BEST FILMS OF 1932
by Mike Lorefice

The Dentist
Leslie Pearce

The first of a quartet of talking shorts W.C. Fields did with Mack Sennett near the end of Sennett's career has Fields at his most misanthropic, hating everyone equally. Fields does nothing to make his character even remotely likable; he's a rotten sadistic bully behaving inexcusably throughout. Fields plays an impotent wifeless man punishing anyone in his path and preventing any possible sexual situation, including locking his daughter in her room to keep her from marrying the ice man. Fields seems to be rebelling against the existence of mankind, but it's all unstated, and what makes it funny is it's so futile. No matter how hard or often he lashes out, another moron gets in his way, preventing even the momentary garden is weeded variety of satisfaction. The best part comes when Fields can't wait for the other golfers to finish their hole, so he tee's off, nearly killing one of them by hitting him in the head with his ball. Fields only concern is that the man's dentures are still in his way, remaining on the green as no one picked them up when they dragged the man away. To Mr. Misanthrope the incident is merely an aside in the story of how his opponent tried to rip him off by not counting the two he dropped in. [1/11/07] ***

Fanny
Marc Allegret

Pagnol's stories are the kind you can enjoy at virtually any age. The well developed characters feel like old friends; we laugh with and at them. The regional actors with their distinct dialect Pagnol had fought for in the initial casting of his play had caught on so well in the cities through a combination of diversity and nostalgia for pre-industrialized life before World War 1 that Pagnol was able to open his own production company. Director Marc Allegret is more cinematic than Alexander Korda was in Marius or Marcel Pagnol would be in Cesar. He utilizes exteriors, does more in the way of cutting, and isn't entirely static. Spoken word, both the authentic dialogue and witty and realistic content are always the essence of Pagnol's work though. Picking up where Marius left off, Fanny is pregnant and needs to marry in a hurry to prevent shame being bestowed upon her family shame and keep her child from the ridicule of the bastard tag. Pagnol's tragedy is often based on decisions being made without knowing all the pertinent details, certainly the conclusion of Manon des sources adds much to Jean de Florette for that reason, so it may be no surprise that the rest of Marius' life, and thus by inference the entire port town to varying extents, is affected by him not being the father of the child, a decision made only by his absence. Unlike the Hays code works coming from America, Pagnol isn't forced to be very discrete about if not shy away from issues such as infertility, impotence, and out of wedlock children. The trilogy not surprisingly contains situations used in sitmocks and dope operas, a main difference though is these are warm humanist works. Panisse (Fernand Charpin) is developed into a full fledged character, turning out to be a lot better individual than we imagined. In order to have a community people must make sacrifices and try to do the right thing, even if they are always trying to hide the truth in every way possible. And or course there are some benefits to it or people wouldn't do it. In Panisse's case he gets the best looking woman and a child after all these years of trying. Charpin gives a very good performance, keeping Raimu, who Orson Welles apparently told Pagnol was the greatest actor ever, from stealing the show. Run from Logan's glossy version that hacks all three into the length of one. [5/2/07] ***

Freaks
Tod Browning

***1/2

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Rain
Lewis Milestone

Years before he washed out in the rat-infested waters that "inspired" Steven Soderbergh to the sequel to the sequel of the money remake, Lewis Milestone was one of America's most artistic directors. Most 1932 "action" films look like plays since the new sound technology ground them to a halt, but Milestone turned the play of W. Somerset Maugham's Miss Thompson into one of the finest examples of an early sound film that manages to maintain the visual freedom of the silents while being that much better due to the added dimension. Milestone still tells as much of the story as possible through visual acrobatics, never simply giving in to static shots. He introduces Pago Pago's rainy season with a montage of closeups of drenched greenery and soaked earth, and the prostitute Sadie Thompson (Joan Crawford) through closeups on her jewelry laden wrists and fish net stockings. Almost the entire film is confined to the first floor of the South Seas island's cramped general store, so Oliver Marsh's camera circles the characters to emphasize the claustrophobia and the fact that, thanks to the whim of hellfire and brimstone preacher Alfred Davidson (Walter Huston), Sadie is trapped there until she's deported back to San Francisco to serve a three year sentence. When their steamer is quarantined for cholera, the man of the cloth winds up locked in a battle of spirits and wills with the happy go lucky whore whose desire is simply to start anew. Crawford plays up every hooker trait, but her performance shows her vulnerability and confusion. Though Jesus was tolerant and non judgmental toward whores - even had one as a close friend - his followers are so superior to Sadie they act like it's a traumatic event to be in the same room with her. The shopkeeper Joe Horn (Guy Kibbel) may read the atheist Nietzsche, but he treats everyone as human beings and tries to be helpful. For the convenience of the plot this leading businessman is powerless next to Davidson, who seems to run the island even though he's actually a momentary guest. Huston uses a rigid upright posture for his stern domineering bible thumper, his height always accentuated to emphasize his unyielding presence towering over everyone physically, and in his mind morally. The combination of his hypnotic gaze and the native drumming make him come off as a witchdoctor, converting Sadie through a kind of soul stealing possession. Huston shows the repressed aspects of his sanctimonious Reverend, but his interest in Sadie seems too steeped in his hypocritical idea of being noble savior for the depth of his infatuation to fully come across. I find it tremendously hard to believe such a relentless unbending man would give in 5 seconds after he's finally won. [3/23/07] ***

Scarface
Howard Hawks

***1/2

Vampyr
Carl Theodor Dreyer

****

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