The Magnificent Ambersons (1942 Orson Welles & scr)

A remarkable film which seems to me to have been very influential on Fellini (La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2) in the beautifully choreographed action, fluid cameras and dialogue. In fact the film just seems light years ahead of its time. Long takes, low angles, it even had me thinking of Last Year at Marienbad at one point. It's as magnificent as the title (in itself a lovely irony - novel by Booth Tarkington).

Great cast comprises Joseph Cotten, Dolores Costello, Anne Baxter, Tim Holt, Agnes Moorhead, Ray Collins, Erskine Sanford and Richard Bennett,

I hadn't remembered or appreciated how dark the film becomes, accentuated by Orson Welles' rich but haunting narration - thus the studio enforced its slightly upbeat, redemptive ending without Welles' approval.

Wonderful deep focus compositions and lighting from Stanley Cortez, edited by Robert Wise, for RKO. The end credits are utterly wonderful though oddly there's no mention of composer - according to Wikipedia "Composer Bernard Herrmann insisted his credit be removed when, like the film itself, his score was heavily edited by the studio."

Amazingly has not been remastered or released on Blu-Ray (except in Japan) - our version on DVD is rather fuzzy.