100 years of magical memories of Movies

Written By: mike on September 7, 2010 No Comment

Anyone who has spent a Saturday afternoon in the safety of a dimly lit American movie theater waiting to be taken on a journey, will find100 Years at the Movies a joy to watch. Produced and directed by Chuck Workman, the nine minute short was shown at the 1994 Academy Awards to celebrate the nation’s filmmaking centennial.

The film begins with a few sentences, describing the first commercial showing of moving pictures as “a modest beginning to 100 years of magical memories,” scrolling over some of the mediums earliest images. This introduction is followed by a brief, but arresting title sequence – here the two zeros of the title are rendered as a window through which film clips are continually shown. This establishes the obviously visual emphasis of Workman’s piece and invites the audience to come along for a memorable cinematic ride.

What follows is a montage of clips from hundreds of movies shown mostly in chronological order (according to Tim Dirks of AMC’s filmsite over 225 films are represented). 100 Years gives us a bit of everything, from grand spectacles to quiet character studies, from the mastery of physical comedy to the organic intensity of method acting. Seventeen films are highlighted, each with a corresponding year. Among them are Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915), Bacon’s 42nd Street (1933), Kazan’s On the Waterfront (1954), Coppola’s The Godfather (1972), and Spielberg’s Schindler’s List (1994). These films, and the time periods they represent, divide Workman’s piece into chapters which allow us to digest the intimidating amount of information he flashes before our eyes.

100 Years is brilliantly edited, as the director often uses motion and theme to tie the numerous and occasionally disparate clips together. A shot of Charlie Chaplin being struck by a clock’s pendulum, for example, is cut with a shot of Harold Lloyd hanging from the arm of a clock mounted on the side of tall building. This shot is followed by a succession of three clips showcasing Buster Keaton’s remarkable stunt work. Later in the film there is a wonderful extended sequence which features famous Hollywood dance numbers (often involving duos). Gene Kelly and Judy Garland give way to Shirley Temple and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. Temple and Robinson give way to Gene Kelly and Jerry (the animated mouse created by Hannah and Barbera), who in turn give way to the Nicholas Brothers performing their stunning routine from the 1940 film Down Argentine Way. Additional sequences, too numerous to mention, provide 100 Years with structure, momentum, and drama.

Workman also uses music to great effect throughout the film. Like the editing, it unites the different visual styles, the various story lines, and the unique characters that have defined and enriched American films for more than a century. The boundless energy of Bill Conti’s “Gonna Fly Now” (“Theme from Rocky”), which at first seems an odd choice, is used to link scenes from The French Connection, Play it Again Sam, and The Exorcist with surprising success.

Perhaps the only issue I have with 100 Years at the Movies is its failure to represent some of the lesser known films of recent years (the early works of Steven Soderbergh and The Coen Brothers come to mind). Still, I suspect those who tuned in to the 1994 broadcast of the Academy Awards were delighted with the film and reminded why they treasure the movies and continued to look forward to Saturday afternoons.