The Magnificent Ambersons

The second feature by Orson Welles is a counterpoint to the dense narrative and complex storytelling devices of his debut film, Citizen Kane. Adapted from the 1918 novel by Booth Tarkington, which surveys the evolution of American society and culture from the tranquility of 19th-century life to the mechanization and industry driving the 20th century, this 1942 film tells the story of a wealthy family that loses position, power, and money as it fails to evolve with the times. Joseph Cotten stars as Eugene Morgan, an automobile inventor who helps transform the American city with his creation. He loves Isabel Amberson (Dolores Costello), who marries a dull husband and raises a spoiled son named George (Tim Holt), the latter growing into a shallow young man who sacrifices his and his mother’s happiness for family reputation. Welles appropriates imagery and techniques from silent movies and shoots numerous scenes with graceful, elaborate long takes. As the Amberson clan remains stuck in the past, the world moves on outside of their grand mansion, subtly seen in the background in journeys through the local town. It's both a celebration of a way of life lost in the modern world and a critique of the idealization of that life. The film was taken from Welles’s hands and edited down by over 40 minutes, with new bridging scenes added, but what's left is still a masterpiece and considered by some to be his greatest film. Beautifully presented in a new 4K digital restoration, this Criterion edition features extras including two audio commentary tracks with scholars Robert L. Carringer and James Naremore and critic Jonathan Rosenbaum, interviews with film historians Simon Callow and Joseph McBride, archival footage of Welles, radio plays, and a booklet. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (S. Axmaker)