself) his works defined what we think of as Broadway. He penned the songs "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Over There" which have now become American themes.
He was an amazing patriot and is the epitome of the American spirit. His quick wit, determined manner, and pure love for the country really raises spirits. In comparison to some of the songs inspired by America today (which are either actually anti-American heavy metal calling for anarchy or twangy boot stomping country melodies that make you think of faded denim and cheap leather) these are the quintessential songs for the everyday Patriot. It all boiled down to the pure adoration of his country, and you can really see it in this film.
I have never seen a James Cagney film, but after this one I don't think I could ever see him as anyone else (which means I better check the list...just to be sure). Even if he is playing a violent mob boss, I'll recollect the playful banter, fast paced tapping and lively spirit that he brought to George Cohan.
The film was made in 1942 and set roughly between 1878-1936. It is sort of amazing to see what all was included in the film that movies today would consider horrible and be frowned upon by society. I made a mental list of what all would cause a media backlash:
- Smoking galore (remember, they don't glorify it like they used to)
- Spanking (Now it may be shot as a scene of child abuse, when it was comical back in the day)
- People in blackface (I think that one speaks for itself, but it was part of that time period so it may avoid the media exposure.)
Not saying that these things offended me and should be taken out, but if shown to today's audiences, I think the message would be lost amongst the minor things.
Back to the actual movie. It is based on Cohan's life and his rise to fame along with how his cocky attitude hinders him at times. There are points where you can't believe this guy could have such a huge ego, but it immediately turns as he reaches out to his loved ones with his sly and extremely touching acts of kindness. (Of course there are historical inaccuracies, but I think it best we ignore those and focus on the film.) The patriotism takes a backseat at times, but it still plays a major role, coming off as corny at times but you just can't help but love it and how it adds to the overall mood.
I realized last night that I don't go too much into the movies and what they are about. I apologize for this and will try to give as much info possible without spoiling a thing. I am still an advocate of really losing yourself in a movie, watching it with no idea what it is about and being open to just about anything. I honestly believe being wrong in judgment can be a truly beneficial and marvelous experience. You learn more that way. When I was younger, I would not give a movie a second glance if it was black and white. I've grown and I came close to not giving this one a chance based on cover alone... then I remembered something my mother always tells me: "You only regret what you don't do." I can safely say that I would regret missing this film and I recommend it to all who come across this.
Ah, the things we learn.
* For the record, I have nothing against New York... but I don't really have as much of an admiration for it as the rest of the nation seems to. Again, nothing against it, just no spirit for it.
Next movie: Blade Runner (1982)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_runner
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