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AMG Review Hans J. Wollstein According to Hollywood lore, Cimarron's famous Oklahoma Land Rush sequence was filmed near Bakersfield, CA, and included 47 camera operators and 5,000 dress extras. The scene, which to a modern viewer suggests some heavy borrowing from William S. Hart's similar sequence in the silent Tumbleweeds (1925), remains Cimarron's centerpiece and tends to dwarf the empire building sweep of Edna Ferber's original novel. And, to be frank, the remaining hour or so of political intrigue is rather ponderous and dull in comparison. Richard Dix and Irene Dunne grow old according to Hollywood tradition by graying slightly at the temples and the rest of the immense cast seems in awe of the entire enterprise. According to Hollywood lore, Cimarron lost money despite earning a Best Picture Academy Award and it is easy to see why. The whole enterprise seems lopsided and never recovers from that amazing land rush sequence early on in the proceedings. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide According to Hollywood lore, Cimarron's famous Oklahoma Land Rush sequence was filmed near Bakersfield, CA, and included 47 camera operators and 5,000 dress extras. The scene, which to a modern viewer suggests some heavy borrowing from William S. Hart's similar sequence in the silent Tumbleweeds (1925), remains Cimarron's centerpiece and tends to dwarf the empire building sweep of Edna Ferber's original novel. And, to be frank, the remaining hour or so of political intrigue is rather ponderous and dull in comparison. Richard Dix and Irene Dunne grow old according to Hollywood tradition by graying slightly at the temples and the rest of the immense cast seems in awe of the entire enterprise. According to Hollywood lore, Cimarron lost money despite earning a Best Picture Academy Award and it is easy to see why. The whole enterprise seems lopsided and never recovers from that amazing land rush sequence early on in the proceedings. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide AMG Review Richard Gilliam Cimarron is an excellent example of how a film can fit the needs of the era in which it is released, win an Oscar for Best Picture, and have almost no appeal to later generations of filmgoers. In 1930, when Cimarron was released, the United States was in the midst of the Depression, with millions of people out-of-work and struggling. Poverty and racism were rampant, and doubt about the future of the country was a common topic of conversation. An enthusiastic reaffirmation of American destiny, Cimarron is essentially a message film telling Depression audiences that morality, hard work, and an adventurous spirit will overcome all obstacles. This message obviously appealed to the Academy, for whom it could be just the movie to show that Hollywood was willing to do its cheerleading best to pull the country through difficult times. Viewed today, Cimarron fails on numerous counts. The characters are one-dimensional stereotypes -- notice for example that throughout the film the good-guy hero (Richard Dix) wears a representative white hat. The simple-minded black servant boy (Eugene Jackson), singing happily as he does his chores, is strong evidence of the racial prejudice of white moviegoers of the 1930s, as is the film's patronizing approach to Indians. On the plus side, Cimarron has state of the art production values, an exciting first act, and a fine performance by Irene Dunne, whose character symbolizes the progress of women's rights. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide Cimarron is an excellent example of how a film can fit the needs of the era in which it is released, win an Oscar for Best Picture, and have almost no appeal to later generations of filmgoers. In 1930, when Cimarron was released, the United States was in the midst of the Depression, with millions of people out-of-work and struggling. Poverty and racism were rampant, and doubt about the future of the country was a common topic of conversation. An enthusiastic reaffirmation of American destiny, Cimarron is essentially a message film telling Depression audiences that morality, hard work, and an adventurous spirit will overcome all obstacles. This message obviously appealed to the Academy, for whom it could be just the movie to show that Hollywood was willing to do its cheerleading best to pull the country through difficult times. Viewed today, Cimarron fails on numerous counts. The characters are one-dimensional stereotypes -- notice for example that throughout the film the good-guy hero (Richard Dix) wears a representative white hat. The simple-minded black servant boy (Eugene Jackson), singing happily as he does his chores, is strong evidence of the racial prejudice of white moviegoers of the 1930s, as is the film's patronizing approach to Indians. On the plus side, Cimarron has state of the art production values, an exciting first act, and a fine performance by Irene Dunne, whose character symbolizes the progress of women's rights. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide | |
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