The early Oscar Best Picture winners have a reputation for being some of the worst in the Academy's legacy, so maybe it's for that reason that I was pleasantly surprised by this epic that took home the prize in the Academy's fourth year.
People scratch their heads now over what the Academy saw in this adaptation of an Edna Ferber novel that they liked enough to name it Best Picture of the 1930-31 award year, but is it really that difficult to see? "Cimarron" is a big film, big in themes, big in scope. It's creaky and antiquated, but it's consistent with the kind of movies the Academy would pick for its top prize over the succeeding decades.
The first half of "Cimarron" is the best, following married couple Richard Dix and Irene Dunne as they move west as part of the land boom and establish themselves in a ramshackle town, one of hundreds that literally sprang up overnight. Dix has big dreams and isn't content to settle down for long. This conflicts with Dunne's desire to have a happy home. The land grab scene is pretty thrilling and technically accomplished for its time, and the early scenes set in the town are compelling as well, especially a scene set during church that ends with a congregant getting gunned down. Wild west indeed. The impressive set won art director Max Ree a deserved Oscar, for its sheer size alone if for nothing else.
The second half of the movie runs out of steam, especially when Dix runs off and Dunne is left to run things, including their business, on her own. A climactic scene that ends the film tragically feels more soap opera than effective drama. This part of the film suffers from an inability of the filmmakers to approximate the realistic passing of time, so it all feels rushed.
There were of course many more films that came out in the same year as "Cimarron" that are much better and more deserving of being remembered. But how often is the Best Picture Oscar winner ever the actual best film of its year? "Cimarron" is worth seeing as an early bit of Oscar history.
It should be noted that the film set an early record for number of Oscar nominations, the first to be nominated for seven. It won three, adding Best Writing (Adaptation) to its awards for Best Picture and Best Art Direction. It was also nominated for Best Director (Wesley Ruggles), Best Actor (Dix), Best Actress (Dunne), and Best Cinematography.
Grade: B
People scratch their heads now over what the Academy saw in this adaptation of an Edna Ferber novel that they liked enough to name it Best Picture of the 1930-31 award year, but is it really that difficult to see? "Cimarron" is a big film, big in themes, big in scope. It's creaky and antiquated, but it's consistent with the kind of movies the Academy would pick for its top prize over the succeeding decades.
The first half of "Cimarron" is the best, following married couple Richard Dix and Irene Dunne as they move west as part of the land boom and establish themselves in a ramshackle town, one of hundreds that literally sprang up overnight. Dix has big dreams and isn't content to settle down for long. This conflicts with Dunne's desire to have a happy home. The land grab scene is pretty thrilling and technically accomplished for its time, and the early scenes set in the town are compelling as well, especially a scene set during church that ends with a congregant getting gunned down. Wild west indeed. The impressive set won art director Max Ree a deserved Oscar, for its sheer size alone if for nothing else.
The second half of the movie runs out of steam, especially when Dix runs off and Dunne is left to run things, including their business, on her own. A climactic scene that ends the film tragically feels more soap opera than effective drama. This part of the film suffers from an inability of the filmmakers to approximate the realistic passing of time, so it all feels rushed.
There were of course many more films that came out in the same year as "Cimarron" that are much better and more deserving of being remembered. But how often is the Best Picture Oscar winner ever the actual best film of its year? "Cimarron" is worth seeing as an early bit of Oscar history.
It should be noted that the film set an early record for number of Oscar nominations, the first to be nominated for seven. It won three, adding Best Writing (Adaptation) to its awards for Best Picture and Best Art Direction. It was also nominated for Best Director (Wesley Ruggles), Best Actor (Dix), Best Actress (Dunne), and Best Cinematography.
Grade: B