Frank Borzage
Frank Borzage
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8. Lucky Star (1929)
Reunited once again for "Lucky Star," Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell play a poor farm girl and war veteran, respectively. After returning from the war, a paralyzed war veteran must teach a young girl how to be cleaner, both internally and externally. The film's main theme demonstrates how perceptions about others can sometimes be skewed. What is unknown to most is the moral center at the heart of every person.
7. Three Comrades (1938)
A typical Frank Borzage film finds two lovers who find solace in each other despite a hard and cruel world. His 1938 film, "Three Comrades," extends this relationship to the plutonic. Three friends and one lover have their relationships tested during the fascist uprising in Germany.
6. Street Angel (1928)
"Street Angel" was another successful collaboration between director Frank Borzage and his two romantic leads Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. The film plays into Borzage's strengths - putting two lowly lovers together and demonstrating how powerful love can be in the face of hardships. These two lovers continue to be tested throughout the film - not just by their circumstances, but by their perceptions of each other as well.
5. A Farewell to Arms (1932)
Despite being a direct adaptation of the famous Ernest Hemingway novel, Frank Borzage's "A Farewell to Arms" strips the novel of its pessimistic ventures to make room for the romantic nature of the story. When an ambulance driver falls in love with a nurse during the first World War, it seems that there is nothing that breaks them apart, despite all the best efforts of outside forces. With all the war and violence going on, it seems that Borzage illustrates that the point of it all is love itself.
4. Bad Girl (1931)
Using the Great Depression as a backdrop, Frank Borzage's "Bad Girl" explores anxieties about contemporary economic woes, especially as it relates to the financial situations most couples find themselves in. Because the adaptation from the source novel was deemed too censorable by the studio, Borzage had a free hand in how the film would be directed. This allowed for a more personal and natural exploration of these issues between the protagonists. The film eliminated the love triangles, jealousy, sex appeal, and crimes of most Hollywood films at the time and instead substituted something far more realistic to modern American life.
3. The Mortal Storm (1940)
Before the US entered World War II in December of 1941, very few filmmakers made anti-Nazi films. One such film, however, Frank Borzage's "The Mortal Storm" shows how a family breaks apart after Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany. The hatred and aggression shown by his loyal followers create a chasm that can never be mended, leaving several members of the family dead. In one of his bleakest films yet, Borzage demonstrates the love and comradery necessary to weather such a mortal storm of violence.
2. History is Made at Night (1937)
With "History is Made at Night," Frank Borzage continues in his romantic melodrama, only this time adding some suspense and disaster elements to the film. After a wealthy woman files for divorce from her oppressive husband, a French headwaiter restores her meaning in life. Partially inspiring the 1997 James Cameron hit "Titanic," this couple, amidst a sinking boat, decide that love is the point of life. Despite every obstacle thrown between them by her jealous husband, their love for each other cannot be overpowered - even in the face of certain death.
1. Seventh Heaven (1927)
Frank Borzage was the very first director to win the Acadamy Award for Best Director in 1929. The film he won for, "Seventh Heaven" wasn't exactly groundbreaking in the direction department. However, the film is shot with a clear vision and creative flair. The film's success can be attributed to its unbridled hope. Despite all the hardships shared by the couple in the story, their love endures. Audiences can't help but happy cry by the end.
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