Out of the Past vs. Lady Bird

ignorance of film history is a major setback in the critical thinking of todays movie buffs. simply because they like a movie, they believe it was well directed. out of the past is a very good movie, and Cindy notes its many qualities. but most of those qualities are shared by comparable noirs of the period. there is nothing here that makes it suprior to, say, siodmak’s phantom lady. to discern the qualities of a hollywood’s studio director, it is first important to be familiar with the different ways films are made in each particular studio. out of the past is a 1947 RKO picture. If we look at some other RKO noirs from that year, Crossfire, The Devil thumbs a Ride, and Crossfire, for , we can see the element that all four films have in common. We can dismiss these elements as part of the studio style, and not attribute them to the particular director. then we can look at the comparable work of the actors in other movies of that general period. Mitchum in RKOs The Locket from the previous year, and the aforementioned Crossfire. Douglas in Paramounts I Walk Alone and the Strange Loves of Martha Ivers. From this you can see if Tourneur brings out anything in the actors that other directors had not already exploited. I could go on forever, but it is essential to know the work of the art director. Albert dAgostino was the central art director at RKO during this period, so check out some other RKO picture and you will see what is the art directors contribution and what can be attributed to the director. Unlike the wildcat years that folllowed the collapse of the stufio system, the job of the director was well defined at this time. He chose the camera placements and the movement of the actor within the frame. he also worked with the other people on the picture to the degree to which it would not impinge on their territory. now i have no argument with cindys appraisal of the film, and i am in hearty agreement with her on its superiority in every way to lady bird, out of the past was adapted from a marvelous novel, build my gallows high. lady bird was a bland and random series of events from the youth of the gerwig, a nondescript geek who finally succeeded at something the poor actress who had to play this character had been excellent in her previous roles, but was stuffed into the directors personality and it didnt fit her. tourneur is a skilled studio director , but is not in the pantheon of auteurs. his moves range from excellent to average, depending upon he script, the budget, and the cast. but even an average studio director is miles above the incompetent amateurs who pretend to be directors in current times. indy has made an excellent point here. but the real problem is that movie buffs dont go to the movies because they want to experience the artistry of a genius director. they go to the movies in the same way we used to watch television programs. to pass the time in the familiar comfort of generic stories and identifiable characters. in other words, glorified versions of themselves. now put that in your pipe and smoke it, if you are not already fuming,

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