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6.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Power and the Glory remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
So, is The Power and the Glory worth digging up today? Absolutely, if you're into films that dared to play with structure way back when. This one is a real gem for film history buffs and anyone curious about how stories could be told differently, even in 1933. If you hate anything that isn't perfectly linear or super polished, you might find it a bit jarring, but for those who appreciate a bold, early experiment, it’s a must-see. ✨
The whole thing kicks off with a funeral. Tom Garner, this big industrialist, is dead. And his best friend, Henry, starts telling his life story. But it's not like, chronologically. It jumps all over the place. Like someone just remembering bits and pieces as they come to mind. It's kinda how your own brain works, right? Not a neat timeline at all.
It’s really fascinating to see a film from this era just *not* care about telling a story from beginning to end. Preston Sturges, who wrote it, was really pushing boundaries here. You can almost feel the movie trying to figure out how to piece this puzzle together, and sometimes it feels a little clunky, but in a charming way.
Spencer Tracy, man. He plays Tom Garner. And he just gets this guy. You see him go from this young, ambitious railroad worker who just wants to make a name for himself, to this powerful, kinda ruthless boss. Tracy’s face tells so much, even when the script is moving super fast through years. You feel the weight of his decisions.
One scene that sticks with me, it's early on. Tom is just a simple track worker, talking to his buddy. They're just shooting the breeze, and you can see the ambition in his eyes, but it’s still innocent. Then later, when he’s built his empire, there’s this quiet moment where he’s just sitting alone in his huge office. The silence there is deafening. It’s supposed to show his loneliness, but it goes on about 20 seconds too long, and the silence starts to feel awkward rather than just emotional. Almost funny, really. 😂
The jumps in time can be a little jarring sometimes. You're suddenly in a different decade, and you have to re-orient yourself. It makes you lean in, though, trying to catch up. It’s not spoon-fed at all. You gotta pay attention.
There's this whole thing with his wife, Sally, played by Colleen Moore. Their relationship is really the heart of the movie, even with all the business stuff happening. You see the sparks fly early on, and then how success kinda… changes things between them. It’s not overly dramatic, more like a slow burn of distance.
I remember this one shot of Sally, just looking out a window, after Tom has made some big, questionable decision. She doesn’t say much, but her expression. It’s just this quiet sadness. You don't need a whole monologue there, you just *get* it. That’s good filmmaking, right?
The film doesn't shy away from showing Garner’s less appealing sides either. He's not a saint. He makes choices that hurt people, even if he thinks it's for the greater good. There’s a scene where he's laying off workers, and the camera just focuses on his stern face, not really on the reaction of the workers. It’s a choice, for sure. Makes him seem kinda cold.
It’s also neat how some small details kinda pop out. Like, the trains themselves. They feel really *real*. Not just props. They’re part of the fabric of his life. You can almost feel the rumble. 🚂
The movie gets noticeably better once it stops trying to explain every jump. It just throws you in, and you learn to go with it. Like a bumpy ride, but you’re still having fun.
The supporting cast is… fine. They do their job. But it’s really Tracy’s show. Everyone else just orbits around his character. Which makes sense for the story, I guess. It’s *his* story, after all.
It’s not perfect. Some of the dialogue feels a bit stiff, especially early on. And a few of the transitions are less elegant than others. But for 1933? This was a big deal. A really big deal. It feels like a rough draft of something amazing, and you can see the potential just bursting off the screen.
If you're looking for something that broke the mold before the mold was even fully set, give The Power and the Glory a watch. It’s a bit of a historical curiosity, but also a genuinely compelling character study. A little rough around the edges, sure, but that’s part of its charm. It feels… honest. And that’s a good thing. 👍
IMDb 4.9
1915
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