When most hear Judy Garland, they envision a girl in a blue dress with a dog at her side and a wicked witch after her. Dorothy is her role of recognition, but after seeing the classic 1954 film, “A Star Is Born,” I realized Dorothy is nowhere near her best role.
This noteworthy film follows Esther Blodgett’s (Garland) rise to stardom. While performing with Blodgett's band, actor Norman Maine discovers her talent and tells Blodgett she should break into the movie biz. Soon, Blodgett does, and is given the stage name Vicki Lester. A passionate romance brews between Blodgett and Maine, but with Maine’s career tanking and his alcoholism on the rise, many obstacles derail the couple.
A major downfall of this picture was one I experienced early in the semester when reviewing “Gone With The Wind”: its length. At nearly three hours, even the best movies seem to drag on. We all know that when “Titanic” is on TV, we stop watching in the second half, just before the ship starts to sink. Or maybe that's just me avoiding the heartbreaking ending.
Nevertheless, “A Star Is Born” felt unnecessarily long, despite the intriguing story line, complete with many plot twists. I found myself solely looking forward to Garland’s musical numbers.
The iconic “The Man That Got Away,” was my favorite number. It showed the immense depth to which Garland’s voice can go, which was a far cry from some of the numbers on “The Wizard of Oz.” It has been covered from everyone from Frank Sinatra, to Barbara Streisand, to Idina Menzel. It was even shown in the modern movie “P.S. I Love You,” where Hilary Swank sings along to the track.
At first, I was so mesmerized by Garland’s numbers that I felt as if listening to the movie’s soundtrack would have given me the same level of wonder as seeing the movie. This idea was quickly dismissed when I realized Garland’s noteworthy acting. She was funny, playful and comical when needed, but at the drop of a hat she could go into a believable frenzy of a breakdown.
A clear message was portrayed in the first half of the movie, as Garland’s character’s thirst for success never wavered. She incessantly worked toward her dream and her goal of eventual stardom. Although this isn’t an uncommon theme, it was a noteworthy one nonetheless, and Garland made it all her own in this picture.
With a strong main character, it was a wonder that they found a leading counterpart that would be able to meet the level of Garland. James Mason, who played Maine, rose to the occasion beautifully. As the character who ultimately goes off the rails and causes the most conflict throughout the story, he carried the weight thrust on his shoulders beautifully.
Whether you’re a fan of musicals, classics, or simply thirsting to see Judy Garland in another role, “A Star Is Born” is well worth the three hours of dedication on account of the pure stardom displayed.
Comments? Tell the reporter at dpharias@asu.edu or follow @dpharias on Twitter.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.
