The Arrival of Sound

There is so much covered in this Episode it is a bit overwhelming. It begins with the implications of going from a purely visual presentation to one with sound, where a bit of sterility reared itself until the technical aspect could catch up. In other words, some of the films aren't very good. We are introduced to Ruben Mamoulian and his "Love Me Tonight" where wonderful things are done with sound, though they are almost like music. We are then introduced to six genres that begin to flourish in the Thirties: Horror (The Golem and Frankenstein); The Gangster Film (Cagney and Scarface); The Western (The Iron Horse and My Darling Clementine); Comedy (Bringing Up Baby); Musicals (especially those by Busby Berkeley); and The Cartoon (animation from the French culminating in Walt Disney with Snow White breaking ground).

We now go to France where the great filmmakers, Jean Vigo with Zero de Conduite and L'Atalante push the envelope, angering the powers that be with their political commentary. Jean Renoir and his humanist films. There is a look at what is going on in South America.

Leni Riefenstahl, a controversial though brilliant female director was at the right hand of Hitler, doing films like The Triumph of Will and work on the 1936 Olympic Games. She seemed to be unapologetic about her films. Because the Jews were not allowed to work in Hitler's Germany, much of the creative juice went out of the industry.

The final major focus has to do with Alfred Hitchcock who was possibly the most innovative of all. They list seven things he excelled at: 1) point of view 2) creativity based on his schooling and upbringing 3) an understanding of fear 4) close ups 5) beginning with non-descript close ups and moving back to a broader shot 6) diminishing sound for dramatic effect, and 7) moving to a high shot and then back to very emotional close up.

Finally, there are three films that feature female characters which are benchmark to this era: Ninotchka, with Greta Garbo; The Wizard of Oz, with Judy Garland; and Vivien Leigh's portrayal of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind.

This is really quite a tour de force in about one hour.