David Copperfield
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Movie Reviews of David Copperfield
Movie Review: At last, a sparkling gem has been brought to DVD!
Summary: 5 Stars
1939 has often been touted as the peak of Hollywood's Golden Era. While I would not argue with that (Ted Sennett wrote a whole book about it), 1935 was a Sterling year for American movies also. All the studios turned out fine films that year: "The Little Colonel" and "The Littlest Rebel" at 20th Century-Fox, "Top Hat" and "The Informer" at RKO, "The Ruggles of Red Gap" and "Lives of a Bengal Lancer" at Paramount, "Bride of Frankenstein" at Universal, "The Whole Town's Talking" at Columbia, "Call of the Wild" at United Artists, "Gold Diggers of 1935" and "Captain Blood" at Warner Brothers, and at MGM, "A Night at the Opera", "Naughty Marietta", "Anna Karenina", "Mutiny on the Bounty", "A Tale of Two Cities" and "David Copperfield" (whew!)
David Copperfield is deservedly one of the outstanding pictures of 1935 or any other year! I definitely have to agree with Charles Dickens himself, when he said "Of all my books, I like this the best". And of all the Dickens' books adapted to the screen, I like this one the best, and I bet he would have been pleased, too.
The film has many pleasures: the outstanding cast (of whom Freddie Bartholomew as young David, Edna May Oliver as Aunt Betsy Trotwood, and W.C. Fields as Mr. Micawber, stand out), the well-written screenplay by Howard Estabrook and Hugh Walpole (why drag a story out for five or six hours and multiple parts, when you can tell it well in two or three hours?), the expert direction of George Cukor, and the period flavor.
But perhaps the reason it is SO good is the genius that was David O. Selznick. He pulled all the parts together to make a thoroughly satisfying whole with a brillent skill that would reach it peak four years later with "Gone with the Wind". The production has "class" stamped all over it, and this was due to Mr. Selznick. We will never see his like in Hollywood again. What a shame.
I highly recommend this film. The use of the English language (have your dictionary ready) by WC Field as Mr. Micawber is worth the price of DVD in and of itself. Buy it to-day! While I'm at it, you'd be wise to watch and/or buy most any movie produced by David O. Selznick (Google his name, you will find a list). He knew how to draw you into a film and entertain you with a great story!
Movie Review: Like "Oliver Twist"
Summary: 5 Stars
By the same brilliant author Charles Dickens, who also created the character, Mr. Scrooge, in "A Christmas Carol", and "Oliver Twist". Carries you back in time to England of the 1800's, for the struggles of a young boy over mean people and poverty. Later in the film we see the boy grown up, seeking romance, and battling another scoundrel.
This good 1935 film shows the lost art of character acting; meaning the colorful characters come alive with lots of charm and personality. For example, you really dislike the bad guys. You are never unsure about any of the characters. The characters display a lot of personality, with depth, in a short space of time. This happens not only by good acting, directing, and script, but depends upon great casting to fit each part perfectly. A good character actor can portray say, the bad guy, and you know he is the bad guy instantly even before he speaks, and you see his bad traits beyond the black hat, meaning you can tell why he is a bad guy. Good casting is more than just good guys and bad guys, as Edna Mae Oliver shows playing the bossy aunt with a kind heart. While, I did not like WC Fields in his other films, here he is well cast as a bum, who surprisingly, gains some soul.
The 2000 version of "David Copperfield" with child actor Daniel Radcliffe of "Harry Potter" fame is the best version. I saw this 1935 version first and enjoyed it very much. However, the 2000 version has more of everything, more humor, better script, more sinister bad guys, more depth, is 50 minutes longer, and has excellent character acting as well.
Other lively films of adventure, with great character acting, are "Tom Brown's School Days 1940", "Pride & Prejudice 1940", and the "Scarlet Pimpernel 1935".
Movie Review: Masterpiece of filmmaking brings Dickens' novel to life...
Summary: 5 Stars
Of all of the films directed by George Cukor, I think this is his finest achievement, helped in no small measure by the perfect casting of all the Dickens characters.
Freddie Bartholomew is flawless as the young David. Edna May Oliver as his stern but loving Aunt Betsy Trotwood gives her usual sharp characterization and nearly steals the first half of the movie. As for Mr. Murdstone, Basil Rathbone is the perfect embodiment of that brutally wicked man. Born to play Mr. Micawber is W. C. Fields, so uncannily right that it almost seems as if Dickens had him in mind when he wrote the character!
Very atmospheric, so much so that it seems almost incredible that an American movie company could have crafted this gem. One would think the British would have beat us to it--but Dickens would have approved of this version, I'm sure.
The only drawback is the length and the scenes involving David's wife, Dora, as played by Maureen O'Sullivan with a saccharine sweetness that becomes cloying at times. (Thank God she didn't play Melanie in 'GWTW'). Some of the acting is a bit florid but to be expected when you consider this was made in 1935. Roland Young is well cast as Uriah Heep.
Highly recommended. Anyone who cherishes the Dickens novel will not be disappointed. The only flaw is that the story has been compressed in order to limit the running time to two hours and ten minutes and it shows. All the essential characters remain but some of them have little dimension because of time constraints.
Movie Review: An Exceptional Film
Summary: 5 Stars
There are many lessons to be learned from this film. Lessons about life, the importance of family, the wisdom of choosing a mate or one's friends wisely, and how a bit of kindness here and there can work wonders.
This particular version of this classic tale also presents many lessons about how to construct and make a fine movie. The lighting, sets, and pacing of this film are all top notch, and budding film students would do well to study how and why this film works so well.
Many of my favorite actors are here too, doing what they do best, bringing believability and rememberability to their roles.
Action, adventure, romance, morality, and coming of age... all wrapped up in a beautifully photographed film and presented here with a first rate transfer to DVD.
This is a must-have for lover's of old movies.
Movie Review: David Copperfield
Summary: 5 Stars
Cukor's sensitive, ennobling version of this Dickens classic was sumptuously produced for the big screen by producing titan David O. Selznick. A box-office smash when it was released in 1935, "Copperfield" is eminently faithful to the spirit of the Victorian-era novel, tracing the hardships of Bartholomew's orphan hero as he bounces from home to home in search of a real family. Oliver, Rathbone, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Lionel Barrymore are all superb in their respective roles, while Fields musters up an unforgettably charming mix of eccentricity and warmth as Micawber, a role he seemed born to play. Roll out the welcome mat for "David Copperfield."