Dodsworth (1936)
…………………………………………………
Dodsworth Movie Review
Dodsworth is a 1936 drama film directed by William Wyler and starring Walter Huston and Ruth Chatterton. It’s such an underrated gem of a film.
………………………………………………….
“Love has got to stop some place short of suicide“
…………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………..
A retired auto manufacturer and his wife take a long-planned European vacation only to find that they want very different things from life. That’s the premise behind this gem which really took me by surprise as I did not expect this level of sophistication and realism.
We all know women such as Fran, and we all know men such as Sam. That’s why the movie is so relatable and so grounded in reality. It’s such a different movie for the thirties in particular as the two actually break up in the end, and how they get to that point is very realistic, detailed and done in a progressively deteriorating manner which you buy in entirety how natural it seemed.
So Fran wants luxury, adventure and to feel young again. She wants to travel and have fun while her husband Sam is happy to settle in. From there arises the inherent conflict that these two butt into as they are ultimately too different to continue. I personally found her character very unlikable, but realistic and you can get where she’s coming from. But he is of course immensely likable and you root for him throughout the film’s runtime.
I liked the other characters, though they were obviously underutilized in comparison to the aforementioned two. Yes, the two are great and I do agree with the focus put upon them, but still the other players are important and ultimately they were sidelined a bit too much. Paul Lukas, David Niven and Mary Astor all make a solid, memorable impression, though.
…………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………..
This is basically Ruth Chatterton’s final major performance and she really went on a high note. She is fantastic here, very believable in quite a complex role. But above all else, this is Walter Huston’s moment to shine, and he has probably never been better. His performance is so natural, so effortless and so fantastic through and through that it’s such a shame that both him and this entire movie are not talked about more nowadays.
Dodsworth is phenomenally directed by William Wyler per usual. He is one of the classic Hollywood directors and this is one of his winners undoubtedly. The same goes for the cinematography and the overall look and feel of the movie which is cinematic enough without ever being stagey. The various locations are well put to use as its travelogue aspect is charming and it serves its purpose narratively speaking.
I personally loved that ending, it was so well done and quick in a positive manner. The film has very memorable dialogue and some amazing conversations, especially in the second half. It’s such a sophisticated in script and dialogue movie, but the score is so terrible. Not that it’s too bad, but it’s simply too loud and too present in scenes that do not need it such as the dialogue sequences.
…………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………..
Dodsworth was nominated for seven Academy Awards, all very much deserved. In fact, it’s one of the best films of this year, and one of the best nominees obviously. In particular, the nod to Huston was fantastic, and a strong argument could be made that he deserved to win it over a much weaker winning performance from Paul Muni.
Dodsworth is one of the most underappreciated movies from the 1930s. Its script and dialogue are so sophisticated as the film explores a failing marriage in such a grounded, very effective manner. It’s a very moving, rich and complex film that benefits from William Wyler’s expectedly terrific direction and an absolutely outstanding, effortless performance from Walter Huston. It’s a gem of a film that deserved all of its Oscar nominations.
