Young Mr. Lincoln

I'm having trouble finding a current counterpart for Henry Fonda. He is utterly believable no matter what part he plays, whether it's the young Abe Lincoln in this film, a juror trying to convince others of his point-of-view (in 12 Angry Men) or an old, crotchety coot (in On Golden Pond). No, I've never seen Grapes of Wrath, but it goes on my list today, you betcha. Young Mr. Lincoln isn't a tale of Lincoln as president, but of his life before he became president. It's entirely fictional -- based on a true story that the screenwriter witnessed, but not true to Lincoln's past. That isn't relevant though because John Ford uses this fictional past to showcase Lincoln's greatness ... although he gives it an unusual twist. He shows us the makings of a great man, but gives him an attitude that borders on arrogant. Watch how Lincoln interacts with the people on the steps of the jail and especially in the courtroom. You may think he's shy and humble, but he's also cajoling and threatening. I think Ford was trying to make Lincoln human, to take this mythological figure and make him one of us. While I enjoyed the film, I wouldn't say that the ending is anything new in this day and age (I saw it coming a mile away), which is why I didn't give the film a particularly high rating.

year: 1939
length: 100 min.
rating: 3.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032155/combined

Young Frankenstein

Yup, I'd never seen this film (in its entirety). I loved Mel Brooks' homage to old black and white horror (and suspense) films. Black and white is so sumptuous: contrast and lighting, naturally, and in this film the special effects (e.g., the fog billowing through the train station). In terms of story, there were times I was fairly bored, i.e., between jokes. But the jokes are classic, especially the "walk this way" and "charades" scenes. Watch for the blind recluse scene -- can you guess who the recluse is?

year: 1974
length: 108 min.
rating: 3.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072431/combined