How Green Was My Valley. The film infamous for beating Citizen Kane at the Oscars. Not only that but The Maltese Falcon and Sergeant York too. Although it's known that it this was due to a public affairs issue at the time, How Green Was My Valley is one of the earliest cases of Oscar baiting I've ever seen. Perhaps this was the film that shaped the mould? It has everything the Oscars dream of and in the most sentimental doses too. As all Oscar baited films, it feels like it skims the surface of its story and its sequences feel more like a checklist rather than organic storytelling. Singing, disability, kindness, hardships. Even today, it feels forced, especially the character archetypes. That said, the performances are pretty good given the contrived platform to work with. The overall drama about the strikes and the family conflict is quite interesting and engaging, but the depth of the film is rather laughable. Its triumphs and tragedies are just too romanticised to be convincing, especially the depiction of Wales which is just far from the truth. That said, the cinematography is really great and definitely the best part. Its story can be trite, but it's very watchable and entertaining. But that's all its trying to be anyway. That and a good cry from sensitive hearts.
6/10
6/10