Double Life by George Cukor - Essay Example

Known as a new age director whose stints in comedy were well received by Hollywood goers, George Cukor rose to instant fame with his 1947 creation Double Life. The film starred Ronald Colman and was a major hit that year, fetching the actor his first Oscar and the nickname, Gentleman of Hollywood. Studying Double Life from a critical point, I found interesting insights which I share through this article.

In every frame, in the role of his mistress actress Shelley does a remarkable job as the supporting cast (Cagle, 2012, p.422). By watching the performance of these artists, onlookers get the feeling that acting is not just a profession for such stars. On the contrary, it is like a religion practiced with perfection by these lead artists.

The story takes us through the psychological battle of a person who has been asked to play Othello. The uniqueness of the story itself is the second-best attraction to me about this film. This actor finds it initially difficult to emote jealousy which is the lethal factor in Othello’s character. While he finally achieves it with success through the help provided by the supporting cast and his mistress, he slowly finds the traits of Othello growing into his sub-conscious and overtaking his normal life, wherein he is now unable to control the jealousy and has repeated experiences of Othello’s character even amidst normal parties and day to day living. The gruesome result of this shift of imaginary character in his real self is that he ends up killing his mistress, taking her to be the real-life version of Desdemona, the heroine in Shakespeare’s play Othello, whom Othello kills. All through the scenes, the direct focus on Ronald, the repetition of standard montages like smoking cigarettes and pipes, the mistress's demand, and the theater rehearsals and props, keeps the audience aligned to the social practices of the 1940s.

With respect to the direction of George Cukor, I only have words of praise for the originality of his creation since he takes a diversion from comedies in this story. While his depiction of serious scenes and thoughts of the main protagonists are spot on, his use of comic timing and fresh dialogue delivery brings in an element of jest and lightness in all other scenes of the movie, especially those in which the hero is with his mistress or practicing his lines. Working through the seriousness of the script, Cukor adeptly uses Ronald Colman’s theatrical genius to bring in the seriousness of the psychological malady that the hero, who later becomes the antihero, faces. As a representative of film noir, this movie excels and sets an example ahead of its times, wherein every scene is cut out to perfection without too much darkness in characters and lighting (Lott, 1997, 543). A simple movie that shows how normal characters in life can become a victim of dark thoughts, and end up committing crimes that cannot be forgiven. By showcasing women smoking and open parties, the film does justice to the forward-thinking society of the 1940s.

My Criteria for Quality In Film

An ideal film is one that takes the audience away from the reality of his existence and pulls him into an imaginary world. In my opinion, the following should be the criteria for a successful film:

1. A good movie is built on an original script that has not been worked upon or represented in any other film. Theatrical productions have a different flair and need not be included in this reference, but repetition of the film’s script can make an excellent film average.
2. Excellent feature films ensure gripping narration of facts that keep the audience glued.
3. A good film will always have bright and clear lighting on sets to allow camera work to be experimental.
4. Multiple camera angles are a won't of excellent directors who know how to depict a scene in a hundred different ways using different camera angles.
5. Character-wise scene treatment keeps the focus on important characters of the story and sidelines unimportant characters.
6. Voiceovers with depth help the audience understand the story and its implications and take them to a deeper world of cinema.
7. Through a good movie, the audience should be able to relate easily to the characters
8. Convincing footage with repeated montages is common in defining the style of the times in which the cinema has been created.
9. Good sound quality is essential to make a strong impact on the audience with the right dose of dialogue and music.
10. An excellent movie will have a very realistic happy/tragic ending that leaves a mark on the memory of the audience when they leave the hall.