Knowing some of Orson Welles' other films, and what Welles himself said about "The Magnificent Ambersons" and how it was taken from his control and ruined beyond recognition, I can only heartily agree with his point of view.
This is one movie that starts out with a Welles setup and dies in a corny mess, something like Hitchcock's "Rebecca" with Mrs. Danvers taken out - Manderley ends up in flames, but just how it got so far must have been too distressing for a test audience.
All of Welles film have a strong narrative and ask interesting, often uncomfortable questions. If Welles ever made an apparently stupid, pointless movie, this is the one. Still, the first half is watchable for its props, like the quaint old automobiles. Just forget about the rest.
This is one movie that starts out with a Welles setup and dies in a corny mess, something like Hitchcock's "Rebecca" with Mrs. Danvers taken out - Manderley ends up in flames, but just how it got so far must have been too distressing for a test audience.
All of Welles film have a strong narrative and ask interesting, often uncomfortable questions. If Welles ever made an apparently stupid, pointless movie, this is the one. Still, the first half is watchable for its props, like the quaint old automobiles. Just forget about the rest.