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The climate, the weather and the season deliver a level of variation to the film, a unique play of light, despite its singularity of composition. At each lake, Benning prepared a single shot, selected a single camera position and a specific moment. Each is a static composition: a balance of sky and water in each frame with only the very briefest suggestion of human existence. Embracing the concept of 'landscape as a function of time,' Benning shot his film at 13 different American lakes in identical 10-minute takes.

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James Benning's feature-length film can be seen as a series of moving landscape paintings with artistry and scope that might be compared to Claude Monet's series of water-lily paintings. The story is often viewed as a commentary on McCarthyism, Fascism, or Communism.Įxpanded essay by Joanna E.

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Filmed in a spare, claustrophobic style-largely set in one jury room-the play relates a single juror's refusal to conform to peer pressure in a murder trial and follows his conversion of one juror after another to his point of view. Reginald Rose had adapted his original stage play '12 Angry Men' for Studio One in 1954, and Henry Fonda decided to produce a screen version, taking the lead role and hiring director Sidney Lumet, who had been directing for television since 1950. In the 1950s, several television dramas acted live over the airways won such critical acclaim that they were also produced as motion pictures among those already honored by the National Film Registry is 'Marty' (1955). Frankie Laine sang the film's popular theme song, also titled '3:10 to Yuma.' Often compared favorably with 'High Noon,' this innovative western from director Delmer Daves starred Glenn Ford and Van Heflin in roles cast against type and was based on a short story by Elmore Leonard. Harryhausen's stunning Dynamation process, which blended stop-motion animation and live-actions sequences, and a thrilling score by Bernard Herrmann ('Psycho,' 'The Day the Earth Stood Still') makes this one of the finest fantasy films of all time.Įxpanded essay by Tony Dalton (PDF, 900KB) 3:10 to Yuma (1957)Ĭonsidered to be one of the best westerns of the 1950s, '3:10 to Yuma' has gained in stature since its original release as audiences have recognized the progressive insight the film provides into the psychology of its two main characters that becomes vividly exposed during scenes of heightened tension. And of course no mythological tale would be complete without the rescue of a damsel in distress, here a princess (Kathryn Grant) that the evil magician shrinks down to a mere few inches. Special-effects master Ray Harryhausen provides the hero (Kerwin Mathews) with a villanous magician (Torin Thatcher) and fantastic antagonists, including a genie, giant cyclops, fire-breathing dragons, and a sword-wielding animated skeleton, all in glorious Technicolor. 'Seventh Heaven' also marked the first time often-paired stars Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell worked together.Įxpanded essay by Aubrey Solomon (PDF, 694KB) The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) Janet Gaynor, Frank Borzage, and Benjamin Glazer won Oscars for their work on the film, specifically awards for Best Actress, Best Directing (Dramatic Picture), and Best Writing (Adaptation), respectively. The popularity of the film resulted in it becoming one of the most commercially successful silent films as well as one of the first films to be nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award. 'Seventh Heaven' was initially released as a silent film but proved so popular with audiences that it was re-released with a synchronized soundtrack later that same year.

'Seventh Heaven' (also referred to as '7th Heaven'), directed by Frank Borzage and based on the play by Austin Strong, tells the story of Chico (Charles Farrell), the Parisian sewer worker-turned-street cleaner, and his wife Diane (Janet Gaynor), who are separated during World War I, yet whose love manages to keep them connected. View a list of all expanded essays 7th Heaven (1927) In most cases, the images linked to Registry titles listed below were selected from the Library's Prints & Photographs Online Catalog, however some are drawn from other Library collections.

The views expressed in these essays are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Library of Congress. Other essays have been written specifically for this website. Some of these essays originated in other publications and are reprinted here by permission of the author. The authors of these essays are experts in film history, and their works appear in books, newspapers, magazines and online. Brief Descriptions and Expanded Essays of National Film Registry Titlesīrief descriptions of each Registry title can be found here, and expanded essays are available for select titles.

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