Smith Goes to Washington,The Women,Stagecoach,Dark Victory,and so many more.
Just this year, we’ve seen plenty ofenthusiastic arguments making the case for a more recent cinematicannus mirabilis,1999.
“Whatever you liked about movies, it was there.
1939 did it all and did it well.”
“you could’t talk about film history and not touch upon this peak year,” says Rondeau.
But it’s mythic status isn’t entirely a happy accident.
“1939 encapsulates a certain moment of a certain jot down of Hollywood film,” elaborates Rondeau.
“That’s a film that demonstrates our cultural amnesia.”
“They represent the apex in the history of the classical Hollywood cinema.
Our culture is increasingly splintered and fractured, even juggernauts likeStar WarsandMarvelprove divisive.
But in 1939, Hollywood was selling a version of American mass culture to the widest possible group.
In a sense, they had no choice but to strive for big-budget projects with seeming universal appeal.
But a united, engaged audience provided a useful starting point for any artist or studio mogul.
“That moment of filmmaking is not just about filmmaking,” notes Stewart.
It calls upon us to think about what are the cultural products that bring us together.”
