Review of Lost Horizon (1937) by Alex W — 16 Aug 2014

This film is done on a scale that is more grand and science fiction then most films from the time. There is a ton of production value behind this movie and it shows. It has one of the most attention grabbing and intriguing openings to a film you will ever see.

It's so good you could almost make a movie off of that alone. It's the kind of movie that keeps you guessing at the truth, or if the truth really matters. It also caused many internal debates when I put myself in the main character or other passenger's situations.

I would also call this movie very prophetic, in a time long before the atomic bomb part of this films message feels right at home with many of the 60's and 70's films about fear of nuclear holocaust.

All of these elements and topics I find very intriguing personally so I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. With so many interesting political, social and philosophical questions and it one great concept I found myself thinking about this film for days, one of the biggest signs of a good movie.

I am still not sure what decision I would make if I were in the characters shoes. If this film does have a problem it's that the female lead is an over the top helpless emotional caricature. This film definitely had an influence on some later films (logans run, solaris, inception, the beach) and tv shows (lost, the prisoner, star trek).

I guess the book deserves most of the credit for being so ahead of its time although I am not sure how closely the movie follows it.