The Movie Journal

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) People who know me well know that I am fascinated with history. I always had a thing about pirates, European nations battling over the seas, and just how hard seamanship was back in the 18 th -19 th centuries. Because I am well-versed on the history, I am very familiar with the mutiny that this 1935 film, Mutiny on the Bounty is based upon. As a history major, I was appalled by the historical inaccuracies especially those concerning Captain Bligh. As a film fan, I found the movie to be an action-packed, rousing adventure about overcoming a tyrannical sea captain. In addition to this film, the mutiny inspired two other major films; 1962’s Mutiny on the Bounty starring Marlon Brando and 1984’s The Bounty starring Mel Gibson (which I shall review sometime in the near future). These films deliver a more sympathetic view of Captain Bligh and tend to be more historically accurate. This particular film, directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Charles...

A Night at the Opera (1935) 1935’s A Night at the Opera is my first foray into the work of the Marx Brothers. As someone who wants to familiarize myself with the history of cinema from the very beginning, I felt it was important to understand who these brothers were because they are all-time comic legends. They are the kings of slapstick and that was made prevalent in this movie, one that many people proclaim their best. I cannot judge that statement yet, but I can say I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. A great comedy? I do not think so. A fun, 95-minute exercise in comedy? Sure, let’s go with that. There are plenty of jokes that I found hilarious and memorable, but others that do fall flat. But isn’t that the whole point of the Marx Brothers’ routine? Before this film, the brothers were at Paramount Pictures and their style of comedy was different. There might be somewhat of a resemblance towards a plot, but the emphasis was mainly given to the slapstick and the jokes. I...

Barbary Coast (1935) I miss films like 1935’s Barbary Coast. These are the kind of old-fashioned melodramas that have been driven to extinction. I am not entirely sure that this movie would have been the best kind of old-fashioned film, but it has all the elements that I come to expect from these type of films. For the most part, the film was very entertaining. There is a romanticized and somewhat crass love triangle that lays at the heart of the film. I like this unconventional (for its time) love triangle because it plays to the dark side. The cinematography really plays well to the tone and the atmosphere. There is an abundance of fog and that really gives a sense of mystery to the city of San Francisco, which was known as Barbary Coast to its citizens during the time period the film is set in. This film was directed by Howard Hawks, who is known as one of cinema’s greatest auteurs. It is not his greatest film, and I would even call this film a major B-production (w...