| Overall Grade: |
A |
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| Story: |
A |
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| Acting: |
A |
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| Direction: |
A+ |
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| Visuals: |
B |
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Capra Knows His Demographic
by Yahoo! Movies User (movies profile)
Aug 20, 2006
2
of
2 people found this review helpful
It Happened one Night proved to be truly, one of the greatest screwball comedies of all times. One thing, however, that really grabbed my attention, was how obviously Frank Capra knew his audience and designed the film to please them. Firstly, one must consider that having been premiered in 1934, It Happened one Night was meant for an audience deep in the struggles of the depression. One of the reasons, I think this screenplay was so effective and funny, especially to its original audience, was because of its colorful commentary on the American rich. Capra casts the witty and debonaire Clark Gable to foil the rich, good natured, but often Claudette Colbert brilliantly. Gable's dominance over Colbert, and his humorous conjectures about her selfishness and wealth, are uproariously funny, and much appreciated for middle class Americans - so you can imagine the reception it got when the majority of moviegoers were taking a break from the unemployment line. One scene, that brilliantly captures this humorous relationship, is when Gable stops her form buying the chocolate, and makes himself official budget consultant. Additionally, though often not understood through the censorship of old movies, the thirties was perhaps just as much a time of fun, romance, and mischief as the modern times. Capra wonderfully pushes the limits of the Hayes Code to give this movie a deliciously sexy flair, without angering the censors. This brings up to major scenes. Firstly, the carrot scene, in which Colbert, after much resistance, eats a raw carrot. The mere nature of the original argument over the carrot, and the lip-focused camera shot during her shot, does more than hint at a phallic reference. Secondly, and most obviously, the "wall of Jericho" changing scene, provides a deeply sexy interaction, hinting at the couples relationship, without blurting it out. The audience is as aware of this sexual tension even without anything explicit. As many have said, and rightfully so, it is Capra's subtlety in romance scenes so strictly censored by the Hayes Code, that in fact makes it more evocatively sexy than even modern movies. Overall, this film benefits from terrific character acting, wonderful photography, and direction that has again and again brought American moviegoers pure gold. |
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