All About Eve - 7

In 1951 this film won the Oscar for best picture. But if you've heard of the film you already knew that. Why did it win? I think there are two reasons. One, it is a great film, well acted, written and told. Second, is because it is a film about acting and the craft of the theatre. All of the votes for an Oscar award are by those that work in film (I have a broader sociological/philosophical theory about this, someday it will turn into a fully written form). If the film is as accurate about the life of those in the theatre as would be suggested by the awards, then it is a somewhat scary film. The challenges of trying to be authentic become harder and harder, "one can gain the whole world and lose their own soul." The story is essentially about the manipulation, hard work, and sacrifice that goes into becoming an actress. Watching the film made me think that we have lost something in our time about the art of filmmaking. This film proves that sometimes you can actually say more by saying less (the art of subtlety and the wonderful use of metaphor). I usually watch old films that won awards with a skeptical eye, but once again I was pleasantly surprised. This film speaks as much to our own time as it did more than 50 years ago.