Stars: Joseph Cotten, Delores Costello, Anne Baxter, Tim Holt, Agnes Moorehead

Director: Orson Welles

Summary: The sweeping saga of a prominent wealthy family's attempt to adapt to the changing times at the close of a decadent age. Though mutilated by studio executives before studio release, this film remains a masterpiece of directorial artistry, as Welles refined the techniques of shadow, quick-cutting, camera angles, and sound manipulation he used for the previous year's 'Citizen Kane' and actually edited the film while it was being shot. Based on a novel by Booth Tarkington. Academy Award nominations: 4, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Agnes Moorehead), Art Direction-Set Direction, and Cinematography. Winner, Best Actress (Agnes Moorehead) by the N.Y. Film Critics.

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Citizen Kane is considered by many to be Orson Welles's masterpiece, but more than a few prominent critics have argued that his second film, 1942's The Magnificent Ambersons, is an even greater artistic achievement. It's certainly the source of the most painful injustice of Welles's brief career in Hollywood, having been seized from the director's control, drastically cut from over two hours to merely 88 minutes, and reshot with a different, upbeat ending that Welles vehemently disapproved of. Adapted by Welles from the novel by Booth Tarkington, it remains a truncated masterpiece, as impressive for what remains as for the even greater film it might have been. The story is set during the late 19th century and follows the rise and fall of the wealthy Amberson family of Indianapolis, Indiana. Central to the drama is George Amberson Minafer (Tim Holt), who is snobbishly to the manor born, and whose petty jealousies and truculent pride compel him to prevent a wealthy inventor (Joseph Cotten) from marrying his widowed mother (Dolores Costello). This in part is the cause of the Ambersons' downfall, and ultimately leads to George's humbling "comeuppance" at the film's dramatic conclusion. It's an absorbing tale of fading traditions and changing times, and it's also a magnificent showcase for Welles's cinematic audacity, famous among film students for its long, fluid shots and ambitious compositions. Responding to the film's drastic cutting and re-editing, Welles justifiably complained that "they destroyed the heart of the film, really." And yet, the director's stamp of genius is evident throughout--the work of a young master (Welles was only 26 when the film was made) that still shines despite its unfortunate fate. --Jeff Shannon

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Year:	1942
Release Date:	May 29, 2006
Runtime:	84 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	823 479 7
Keywords:	Magnificent, General, Ambersons, Drama
Genre:	Drama