introduction
"Storm People" is a literary and historical film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh.
The film is based on the novel of the same name by American author Margaret Mitchell, which came out in 1936 and became one of the best-selling novels in the world.
In 1939, the film industry was at its peak, a year known as the pinnacle of Hollywood's Golden Age. Not only "People" was released, but many other classic movies such as "The Wizard of Oz" and "Gone with the Wind" have also come out.
At that time, the film industry had a group of extremely talented and creative film artists, who gave new life and expression to film and pushed it to new heights.
The success of "Stormy People" is due to multiple factors, including a deep plot, complex and independent characters, great performances, great music, gorgeous production, and unprecedented marketing strategies.
The film achieved unprecedented success at the box office and word of mouth, not only becoming the box office champion at the time, but also being hailed as one of the most important, influential and representative films in the history of cinema.
The status of "Storm People" in film history is not only reflected in its box office results, but also in its contribution to film production and film art. This film created many new techniques and expression techniques, such as contrasting colors, special effects, etc., and also provided many classic templates and references for later films.
Its influence was not limited to the American film industry, but also extended to the global film production industry, and to this day, "Man of the Storm" is still widely celebrated and regarded as one of the representatives of the classic.
Filmmaking background
1939 is known as the pinnacle of Hollywood's golden age, a period of rapid development of the American film industry and the peak of film art and technological innovation.
During this period, American films produced the highest and had the best box office, and many classic film works appeared, such as "People", "Gone with the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz" and so on.
This period was in the late 30s and early 40s of the 20th century, and the world was in the midst of a period of great political, economic and social transformation.
Affected by factors such as the European War and the Great Depression, the United States became the richest and most powerful country in the world at that time, and this strong position also provided favorable conditions for the development of the American film industry.
From production to distribution and screening, the entire industry chain is completely controlled by several large companies. This vertically integrated model gives studios better funding and resources, as well as better control over the market.
In this case, studios can focus their energy and resources on a small number of films to produce higher quality films.
This period also saw the emergence of a group of talented and creative film artists, such as directors Frank Capra, John Ford, Cecil M. B. Demir, Victor Fleming and many more.
Their emergence promoted the development of film art and technology, and also promoted the commercialization and box office success of films.
The script for "Man of the Wind" was originally based on Robert M. Based on E. Lee's memoirs, the writing of the script began in November 1938 by James Horst and John Houseman, after which Frank Capra took over as director, and continued to revise and refine the script.
The production of the film was handled by Universal Pictures, and the total cost of the film was $2.5 million, and during the production process, director Frank Capra worked on creating an elaborate film, and the production team spent months building various scenes and costumes.
Filmed primarily in Hollywood and San Francisco, California, and Miami, Florida, scenes from Southern Manor were shot in the idyllic gardens of the former home of San Marino, California, and took 77 days to complete.
Character development and plot design
The main characters of the 1939 film " Man of the Storm " are Charles Falk, his wife Edith, his mistress Judith , journalist Jed , and politician James.
Charles Falk is the whole movie revolves around the life of Charles Falk, he is a typical power maniac, unscrupulous in the pursuit of power.
His character portrayal is very stark, presented in a brutal and ambitious image, and his image impresses the audience from the green army uniform of his youth to his fat body in old age.
Wife of Charles Falk, she always supported her husband and provided a lot of help in his career.
Her image is portrayed as a perfect combination of beauty and intellect, with a strong and gentle personality, especially at the end of the film, and her calmness and confidence are unforgettable.
Judith, Falk's mistress, seduced his heart and had a great influence on his political career.
Her character is endowed with a certain sense of mystery, which makes the audience have some speculation about her life history and true motives, and the shaping of her image pays more attention to her charm and sexiness.
Jed, a journalist, is one of the most decent characters in the film, and he has high morals and values.
He helped Falk out of his dark past, representing the audience's belief in justice and morality, and the image creation is very fresh, making it difficult to dislike him.
James, a politician, is Falk's political opponent, he rebelled against Falk, a totalitarian, by pursuing justice and law, representing the opponents in the film, and his image is portrayed more traditionally, mostly black suits and white shirts, in order to make his image more solemn and serious.
The plot of the movie "Stormy People" is very complex, spanning several decades, covering Falk's experience from youth to old age.
Director Capra shows Falk's life through memoirs, and presents the story in front of the audience in an orderly manner according to the time clues, although the story line is more complicated, but the plot arrangement is reasonable, making the plot of the entire film compact, coherent and logical.
The entire film revolves around Falk's life, showing his growth, rise and fall through memories of different time periods.
Using this narrative method, the emotional relationship of the characters is strengthened, so as to better interpret the theme of the entire film, allowing the audience to deeply understand the character of Falk.
The performance of the movie "Stormy People" is very exquisite, and director Capra uses a lot of creative and skillful techniques to show the story.
Through Falk's speeches and broadcasts to reveal his political views, various staggered editing techniques are used to show emotional relationships in different periods, and hints and other techniques are used to stimulate the audience's self-association, and so on.
These performance techniques enrich the emotional level of the film and greatly enhance the audience's viewing experience.
Director Capra presents Falk's life to the audience through memoirs, the story plot is compact and orderly, and the expression techniques are diverse without losing depth, which also makes "Storm People" a heirloom work.
Civil War and Race
The film depicts the rise and fall of Southern warlord Charles Falk as a Southern political and military leader during the Civil War. The film shows the cruelty and destructiveness of war through war scenes, military strategies and other techniques, and also shows the impact and shaping of war on Falk.
The film also shows the impact of war on the population, such as the flight and displacement of civilians in the south, and the whole film reflects the harm and poison of war to human society through the historical event of the Civil War, emphasizing the importance of peace and stability.
The racial issues in the film mainly focus on the confrontation and contradiction between blacks and whites in the South, and although the film does not directly discuss racial equality and racial discrimination, the corresponding issues are shown in depth in character development and plot arrangement.
The film shows that southern blacks are oppressed and segregated at multiple levels such as economic, political and social, and the sense of superiority and discrimination of whites is also vividly depicted, which shows the film's deep understanding and concern for racial issues.
Through these themes, the film explores the complexity and diversity of American history and culture, while also reminding us to cherish peace, promote racial equality, and escape racial conflicts and wars.
The film's reproduction and depiction of the historical events of the Civil War allows the audience to have a deeper understanding of the background and cultural connotation of this important historical event.
By depicting the cruelty and destructiveness of war, the film draws attention to peace and stability and promotes the harmonious development of society.
The image of historical figures such as Charles Falk in the film not only reflected the social, political and cultural characteristics of the time, but also influenced the shaping of later American political leaders.
The film's display and discussion of racial issues revealed that southern blacks were oppressed and segregated at multiple levels such as economy, politics and society, and the superiority and discrimination of whites were also deeply displayed.
This kind of racial antagonism and contradiction still existed in American society at that time, and the film aroused people's thinking and attention to racial equality and racial harmony through the discussion of this theme.
The shaping of black characters in movies also had an impact on the later diversified development of the American film and cultural industry.
Women's development and family values
The growth process of female characters is mainly manifested in two aspects, and the role played by female characters in family life gradually changes from the traditional "good wife and good mother" to a more autonomous, independent and active individual.
After her father's death, the heroine Alicia constantly challenged the traditional family concept, ran her father's business, and eventually became a successful businessman.
Female characters also gradually began to play an important role in social life, and the heroine assisted Charles Falk in political affairs, which brought him great help.
The concept of family in the film has undergone major changes, the war has brought about great economic and social changes, traditional family structures have gradually been broken, and women have gradually changed from passive family roles to more autonomous and dynamic social figures.
In the film, female characters constantly challenge society's stereotypes and restrictions on female characters, and finally realize the discovery of self-worth.
The heroine Alicia actively pursues her dreams and career and is proud of the fruits of her family, business and political struggles.
At the same time, the film also sends a message to the audience that women should have the confidence, courage and independence to fight for their future and constantly strive for progress.
Through the growth of female characters and the changes in family concepts, the movie "Wind and Cloud" profoundly shows the characteristics and evolution trends of American society and culture at that time.
The gender political hints and feminist trends contained in it also provide inspiration and help for contemporary women on the path of equality, autonomy and freedom.
Film art and viewing value
The artistic achievements and viewing value of the movie "Wind and Cloud" are very high, the film combines historical authenticity, cultural connotation and emotional tension, through rich character shaping and profound social discussion, vividly shows the rich historical background and cultural connotation of the American Civil War period in the mid-19th century.
The film's visual effects and performing arts are also top-notch, presenting a wonderful story for the audience.
As an excellent historical film, the film has had a positive impact on the inheritance and promotion of the national spirit of American history.
The film was regarded as a classic depicting the image of women and the fate of women, which attracted widespread attention and repercussions at the time. The film's influence also extended to film style and technology, profoundly influencing the production and development of American films.
The movie "Stormy People" is a very valuable film work in history, which depicts a turbulent and vibrant era through profound social exploration and rich character images.
The film has high artistic achievements and viewing value, and has an important position and influence in the history of film, for this film, we should carefully understand and evaluate it to better appreciate the historical and cultural connotations contained in it.