Here are the five nominees: (Winner in Bold)
Biggest Snub:
Alfred Hitchcock – Murder!
My Overall Thoughts:
This was a year where they had 6 nominees (1 was actually the same director for two different films), but one of them stood out as an amazing Directorial achievement so there really wasn’t much competition here.
My Rankings:
Directing
6. Ernst Lubitsch
5. King Vidor
4. Robert Z. Leonard
3. Clarence Brown (Anna Christie)
2. Clarence Brown (Romance)
1. Lewis Milestone
Movies
6. Hallelujah – Terrible film that may have been groundbreaking at the time due to the use of singing in a “talkie” and utilizing an all-black cast but it now comes across as seeming very racist in everything that it attempts to do. The story itself is quiet risque for its time and the implication that that was “only” the way of life in the low level black communities. The characters all feel like stereotypes and that also helps perpetuate the racist undertones throughout.
5. The Love Parade – Another unbearable Chevalier film. The story itself was too much of a farce. The characters aren’t developed well enough at all and you just want it to end as soon as it starts. Yet another film that baffles me as to how it was chosen to get a Best Picture nomination that year let alone 5 other nominations. Thankfully, they were smart enough not to award this film any of them.
4. Anna Christie – Interesting idea that works even better given the time frame that it was made. Garbo is great in the lead and was quite deserving of her Oscar nomination for Best Actress for this role. The way that the main character wants to keep her past a secret is done quite well especially since it’s easy to see why she doesn’t want her past to affect how she is seen by those that love her.
3. The Divorcee – Definitely deals with some very risque situations that I wouldn’t have suspected would be film back during the early days of film. Shearer does a wonderful job in the lead as a woman constantly torn by the decisions she must make in life over and over. She deservingly won an Oscar for Best Actress for this role because we can really feel who internal struggles even when those around her act hypocritical when faced with similar situations.
2. Romance – Great film that shows how the wisdom of the aged can help serve the youth even when it comes to tales of love and romance. The film is framed quite well by scenes from the “present” while most of the entire film is told in flashback. The war between the classes is described quite well here we get to see how the segregation between the class can affect the many choices people could make in their lives even when it comes to love and marriage.
1. All Quiet on the Western Front – Great war movie, very well done especially for a movie made in 1930. Very deserving of its Oscar wins for Picture and Director.
Do I agree with the Oscar winner? – No Question! LM does an amazing job with AQoTWF and it still remains a visual masterpiece even after 90 years. None of the other nominees are even close.
Let me know what you think about these films and my rankings!
MovieRob 