Miracle Woman (B+ or 3/4 stars)
Frank Capra is known for making classic 'feel good' films, but back in 1931, he gave us 'The Miracle Woman', a decidedly darker movie than we've come to expect from him. Based on a play, this film - and Barbara Stanwyck - subtly blew my socks off. The opening scene is one of those scenes that every cinephile (or Stanwyck fan) should see -- it's just a 'wow'. Sister Florence "Faith" Fallon (Stanwyck) takes the pulpit & gives the final unfinished sermon of her recently deceased pastor father who was unjustly/callously fired by the local church after 20+ yrs. of service; he'd died of a broken heart. In her fiery sermon, Florence clears the room by calling them out as insolent hypocrites. Con man Bob Hornsby (a villainous Sam Hardy) witnesses and applauds her embittered tirade; & feeds her now-poisoned mind into performing fake miracles for $$ profit {think Tammy Faye Baker, people}. A lavish road tour commences for both of them.
The crux of this film covers how lucrative the religious racket could be. Director Capra has Stanwyck working in the same cage with live lions as she preaches to the people {ahem, suckers}, only separated by invisible netting. The movie concludes with an enormous tabernacle blaze, & Sister Fallon standing as a lost soul in the midst of the blaze. The story also contains a wonderful subplot which exposes Florence's softer side; when she falls for a blinded aviator/songwriter/ventriloquist, John Carson (an affecting David Manners), who changes his suicidal plans after hearing one of her impassioned preaches on the radio & thinks she can cure him. Through their love, Florence finds that it is actually he who heals her. He restores her faith. She finds personal redemption. She ejects Bob's evangelist schemes, and turns - after the potentially tragic church fire - to being a humble soldier for the Salvation Army. A wonderful closing shot accompanies that moment.
I have to say, some of these early 1930's films - or late '20s-mid '30s - have not impressed me much; classic status, or not. But 'The Miracle Woman' is different. From beginning to end, I was engrossed. Sure, I wasn't bowled over by everything. Yes, some of those early '30's film techniques are dated & ineffective. And some of the acting choices felt very 'early' Hollywood. But Capra's assured direction, a stellar/intriguing script, some beautiful visual flair (also hard to come by in those early Hollywood flicks) & the performances just really got me. I must attribute a lot of this film's success WITH Capra, whose call for exposing the hypocrisy within religious circles is pretty damning. Sadly, his indictment of money-grubbing evangelists still has power today in 2017, as well.
Barbara Stanwyck must have been SOME revelation when this film burst into theaters in the summer of 1931. Right from that aforementioned 1st scene where she gives the parishioners hell, she's transfixing; ditto that later in the exhortation from inside the lions' cage. Stanwyck dominates the proceedings with her well-rounded portrait of a complicated woman. She starts out devastated, enraged & vengeful. But by the end, through the love of John, she finds her way back into loving God, life & humanity. Also impressive is David Manners as John Carson, the former aviator who shows Florence - and us - that you don't need your eyesight to be a moral hero. I just really enjoyed 'The Miracle Woman'. From that wow-er of an opening to its lovely closing shot, I was entertained & moved.
The crux of this film covers how lucrative the religious racket could be. Director Capra has Stanwyck working in the same cage with live lions as she preaches to the people {ahem, suckers}, only separated by invisible netting. The movie concludes with an enormous tabernacle blaze, & Sister Fallon standing as a lost soul in the midst of the blaze. The story also contains a wonderful subplot which exposes Florence's softer side; when she falls for a blinded aviator/songwriter/ventriloquist, John Carson (an affecting David Manners), who changes his suicidal plans after hearing one of her impassioned preaches on the radio & thinks she can cure him. Through their love, Florence finds that it is actually he who heals her. He restores her faith. She finds personal redemption. She ejects Bob's evangelist schemes, and turns - after the potentially tragic church fire - to being a humble soldier for the Salvation Army. A wonderful closing shot accompanies that moment.
I have to say, some of these early 1930's films - or late '20s-mid '30s - have not impressed me much; classic status, or not. But 'The Miracle Woman' is different. From beginning to end, I was engrossed. Sure, I wasn't bowled over by everything. Yes, some of those early '30's film techniques are dated & ineffective. And some of the acting choices felt very 'early' Hollywood. But Capra's assured direction, a stellar/intriguing script, some beautiful visual flair (also hard to come by in those early Hollywood flicks) & the performances just really got me. I must attribute a lot of this film's success WITH Capra, whose call for exposing the hypocrisy within religious circles is pretty damning. Sadly, his indictment of money-grubbing evangelists still has power today in 2017, as well.
Barbara Stanwyck must have been SOME revelation when this film burst into theaters in the summer of 1931. Right from that aforementioned 1st scene where she gives the parishioners hell, she's transfixing; ditto that later in the exhortation from inside the lions' cage. Stanwyck dominates the proceedings with her well-rounded portrait of a complicated woman. She starts out devastated, enraged & vengeful. But by the end, through the love of John, she finds her way back into loving God, life & humanity. Also impressive is David Manners as John Carson, the former aviator who shows Florence - and us - that you don't need your eyesight to be a moral hero. I just really enjoyed 'The Miracle Woman'. From that wow-er of an opening to its lovely closing shot, I was entertained & moved.