Rating of
2.5/4
Review - Cimarron (1931)
Delorted - wrote on 11/16/07
In the late 1800’s, Yancey Cravat (Richard Dix) decided to take his wife Sabra (Irene Dunne) and go west to found a newspaper company. His fight against prejudice is told in the Best Picture winning film, “Cimarron.”
First of all I want to say that I understood the message of this movie. I didn’t think it was racist like apparently many do. I think it was exactly the opposite, fighting against racism and prejudice. That being said, I can tell you how much I don’t like this movie.
Richard Dix is a terrible actor. Even on the stage he sounds and looks like he would be horrible. He overacts every line, as does his hair. Irene Dunne is better, but still nothing too exciting. There really isn’t any acting in the film worth mentioning.
I did find myself entranced by some moments in the film. Maybe I just underestimate film of the time, but there are some shots I would never have expected in a movie as early as 1931. The make-up is particularly worth mentioning, especially near the end.
And speaking of the end, I won’t give anything away if you plan on seeing this film, but I thought the end of this movie was one of the most poorly written, let’s-end-it-fast ending I’ve ever seen in cinema. It’s like they couldn’t think of an ending and decided to just take the easy route out.
I don’t think I will ever be watching “Cimarron” again, but there were enough entertaining moments that I might recommend it if you just really like these kinds of movies. If you’re like me, however, you might want to stay away.
Acting: 6/10
Writing: 7/10
Video/Editing: 8/10
Audio/Music: 7/10
Entertainment: 6/10
Final Score: 6.8/10
