Picture 2: The Broadway Melody (1929)

Well this has been a disaster. It must be one of the most obscure movies to ever win Best Picture. It doesn't even exist on the JustWatch app and is not available on any conventional streaming platforms. Old school DVD it is!

As I settle into the film I do finally begin to notice some things. The characters are talking - yes talking to each other! For the first time a movie with people talking has won Best Picture. I doubt they will have won the sound Oscar that year as there is lots of interference and a constant tape hiss that reminds of the fact the universe hasn't cooled down yet from the Big Bang - I digress.

I find myself struggling to engage with the film and its jittery camera work. However, it was interesting to see the extent of romantic intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts in 1920s Broadway. Let's just say Jay Gatsby and Daisy weren't the only ones back then wrestling with conventional monogamy. I genuinely lost track of who was with who and who was interested in who and who was going where with whomsoever somebody else.

Overall I find myself struggling to find much enjoyment from this movie. The most exciting point for me is the end credits which is perhaps an ominous sign.

Reflections on the human condition:

1. Life and love can be messy and tumultuous and detrimental to one's mental health.

2. Broadway and in fact the entire acting industry can be cruelly superficial.

3. Dreams are powerful but in the wrong circumstances - they can be a person's undoing.

Rating:

3/10

Oscar Best Picture Rankings:

1. Wings (1928)

2. The Broadway Melody (1929)