Cinema in the 1930s was characterized by the transition to sound, the beginning of Hollywood's "Golden Age," the development of color film, and the imposition of the Hays Code in the United States, a set of moral guidelines that censored content. Genres such as gangster films and horror emerged. Here is a selection of 10 great films from this era, listed in order of release.
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), by Lewis Milestone.
Based on the novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque. Universally acclaimed as one of the best war films of all time and highly influential on war films in subsequent decades.
Its anti-war message led to its being banned for years in various countries around the world, including Germany, Austria, France, and Italy.
After a passionate speech by their teacher about the glory of serving in the Army and saving the Fatherland, a group of students, led by our protagonist Paul, are encouraged to join the army. Even during the demanding training, their romantic illusions begin to fade, but nothing compares to what they will experience on the battlefield.
Morocco (1930), by Josef von Sternberg.
Based on the 1927 novel Amy Jolly by Benno Vigny, it tells the story of a love triangle between a French legionnaire, played by a young Gary Cooper, an artist, played by Marlene Dietrich, and her protector and devoted admirer, all set against the backdrop of the Second Rif War.
The film is a stunning display of stylistic imagination, precise camera movements, delicate light and shadow effects, and expressionistic set design.
Famous for a scene in which Dietrich sings a song dressed in a man's tails and kisses another woman, both actions considered scandalous at the time and which would have been impossible a few years later with the implementation of the Hays Code.
M (1931), by Fritz Lang.
One of the first films about serial killers, this one in particular was partially inspired by the real events of a serial killer of children in Doseldorf, Germany. It features many cinematic innovations, including the use of long takes. With an original combination of aspects of Expressionism and German New Realism, it would become a strong influence on the upcoming film noir a decade later. A pioneer of the procedural drama, it focuses on the search for the criminal by the police and even organized crime, as well as showing the shock generated among the town's inhabitants in the face of the terrible events.
Grand Hotel (1932), by Edmund Goulding.
It is recognized as an artistic achievement in its art direction and production quality, changing the way sets were created from that point forward. The lobby scenes, which allowed the audience to see the hotel and the actions of all the characters, are highly praised.
A group of people from diverse nationalities and social classes cross paths at a Berlin hotel, among them: a baron who squandered his fortune and now makes a living as a card gambler and occasional jewel thief, a dying accountant who has decided to spend his last days enjoying a life of luxury at the hotel, a businessman who hires a beautiful stenographer who aspires to be an actress, and a melancholic Russian ballerina whose career is fading.
It Happened One Night (1934), by Frank Capra.
The first great romantic comedy, a film that remains fresh and timeless. For almost 100 years, cinema has drawn inspiration from this work time and again. Featuring the charismatic duo of Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable.
A young woman has married a fortune hunter against the wishes of her wealthy father, who keeps her captive and wants to annul the marriage because he believes her new husband is only after her money. She manages to escape, and on her way to New York to reunite with her husband, she meets a journalist who recognizes her and helps her in exchange for the exclusive story.
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Based on the novel of the same name by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman, and taking some liberties with the real events that took place on the Bounty, this was the first of several film adaptations, starring Charles Laughton and Clark Gable.
The film recounts the ship's voyage to Tahiti to collect breadfruit saplings to be planted in the British West Indies. However, Captain Bligh's tyrannical attitude makes the journey unbearable for the crew. The first mate disagrees with the captain's strict enforcement of discipline, and tensions reach a breaking point on the return voyage, culminating in a mutiny led by the first mate.
Captains Courageous (1937), by Victor Fleming.
Harvey is a wealthy ten-year-old boy who always takes advantage of his privilege. One day, while traveling to London with his father on an ocean liner, his luck takes a dramatic turn when he accidentally falls overboard off the coast of Newfoundland. There, he is rescued by a fisherman named Manuel Fidello, who takes him to work on a fishing schooner. The young boy is forced to spend the next three months on board until the fishing vessel returns to port, having to work incredibly hard every day to earn his place and food on the ship.
A truly moving and beautiful story of overcoming adversity, friendship, and growing into maturity.
The Grand Illusion (1937), by Jean Renoir.
The story of a group of French prisoners in a German concentration camp during the First World War. Two officers are shot down from their plane and taken prisoner in a concentration camp, under the command of a German officer obsessed with upholding the law and respecting military order. Upon arrival, the prisoners inform him that they have been working for months on a tunnel with the intention of escaping.
Gone with the Wind (1939), by Victor Fleming.
An adaptation of Margaret Mitchell's novel of the same name, this is the most acclaimed film of the so-called Classical Hollywood era and, when adjusted for inflation, the highest-grossing film in cinematic history.
While it has recently faced criticism for its portrayal of Black people and slavery, technically it is difficult to find fault with it. The direction is powerful, the actors give their all, and the pairing of Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh is one of the most iconic in film. The costumes, art direction, and color cinematography are exquisite.
Scarlet O'Hara, the daughter of Georgia plantation owners, dreams for years of the love of her cousin's fiancé, who later becomes her husband. Before, during, and after the Civil War, we follow her life in this turbulent period of American history.
Stagecoach (1939), by John Ford.
The first great Western classic, which would revive the genre and make it one of the most important in American cinema for decades. It would be John Ford's first sound Western and the first in which he directed John Wayne, and it also features one of the best and most iconic character introductions in film history.
A stagecoach travels to New Mexico, carrying a prostitute and a drunken doctor expelled from a town near Dallas, a Southern woman about to give birth, a corrupt banker, a gambler, a bootlegger, and a gunman—characters who would become archetypes of later Westerns, as would their experiences, such as clashes of character due to their differences and prejudices, shootouts in dark streets, and confrontations with Native Americans.