A Star is Born (1954)

A Star is Born (1954)

Since I've recently moved to LA, it only makes sense that I check out the classic story of making it in Hollywood, even if it means dating a drunken James Mason. This was the first remake of the 1937 film, with another being made with Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson in 1976, and yet another set to come out later this year with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, directed by Cooper himself. This seems to be the most iconic version of the story, so I decided to give it a watch.

This is only the second Judy Garland film I've ever seen, the other being Wizard of Oz (I've also seen Judgment at Nuremberg, which features Garland in a much smaller role). Garland was only 32 years old when she made this film, but she looks, acts, and sounds far older, probably due to the amount of life she managed to pack into her short time on earth. In every scene it's clear that Garland is working hard, whether she's delivering monologues, actively listening, tap dancing, or singing until her face is purple. She is show business incarnate and this performance makes that very clear. James Mason is also great, with a performance that ripples legitimate embarrassment. Every time he gets drunk it's terrifying, not because he's violent or monstrous, but because of how sad and mortified everyone around him is while he appears to be having a ball. The supporting cast is solid, with one strange mannerism that they all share, which is a lot of touching. Every single actor in this movie at some point touches every other actor in the movie. It's almost entirely harmless arm/shoulder touching, but it's so gratuitous and deliberate that it's very difficult to ignore. I'm not exactly sure if it's a choice, or if that's just how people interacted with each other back then, but I found myself frequently checking my own personal space throughout the whole movie.

The film is shot in CinemaScope, and boy does it show. Every shot, whether it be on a lavish set or in a simple living room, is so impressively wide that I already regret not waiting to see this in a theater. The colors are popping, the set design is creative, and it's captured with very simple but elegant cinematography.

The movie really takes its time in telling its story, often to the point of dragging. The DVD I watched included missing footage from the film that was replaced with slideshows and voice over, which rounded out the normally two and a half hour film to a full three hours, and I could feel it. With a story this simple it's honestly surprising that they were able to wring this much out of it. It's about an actress who's given her shot to fame when a troubled, alcoholic movie star falls in love with her, and it never really strays from that story. I suppose the time adds up with all of the big musical numbers, and the dialogue has a tendency to sprawl, but there's still not much of an excuse for it. However, the visual atmosphere of the film and the rather surprising and honestly perfect ending make up for the epic length.

If you have a spare three hours, you like musicals from the 1950s, and you still haven't seen this, it's worth checking out. But if there's a nearby theater playing it, definitely take advantage.