As a talkie, this is a mess.
The pacing, the acting, heck, even the cinematography is just like a silent film.
But there are actors who pause for a long while, then read what seem like interstitial cards from silent films, then pause again. The voices are irritatingly loud, like stage actors who have never seen cameras.
And there is frequent, obnoxiously loud bagpipe music. Which is how it oughta be played if you ask me, but it is also not how things are done in talkies.
Myrna Loy acts in a way that makes you wonder if this is just how she was before she started drinking. Pro tip: drink more, kids!
Frankly, I was surprised that John Ford stumbled a bit as he tried to understand how talkies worked. In exactly that way, this film ought to be an inspiration to film students.
Please don't bother watching unless you're one of those film students. You can't even turn the sound off and pretend this is silent because there are only cards to read in some scenes not all.
Alternately, this film could easily become a drinking game. Watch at your own risk!
The pacing, the acting, heck, even the cinematography is just like a silent film.
But there are actors who pause for a long while, then read what seem like interstitial cards from silent films, then pause again. The voices are irritatingly loud, like stage actors who have never seen cameras.
And there is frequent, obnoxiously loud bagpipe music. Which is how it oughta be played if you ask me, but it is also not how things are done in talkies.
Myrna Loy acts in a way that makes you wonder if this is just how she was before she started drinking. Pro tip: drink more, kids!
Frankly, I was surprised that John Ford stumbled a bit as he tried to understand how talkies worked. In exactly that way, this film ought to be an inspiration to film students.
Please don't bother watching unless you're one of those film students. You can't even turn the sound off and pretend this is silent because there are only cards to read in some scenes not all.
Alternately, this film could easily become a drinking game. Watch at your own risk!