Lost Horizon (1937)

A classic film, with a classic theme; I'd never seen all of this film before, but, having had the opportunity to see the digitally restored and remastered edition, I'm suitably impressed.

Frank Capra certainly made some great movies; It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and, my personal favourite, Arsenic and Old Lace, amongst others. While a little heavy-handed in its symbolism, Lost Horizon is right up there with his best. Shot at huge expense (it cost more than any other film Columbia had made before), and on an epic scale, it certainly had a cast of thousands. The opening sequence, with thousands of desperate Chinese civilians attempting to escape a civil war (while the European characters ignore them as if they didn't exist) is really impressive.

Obviously, the film suffers a little in this respect; it is definitely a product of its time, and the attitudes towards the natives, both in this opening sequence, and in the later scenes in Shrangri-La are patronising, to say the least. Nevertheless, ignoring the political incorrectness, the film does have a lot to say about human nature.

More than anything else, the film is about hope; a hope for a better future, for a world that is not obsessed with avarice and greed, where war is unknown, and unnecessary, and people can "just get along" with each other. Very utopian, very optimistic, and very naive! Still, it doesn't hurt to dream, I guess.

*** Spoiler Alert ***

One thing which I found disturbing was the apparent murder of the original pilot of the plane which the main characters board. Given that the inhabitants of Shangri-La are supposed to be enlightened and beneficent, why is it acceptable to murder a man in order to kidnap another? This struck me as being particularly inappropriate behaviour, and colours the entire film. When the kidnapper/pilot is later found dead, none of his countrymen seem to be the least bit perturbed, which I also find peculiar...

*** End Spoilers ***

The cast is excellent; I could listen to Ronald Colman's voice all day, and Edward Everett Horton has long been a favourite of mine, even if you can't help but think of a certain cartoon character every time he speaks...! Sam Jaffe as the High Lama is another standout - This was only his 3rd film, which surprised me. Jane Wyatt as the love interest gets to wear some truly beautiful costumes (I don't normally take a lot of notice of costume design, but some of her outfits were simply stunning).

The set design is also worth noting; a lot of effort was made to make the sets as hybrid as possible - They are clearly based upon European standards, but with strange oriental permutations, such as the shape of the doors. The monastery certainly looks slightly alien, which is perfect given the origins of its design.

One more thing... My wife thought the film was crap! I found her opinion quite interesting, as I really had no trouble seeing the intent of the film, which is often the most important aspect, especially when dealing with older movies. Still, I thought I should mention it - Let me know if you think its crap, too

As with all my "reviews", there are always things that I leave out. I'm usually more interested in impressions than in covering everything that's worth knowing about a film; this blog is about feelings, not facts. And don't hesitate to leave your own comments on any film that I discuss (or, even more interesting, don't discuss!).