Rating of
3/4
Review - How Green Was My Valley (1941)
Delorted - wrote on 04/15/08
Huw Morgan (Roddy McDowall) grew up in a small mining town at the turn of the century. He recalls his many memories of childhood in the Best Picture winning film “How Green Was My Valley.”
I'm not sure how to take this movie. On one hand I want to call it a masterpiece, because it really is good. On the other hand, I didn't really think it was done very well. The acting is okay, but it's nothing too special. The writing is also good, but I think the acting sets it off. What really messes up the storytelling is the music, which gives the film a sappy feeling it could have done without.
One thing that really stood out to me, however, was the cinematography, which is really something to see. It's worth watching the film just to see the subtle camera work that gives the film its own special feeling. The sets have a surreal feeling to them, which I think was inspired by the actual mining valleys of Wales from the late 1800s.
“Valley” is an interesting film in that it beat out “Citizen Kane” as Best Picture. I'm personally not a fan of “Kane,” but I thought it was a much more deserving film than “Valley.”
Acting: 7/10
Writing: 8/10
Video/Editing: 9/10
Audio/Music: 6/10
Entertainment: 6/10
Final Score: 7.2/10
