《伟大的安巴逊》的观后感10篇
《伟大的安巴逊》是一部由奥逊·威尔斯执导，约瑟夫·科顿 / 提姆·霍尔特 / 多洛雷斯·卡斯特洛主演的一部剧情 / 爱情类型的电影，特精心从网络上整理的一些观众的观后感，希望对大家能有帮助。
所谓华丽的镜头是指把人物之间矛盾激化的镜头。而展开（矛盾激化）的花朵就是伟大的。
所谓伟大的片子是指具有伟大意义的片子。意义不切实际便引起虚无。
归根结底奥逊维尔斯是遵循“人往高处走的”。
《伟大的安巴逊》观后感(二)：剧情翻译
Eugene Morgan是一个英俊狂野的年轻人。他追求一个上流家庭出身的姑娘Isabel Amberson, 但她却嫁给了Wilbur Minafer，一个稳重无趣的人。他们的独生子George十分受宠。几年后，Eugene成为了一个成功的汽车生产商，妻子去世了，又回到了故乡。这时Wilbur已经去世，于是Eugene又向Isabel求婚，这一回她答应了。但是George却很讨厌Eugene，他和他的姑姑Fanny一起阻止这段恋情，却带来了意料之外的灾难，George也得到报应。
《伟大的安巴逊》观后感(三)：一个被惯坏的公子哥
Orson Welles声称这是唯一一部它看过第二遍的自己拍的电影，也就是说这是它自己的“最爱”了。
但我并不认为这是他最好的作品， 这主要还是因为那个其实是被愚蠢的制片方硬梆梆嫁接上去的“大团圆”结局。（据说这还是原著小说的结尾！？）
在我所看过的Orson Welles的所有作品中，它是唯一一部,没有使用很多让人目眩神迷的“交叉蒙太奇”的电影，比前者更难得的是，它居然是一部以感情戏为主的电影！
细腻，温润的让人感觉快要让人认不出来是（Orson Welles的电影了）。
整部影片的（主线）基本上就是详述一个被惯坏的富家子弟大半辈子的人生（心路）历程。扮演“富家子”的Tim Holt在这部电影展现了天才般的演技，他是这部电影的灵魂！（甚至可以说，比导演本人更重要）。
《伟大的安巴逊》观后感(四)：【310】《伟大的安巴逊》——鲸鱼推荐872部好电影
《伟大的安巴逊》 The Magnificent Ambersons 年代：1942年 / 国家：美国 / 导演：奥森·威尔斯 / 主演:：约瑟夫·科顿、提姆·霍尔特、多洛雷斯·卡斯特洛
1、大师最憋屈的一部作品！
《伟大的安巴逊》是奥森·威尔斯执导的第二部作品。他的处女作《公民凯恩》如今被奉为现代电影的开山之作，但是当年票房惨淡，口碑平平，仅回了成本，这使得他接下来的导演生涯举步维艰。在《伟大的安巴逊》拍摄期间，由于摄影师过于苛求细节，工作进度十分缓慢，预算大大超支。当雷电华公司看到威尔斯初剪出131分钟的时长后，再联想到他先前《公民凯恩》失利的“劣迹”，就索性直接剥夺了他的剪辑权，将片子砍掉了40分钟。威尔斯一怒之下跟剪辑师罗伯特·怀斯绝交。影片虽然获得了奥斯卡四项提名，但超过100万的投资最终还是亏损了60多万。
2、原来是个残次品！
雷电华这边痛下剪刀手时，远在巴西拍片的威尔斯只能干着急。当时电影公司也没有保留备案的习惯，那些剪掉的镜头就直接被扔到垃圾桶，使得后人再也无法看到电影的原貌。威尔斯深感痛惜，说道：“如果保持电影的原样，这部电影肯定要比《公民凯恩》好得多。”片中的确有很多故事情节比较难懂，特别是影片的结尾令人摸不着头脑：尤金对着泪流满面的法妮姑妈说：“我还忠诚于爱情的。”这到底说明了什么呢？2002年，阿方索·阿雷奥采用威尔斯的原版剧本重拍了《伟大的安巴逊》，但味道早已变了。
《伟大的安巴逊》观后感(五)：导演说
奥逊·威尔斯是一位富于艺术创新精神的天才导演，以《公民凯恩》著称于世。《公民凯恩》使电影第一次摆脱了传统格局的束缚，开创了现代电影的先河。然而，它既是威尔斯的电影创作生涯的起点，也是终点。这位奇想妙思迭出、永远走在观众前面的艺术天才，几乎毕生挣扎在艺术和商业的矛盾之中。他不能见容于好莱坞，长年浪迹欧洲，由于缺乏资金，他的影片常常是在时拍时辍的恶劣条件下完成的。他毕生拍摄了大约14部影片，在西方名导演中这个数字大概是最低纪录。直到他于1985年10月逝世，他再也未能超越他的处女作。尽管如此，巴赞评价说，“奥逊·威尔斯仍然应在任何一座褒奖电影历史功臣的凯旋门额上占有一个显著的位置”。
《安倍逊大族》是威尔斯的第二部影片。他在1941年完成《公民凯恩》之后，曾考虑过若干个可拍的题材。雷电华公司的经理人员不能宽恕他在《公民凯恩》中因艺术而忽略了票房，结果给公司造成巨额亏损的前愆，严令他必须在下一部影片中把商业效益放在首位。他考虑过改编狄更斯的《匹克威克外传》或佐伊·阿特金的《红河饥荒》，但都因多种原因告吹。最后，他选中了布斯·塔金顿（1869～1946）的并不十分出色的小说《安倍逊大族》。威尔斯在1939年即曾把这个得过1919年度普利策奖金的小说改编成广播剧，并由他本人担任主角。威尔斯对这部小说厚爱有加，原因在于塔金顿是威尔斯父母的老友，而小说中的汽车发明家尤金的原型便是威尔斯的父亲，故事的发生地点亦与威尔斯家的生活环境十分相近。威尔斯本来就偏爱19世纪末20世纪初的文学作品，更何况这部小说又与他有着千丝万缕的联系，因此对他有特殊的吸引力。
威尔斯花了九天时间便写成了剧本。他删掉了原作中所有伤感主义的东西，把镜头集中在致使安倍逊家族走向衰亡的阴暗心理上。用他自己的话来说，他的影片是“对已经消亡的道德观而不是对一个时代的挽歌”。
本片被普遍认为是威尔斯的仅次于《公民凯恩》的“准”杰作。之所以称不上杰作，并不是由于导演的过错，而是由于影片拍完后遭到了雷电华公司的“野蛮砍杀”。威尔斯刚拍完此片，雷电华公司便调虎离山，打发他到巴西去拍摄一部由政府资助的纪录片《真实无误》。就在他滞留南美之际，公司擅自把原长148分钟的完成片剪掉将近60分钟。伤害尤其严重的是，公司找人另拍了结尾，即医院里的场面。就改编的忠实程度而言，这一改倒是有所提高，可惜原小说之所以难入佳作之林，恰恰在于作者没有把它处理成悲剧，而是用了一个团圆式的讨好人的结尾，结果不免流于浅薄。根据威尔斯的原来构思，结尾应是尤金来到芬妮栖身的供膳宿舍，请她去为他管家，照料他的生活，同时提到乔治和露西快要结婚了。芬妮拒绝了他的建议，尤金告辞后走出宿舍，新兴城市的背景衬托着他孤零零的身躯，象征着在这片混沌愚昧的社会环境中，他的崛起也只是一场孤军奋战。威尔斯曾抱怨说这个经过窜改的影片结尾“不啻是毁掉了影片的整个心脏”。
原长148分钟的版本人们已无缘得见，但这部“剪得支离破碎的杰作”（特吕弗语）仍在电影史上和威尔斯的作品中均占有一席不容忽视的地位。1972年，有影响的美国电影杂志《画面与音响》在评选有史以来的最佳影片时，把《安倍逊大族》列名第九，这绝不是偶然的。
本片故事发生在19世纪末20世纪初的那些年代里，即所谓“世纪交替之时”。当时美国的资本主义虽已得到发展，但意识形态方面的封建残余还不同程度地存在，在比较落后的南部各州尤其如此。故事发生的地点是美国中部的一个小镇，这正处在南北的交界线上，所以既有南部各州落后的一面，又能吸收东部各州的先进影响。《安倍逊大族》用生动的人物表现了先进与落后两种思想势力的斗争。
和威尔斯的其他影片不同，《安倍逊大族》没有把焦点集中在一两个主要人物身上。它刻画了七个主要人物，各有其代表意义。自私、狠毒的乔治是衰微的地主世家的最后堡垒。尤金是新兴工业家的代表，温文尔雅而且宽容大度。伊莎贝尔为地主门第的虚伪牺牲了爱情，在抑郁中虚度了一生。芬妮是安倍逊大族中潜在的反叛者，但在感情深处对地主世家有无限的留恋。露西属于有光辉前途的新一代，她感情丰富，但不会被感情冲昏头脑。安倍逊少校是家族的创业人，活着看到家族的败落，但并不怨恨，在精神上永远是个强者。杰克虽是大族的一员，却与贪婪的乔治形成对照，他喜欢尤金，是时代变迁中一个冷静的旁观者。威尔斯还给影片添加了一个画外的叙事人（由他本人充任），让他起着向观众介绍时代背景和深入人物内心世界的双重作用。在故事片里设置画外叙事人，在1942年是个新鲜的创举。这也许是威尔斯长期从事广播剧的经验在银幕上留下的印迹。
在上述七个主要人物中，对立的两极是尤金和乔治。从这两个人身上典型地表现了新旧两种势力之间的矛盾。西方有些评论家倾向于把他们之间的冲突说成是为了争夺伊莎贝尔。特吕弗说，“这是一场纯感情的冲突”，以伊莎贝尔为争夺目标。巴赞也认为妨碍了尤金与伊莎贝尔的是乔治的自尊心加上某种恋母情结心理。
但事实上，乔治从见到这个生气勃勃的新兴资产阶级人物起，就本能地感到了尤金对乔治的旧世界的威胁。一直到很久以后在饭桌上发生了正面冲突，芬妮才因嫉妒说出尤金对伊莎贝尔的爱情。这更是火上加油。伊莎贝尔对乔治溺爱备至，“从他出生的那天起就简直是拜倒在他脚下，把他供若神明”。在她眼中，这个“魔鬼”却是一个“天使”。乔治从小就把握住母亲的弱点，加以利用和控制，完全能左右母亲的命运，所以他反对母亲与尤金的结合是出于对尤金的反感和极端自私的心理，而不是弗洛伊德的所谓子恋母的“俄狄浦斯情结”在作怪。
同样令人感兴趣的是中心人物乔治与其他人物的关系以及另外六个人物彼此之间的关系。这些关系错综复杂，或爱或恨，或互相利用，或彼此依存，几乎任何人物只要两两相遇便都能推动剧情的发展。这七个人物可以组合出不下十几种生动有趣的人物关系，诚如一位西方评论家所说的，“这犹如七个始终互不协调的声部，它们交替出现，独立发展，没有和弦，把它们交织起来，需要一个天才”。
对影片的成功起着重大保证作用的是演员们的出色表演。威尔斯下了很大功夫来指导演员。他和演员们一起深入分析人物性格，在拍摄每个场面前都进行了整体排演。他常常允许演员根据自己对角色的理解改动台词。威尔斯本人没有露面（这在威尔斯导演的影片中是少见的例外），他挑选来扮演乔治的却是和他外形十分相似的蒂姆·霍尔特。尽管美国影评界当年除了詹姆斯·阿奇外都对影片满怀敌意，大肆攻讦，但扮演伊莎贝尔的阿格尼丝·摩尔海德仍以其细腻的表演赢得了纽约影评人奖。
和《公民凯恩》一样，《安倍逊大族》在商业上一败涂地。《纽约时报》为威尔斯把丰盈才华浪费在“一出主题枯燥、气氛阴沉的戏”上深感惋惜。艺术与商业的矛盾有时是无法调和的，在“不可改造的浪漫主义者”威尔斯身上，它将永远存在下去。
《伟大的安巴逊》观后感(六)：Robert Carringer 的文章
The Magnificent Ambersons
http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/803-the-magnificent-ambersons
If events had turned out differently, The Magnificent Ambersons, Orson Welles’ second film, might well be widely regarded as “the greatest film of all time” rather than Citizen Kane. But in Welles’ absence, RKO Studios recut the original version of the film mercilessly—Welles said it looked like it had been “edited with a lawn mower”—reducing its running time from 131 to the present 88 minutes. Nevertheless, what survives is still one of the most strikingly beautiful and technically innovative films ever to come out of Hollywood. It also tells a good story—about the decline of a once powerful and wealthy turn-of-the-century Midwestern family—with a conviction and maturity that are rare for the old Hollywood system.
It was a well-kept secret that Citizen Kane left Welles so emotionally and creatively exhausted that he was sent away on doctor’s orders to undergo a rest cure. The only surprise in this is that he had managed to hold out for so long. Citizen Kane was the culmination of almost a decade of frenetic energy that included early fame on Broadway and in radio, a short-lived but widely felt revolution in the American theater, the international scandal of the “War of the Worlds” broadcast, and a Hollywood contract that virtually gave him carte blanche. In Kane, at age 25, he had taken on one of the most powerful figures in American public life, publisher William Randolph Hearst, and after the film was made, had had to resist crushing pressures from all sides to get it released.
When he turned to his second film, Welles was in a quieter, more reflective mood. Critics have puzzled over his choice of The Magnificent Ambersons. Perhaps we should see it as an episode of personal stock-taking after a prolonged interval of intense stress. With its strongly autobiographical elements—its setting at the time and place of Welles’ own youth, its brash and arrogant and supremely self-confident young hero, and its obsessive Oedipal concerns—clearly Tarkington’s novel is serving at one level as a means for Welles to delve into his own roots and search out the meaning of his own personal past.
In an earlier, simpler time, how many millions of American boys read Penrod, Booth Tarkington’s modern version of Huckleberry Finn？ Welles did, and many other Tarkington works. Tarkington was a regular staple for Welles’ Mercury Theatre radio show, and on the Mercury Theatre broadcast of the novel he called The Magnificent Ambersons, “the truest, cruelest picture of the growth of the Middle West.” At 240 pounds and well over six feet, Welles was wrong for George, Tarkington’s college-boy hero, in the film. In a move that surprised everyone, he selected RKO contract player Tim Holt for the role. (Usually thought of as just a cowboy actor, Holt turned in several notable dramatic performances in his career, most especially in The Magnificent Ambersons and in John Huston’s The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.) For the mother, Welles brought silent star Dolores Costello, one of the great beauties of the 1920s and the former Mrs. John Barrymore, out of retirement. For George’s sweetheart, he selected an unknown starlet Anne Baxter—another inspired choice, as her subsequent career, especially in All About Eve, amply shows. The roster was filled out with Mercury Theatre players who had also been in Citizen Kane—most notably Joseph Cotten, at his most insinuatingly charming, and, unforgettably, Agnes Moorehead, who won the New York Film Critics’ Award for her performance. Although Welles did not appear onscreen himself, he was present in the role he perhaps coveted most—that of the voice-over narrator, intoning Tarkington’s elegant, old-fashioned prose. On the technical side, Bernard Herrmann, another hold-over from Citizen Kane, composed one of his subtlest scores; Stanley Cortez, a relative unknown, as cinematographer was responsible for the astonishingly beautiful lighting of the interior scenes; and veteran art director Mark-Lee Kirk was borrowed from 20th Century Fox to oversee the design and constructionof the Ambersons’ mansion, one of the costliest and most complex sets ever built on a Hollywood sound stage.
Midway through the shooting of The Magnificent Ambersons, Welles was recruited by the U.S. State Department Committee on Inter-American Affairs to make a film in South America as a gestureto promote hemispheric relations inwartime. He rushed Ambersons to completion, entrusting the final editing (according to his close in-tructions) to Robert Wise, another holdover from Citizen Kane, and departed for South America. When the Welles version elicited disastrous results in sneak previews, the RKO regime ordered Wise to recut The Magnificent Ambersons into “releasable” shape. More than 50 minutes of Welles’ footage were removed, and several scenes were rewritten and reshot by others. This radically shortened version was put into release, and the studio ordered all surviving footage from the original version destroyed. Welles was terminated from RKO, and never again in his career was he entrusted with the direction of a major studio feature.
Even in its truncated form, the brilliance of The Magnificent Ambersons is evident. This was demonstrated most strikingly in 1982, when leading international film critics voted it one of the ten greatest films ever made.
《伟大的安巴逊》观后感(七)：The Magnificent Ambersons FAQ
http://ambersons.com/FAQs.htm
What is The Magnificent Ambersons about？
The Magnificent Ambersons is about the proud and celebrated Amberson family. The story shows how the family refuses to change with the times, and the subsequent deterioration of the Amberson name as a result.
The story is set in Indianapolis in the late 1800's/early 1900's, and shows how the beauty of a small town was slowly destroyed by the advent of the automobile. A number of dramas carry the movie along. Isabel Amberson is the town beauty and is courted by various beaus, one of whom is the brash and handsome Eugene Morgan. Eugene plans an elaborate serenade for Isabel in front of the Amberson mansion, but makes a fool of himself by falling on his bass viol in a drunken stupor. Eugene tries repeatedly to win Isabel, but she refuses. Even though she is in love with Eugene, the embarrassment from this one incident and the social customs of the time prohibit her from having anything to do with him. Isabel eventually marries Wilbur Minafer, who is less flashy than Eugene, but respectable. Isabel isn't in love with Wilbur, however, and their one child George is incredibly spoiled by Isabel and grows up to be extremely arrogant, righteous and self-absorbed. George has an air of entitlement because he is an Amberson, and has no use for anyone who wants to work for a living. This includes Isabel's true love, Eugene, who left town after losing Isabel. Eugene returns twenty years later with his daughter Lucy, having made his fortune by developing one of the first automobiles. After Wilbur's death, Eugene pursues Isabel again. Wilbur's sister Fanny is also in love with Eugene, though this is not returned by Eugene. Even though Isabel and Eugene are both still in love, their plans are thwarted by George. George hates Eugene not just because of his profession, but because he has to share his mother's attention for the first time. When George learns that the townspeople are talking about Eugene's love for Isabel, George becomes enraged by this supposed scandal and does whatever he can to prevent Isabel and Eugene from marrying. George and Isabel leave on a trip around the world and are gone for five years. Despite Isabel's poor health and longing for Eugene, George insists that they both stay abroad, returning only when Isabel is colse to death. George's attitudes and actions help to ruin his family, as well as his chances of having a relationship with Eugene's daughter Lucy. Eventually George receives his "comeuppance", learning humility after suffering the tragic consequences of his own devices. George reconciles with Lucy, and asks for Eugene's forgiveness. By then all of the members of the Amberson family have either died, moved away or become destitute.
Is this movie based on a book？
Yes. The book The Magnificent Ambersons was written by Booth Tarkington, for which he received the Pulitzer Prize in 1919.
When was this movie made and who directed it？
The movie was released in July 1942 and was directed by Orson Welles. It was his next project after right after Citizen Kane.
I've heard of Citizen Kane, but not The Magnificent Ambersons. Why？
The Magnificent Ambersons was supposed to be as big as if not bigger than Citizen Kane, but many events contributed to this classic becoming an obscure Hollywood memory (see next FAQ). The short explanation is that Ambersons is an artistic film that was not well received by mainstream audiences when it was released, and it just never caught on the same way that other classics do.
What happened to this movie to make it such a tragic piece of Hollywood history？
In its original form Ambersons was 131 minutes long, and was very upbeat for about 45 minutes, afterwhich it took a sudden dramatic turn to become a very sad story without an uplifting ending. Once most of Ambersons was finished, Welles left for Brazil by request of the US State Department to make another film, which was intended to foster relations between the the US and South America (the film was never finished, but would later be released as "It's All True"). The final process of editing was left to the film's editor Robert Wise. There are conflicting reports of what happened next, but a number of scenes were cut, ordered either by RKO or by Welles himself. Either way, the shortened version was previewed at a theater in Pomona, CA, so that audience reaction could be used to make changes if necessary.
The Pomona preview was a disaster. Before Ambersons played, the audience had watched the rousing musical The Fleet's In, so the audience was probably not in the mood for a slow-paced and depressing period piece. Audience members (consisting mostly of teenagers) talked at the picture, kidded it, and laughed at the wrong places. After the film, audience members filled out "comment cards" to express their opinions. While some of the responses praised the film, most of the cards were very negative, with comments like "it stinks", "rubbish", and "a horrible distorted dream". The president of RKO, George Schaefer, was at the preview and wrote to Welles "Never in all my experience in the industry have I taken so much punishment or suffered as I did at the Pomona preview".
At this point RKO had invested over $1,000,000 in a picture that could possibly bomb. The next action was to make more changes and preview it again. Again, there are two different versions of what happened - either some of the original cuts were put back in, or more cuts were made. Either way, another preview was held two days later in Pasadena. This preview was much more favourable, although both audiences had problems with some of the same aspects. The film at this point, while shorter (about 117 minutes), was still relatively intact. Rather than leaving the film alone, however, RKO believed that Ambersons would only appeal to a more mature audience, which was how Pasadena was perceived. Because the largest part of movie revenue would came from the younger crowd, substantial changes would have to be made to make the film shorter and more upbeat. Ideally, Welles would have to be present during this editing process, but since Welles was in South America (and working on another movie), he could only communicate changes by telegram. Attempts to send Robert Wise to Brazil were prevented due to wartime travel restrictions. Correspondence from RKO with detailed changes were sent to Welles, and Welles in return made his own attempts to make changes, to no avail (see below).
It wasn't long before RKO took Ambersons away from Welles completely. Input from a number of studio executives was given to try and save the picture. One in particular that is somewhat amusing was from producer Bryan Foy, who said that the film was "too f*ckin' long", and that forty minutes had to be cut ("just throw all the footage up in the air and grab everything but forty minutes"). Eventually, about 50 minutes was cut from original Ambersons, and some scenes were written and shot by others, all in Welles' absence. Many of the cuts were made to eliminate the more depressing aspects of the film, like how Major Amberson and Fanny had lost their money in bad investments. In addition, the original sad ending was cut and reshot to be more uplifting. The final version, running at about 88 minutes, was released in July to so-so results, and was effectively abandoned by RKO. The film lost over $600,000, an enormous amount for a relatively small studio like RKO.
What happened to Orson Welles as a result of the Ambersons？
Welles was recalled from South America before the filming of "It's All True" was finished and his contract with RKO was terminated. Because of the problems with Ambersons, and the fact that the South American project was scrapped by the new authorities at RKO, Welles developed a reputation for not finishing projects. He was never entrusted with a major Hollywood production again. In Welles own words, "They destroyed Ambersons and it destroyed me." Welles did go on to direct and star in many more pictures, but without the luxuries that he enjoyed at RKO. Welles spent much of his career acting (sometimes in roles that were quite beneath his talent) so that he could raise money to fund his own projects. His next major project as director was Touch of Evil, which was also severely cut prior to release (fortunately, this movie was recently restored).
How did Welles try to save Ambersons during the editing process while he was in South America？
From the time Welles arrived in Rio de Janeiro he was in constant contact with several poeple at RKO. Communication was mostly by telegram, between February and June 1942, with memos between Welles and various people at RKO, including Robert Wise, Jack Moss, Joseph Cotten, and George Schaefer. It's clear from these memos how much of an effect the Pomona preview had on RKO. Welles made several suggestions to try and make Ambersons work, even though he was fully occupied with filming in Rio. Despite his attempts, Welles was to have little influence over the editing process.
Lawrence French, a fellow Ambersons fan, has compiled many of these memos. You can see them here, along with many images from the film. One can only imagine Welles' anger and frustration, knowing what was being done to his work in his absence, not to mention the fact that his standing in Hollywood was now in serious danger.
What are some of the unique aspects of this film that make it (or made it) so special？
Welles definitely wanted to transcend the traditional Hollywood movie, both with Citizen Kane and Ambersons. Welles used a variety of film techniques to achieve his goal. Deep-focus photography, overlapping dialogue, long takes, expressionistic lighting - all were used to make Ambersons a work of art.
1. The Ambersons mansion. This was one of the most elaborate and expensive sets ever built at the time. Incredibly detailed and elegant, it was probably the first movie of its time to give the illusion of being in an actual mansion, allowing multiple rooms and areas to be captured in a single scene.
2. The ballroom sequence. When George returns home for Christmas holiday after his sophomore year at Harvard, his family held a ball in his honour ("the last of the great, long-remembered dances that everybody talked about"). One sequence, which was largely cut from the original, was a continuous series of backward-moving camera shots through four rooms, following different characters as they made their way through the ballroom in the Amberson mansion. Long, continuous shots like this are very unusual, particularly because the large, bulky camera is moving backwards along a circular course. Welles liked long takes, and other long takes are in the film, such as the scene with Fanny, George and Uncle Jack in the Amberson kitchen.
3. The sleighride. The morning after the ball, most of the Ambersons go out for a ride in Eugene's horseless carriage. The sleighride is one of the most unique sequences in film, and fortunately this scene was left relatively intact (see below). To make this scene as realistic as possible, a soundstage was set up in an icehouse called the Union Ice Company, which was in downtown Los Angeles. This icehouse allowed a more authentic recreation of an outdoor winter scene, with real snow and visible breath from the actors. The quality of the dialogue recorded at the icehouse wasn't suitable, however, so the actors re-recorded their lines on the RKO roof, sitting on planks that were being rocked up and down. This simulated the bouncing motion of Eugene's automobile, so that the vibration of their voices could be picked up. While the result is truly exceptional, the filming was technically demanding and put the film behind schedule. As well, Ray Collins, who played Uncle Jack Amberson, contracted pneumonia and was out for ten days.
4. Major Amberson's speech. Shortly after Isabel's death, Major Amberson sits alone in front of a fire and ponders the origins of life. This is often cited as one of the most beautiful scenes in the film. While Welles narrates, the light from the flickering fire illuminates the Major's bemused face, while he struggles to understand what life is about. The scene fades away, and there is no further mention of the Major, and the assumption is that he has died. In the original version, the Major continues to wonder aloud. George asks him if he wants a glass of water. The Major responds "No -- no, I-I don't want anything at all. I wish somebody could tell me..." The scene then dissolves to two tombstones, Isabel's and the Major's. This obviously would have been much more powerful and less confusing than the edited version, and presumably was cut because it came shortly after Isabel's death and increased the sadness of the film.
o, if this is such a great movie, why did it bomb？
Welles blamed the failure of Ambersons on RKO, since they were responsible for cutting so much of the film. However, it seems just as possible that Ambersons was just not that interesting to a general audience. Understandably, audiences in WWII America were more interested in musicals, comedies and patriotic fare than they were in some depressing period drama. If the original version existed, it would likely be hailed today as a masterpiece, much the same as Citizen Kane. And Ambersons didn't entirely bomb, since it was nominated for 4 Academy Awards including best picture. As well, Agnes Moorehead won the New York Film Critic's award for her role as Aunt Fanny.
Has anyone ever found the missing Ambersons footage？
o. The cut footage was kept in film vaults for a few months, and was eventually burned due to a shortage of storage space. There are lots of stills from the cut footage, and the movie trailer (which is on the VHS tape from Turner Classic Movies) has a few seconds of film that isn't in the movie.
The January 2002 issue of Vanity Fair magazine has a great article on Ambersons, including interviews with several people who have tried unsuccessfully to find the original version, both in the US and South America. Although no one can say for sure that the missing footage no longer exists, the take-home message of the article is that it's gone for good.
What was the original ending to the Ambersons？
In the original ending, after Eugene hears that George is in the hospital after being hit by an automobile, Eugene goes to visit Fanny in the cheap boardinghouse where she and George now live. Eugene is rich and successful, and Fanny now lives in poverty, having once enjoyed the luxury of the Amberson mansion. Eugene seems completely oblivious to Fanny's plight, and instead tells Fanny about his visit to see George in the hospital, and how George asked for his forgiveness, and that Lucy believes that she and George will get married. During this time Fanny is seated and rocking back and forth in squeaky rocking chair, while a silly vaudeville record plays in the background, and a variety of old maids play cards and listen in curiously. While Eugene talks, Fanny responds unemotionally. There is nothing between them anymore, and she has given up on the possibility that Eugene may finally show some romantic interest in her. Eugene finally adds that he could sense Isabel's presence in the hospital room, and that through him she had brought George under shelter again, and that he had been true at last to his true love. Eugene then says goodbye, leaves and the movie ends.
While there is some closure in this ending, the lingering effect is that of the destitute and lonely Fanny. Welles believed this to be the best scene in the movie, and said that it was about "the deterioration of personality, the way people diminish with age, and particularly with impecunious old age". This was the final reminder of the end of the great Amberson era.
The original ending was reshot and shows Eugene and Fanny at the hospital. Eugene's dialogue is about the same, but after Eugene tells Fanny about Isabel's presence in the room, Fanny beams with joy and she and Eugene walk away, accompanied by a great swell of happy music. Everyone is going to be OK.
What was the Mercury Theatre？
The Mercury Theatre was a theatrical producing company formed in 1937 by Orson Welles and John Houseman. By then Welles was already an accomplished radio personality, with his intense dramatic sensibilities and mellifluous voice. The Mercury employed many personalities who would work with Welles in film, including Agnes Moorehead, Ray Collins, Joseph Cotten, and Bernard Herrmann. In 1938 the Mercury produced a radio series called Mercury Theatre on the Air, which dramatized great novels (including Ambersons) and Shakespearean plays. The series was most famous for their 1938 radio broadcast of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. Because of the considerable attention and notoriety that Welles received from this broadcast, the Mercury Theatre on the Air became The Campbell Playhouse (after being sponsored by the Campbell's Soup Company). In 1939 Welles and Houseman signed a contract with RKO, and The Mercury Theatre soon moved to Hollywood to make Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons.
Is Ambersons available on video or DVD？
There have been several VHS releases of Ambersons (same movie, different distributor). Some of these are available on amazon.com. After years of waiting, the Region 1 (North American) Ambersons DVD is finally available, but only as part of the Citizen Kane 70th Anniversary Collectors Edition Blu-ray set. At this point this set is available exclusively on amazon.com. There are several Region 2 DVD releases - French, Japanese, German, British, and Spanish. The German DVD (Der Glanz des Hauses Amberson) is available from Kinowelt Home Entertainment. I can't attest to the quality of this DVD, although the website dvdscan.com gave it a poor review. The French DVD comes with some extras, including excerpts from This is Orson Welles, and a booklet with Ambersons information, all in a large collectible box. This DVD is available from amazon.fr. The best version of Ambersons that I've seen is the Criterion laserdisc, which also comes with a wealth of extras. The laserdisc is out of print but is frequently for sale on eBay. For more information on Ambersons video availability, as well as a comparison of the French and Japanese DVDs, go to Wellesnet.com, a great Orson Welles resource.
Where can I read more about the Ambersons？
The most complete reference is Robert L. Carringer's book The Magnificent Ambersons - A Reconstruction. This book describes the history of the making and undoing of the Ambersons. This is also the only book that has all of the dialogue from the original 131 minute version of the Ambersons, as well as various storyboards, sketches, stills from the lost footage, and the complicated details of the editing process and Welles futile attempts to influence it from South America. Even with just the ｓｃｒｉｐｔ, the intense sadness of the original ending with Fanny and Eugene in the boarding house is heartbreaking. Another book by the same author is The Making of Citizen Kane, which has a short but detailed chapter on Ambersons.
Another terrific reference is This Is Orson Welles by Orson Welles and Peter Bogdonavich. This book has a condensed version of the original ｓｃｒｉｐｔ, as well as excellent conversations between Welles and Bogdonavich about Ambersons. This is also a great book for anyone who wants to know more about Welles' other movies and his life after Ambersons.
FI Film Classics The Magnificent Ambersons by V.F. Perkins. This book also has a deｓｃｒｉｐｔion and analysis of the Ambersons, much like the Carringer book but without the ｓｃｒｉｐｔ.