Der Glanz des Hauses Amberson (1942)
59KDer Glanz des Hauses Amberson: Directed by Orson Welles, Fred Fleck, Robert Wise. With Joseph Cotten, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter, Tim Holt. The spoiled young heir to the decaying Amberson fortune comes between his widowed mother and the man she has always loved.
“I think Iu0026#39;d give just about anything to see a restored version of this film, like u0026quot;Touch of Evil.u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIts reputation is quite justified, however, and the top critics of today have generally agreed that itu0026#39;s one of Wellesu0026#39; best efforts as director. Some have even said that, scene for scene, itu0026#39;s a better film than u0026quot;Citizen Kane.u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe opening montage, set to Wellesu0026#39; narration, is as good as anything of its kind thatu0026#39;s been done before or after — brilliantly, and I hate to use that word because itu0026#39;s so often overused, it achieves two things: 1) it sets up the dramatic side of the story, with Eugeneu0026#39;s fawning for and losing the affections of Isabel, and 2) putting us in a specific, historical time and place. The story of George Minaferu0026#39;s downfall parallels the changing times of America during that time, as well as American aristocracy.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThen thereu0026#39;s Agnes Moorehead, who does the most amazing work as Fanny Minafer, Georgeu0026#39;s aunt. Sheu0026#39;s a pressure cooker to begin with, but when the Ambersons hit rock-bottom she lets go, in a torrential, hysterical performance thatu0026#39;s still getting praise today.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;The Magnificent Ambersonsu0026quot; also carries an equally dramatic story of Hollywoodu0026#39;s assault on artistic expression; almost everyone knows that RKO seized the film and cut it to pieces while Welles was out doing his documentary u0026quot;Itu0026#39;s All True.u0026quot; Today thereu0026#39;s other ways for great directors (Kubrick, Altman) to dodge the system, but film stock and equipment in those days could only be procured from big studios, and for the remainder of Wellesu0026#39; career his genius would only be seen fleetingly (his adaptations of Shakespeare, Kafkau0026#39;s u0026quot;The Trialu0026quot;). Itu0026#39;s a story as tragic as George Minaferu0026#39;s.”
