Orson Welles’ second film, The Magnificent Ambersons, is an adaptation of Booth Tarkington’s novel of the same name. The second industrial revolution and the advent of the automobile function as the catalyst that brings a well-to-do family from the pinnacle of status and wealth down to ruin.
The woes of the silk shoe generation are perfectly characterized through George Amberson Minifer, played by Tim Holt. Entitled and unmotivated, George floats through life while looking down on everyone around him. As an unskilled and ill-equipped member of society he slowly slips through the ranks of society.
Welles’ creative and technical prowess shines through in just about every sequence. The way he blocks his scenes, his unique camera angles, and tracking shots are just a few ways his style amplified the film. Although The Magnificent Ambersons is not as famous as his previous, and first film, Citizen Kane, it is certainly comparable in terms of execution. Certainly a must watch if you can bare the black and white aesthetic of old movies.
