Lost Horizon

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Trailer—Lost Horizon

Lost Horizon

British diplomat Ronald Colman and brother John Howard crash a plane with several civilians including Thomas Mitchell deep in the Himalayas and find Shangri-La. The place is literally heaven on Earth, but is it really what it seems? H.B. Warner received an Oscar nomination as the man who runs the beautiful but strange place. Frank Capra's film is really a bit dark and disturbing compared to his other famous ventures. Light-hearted in many ways, but filled with strange undertones and images, "Lost Horizon" is one of those odd films from the late-1930s that conveys some deep messages in unconventional ways. The case could be made about the film's support for communism due to several of the sequences. Good and definitely interesting, "Lost Horizon" remains one of Capra's lesser-known films that still packs a punch 65 years later. 4 stars out of 5.

I think I was about seven or eight years old when I first saw this film, and has always lingered in the back of my mind. This is pure movie magic of a rare kind, and it is surprising how well it holds up today. The story is handled with just the right balance of seriousness and humour, with fine performances throughout, and the timeless message it sends is truly profound. The middle part may be lacking a bit in pacing, but it is a minor quibble, since this, for my money, is a masterpiece. And it still looks great, with impressive set design and an abundance of atmosphere. The finale is simply sublime, and stays in the mind for a long time afterwards, one of my favorite movie moments of all time. A movie everyone should see.

This is a marvelous film full of excellent acting, direction and especially cinematography. Although Ronald Coleman did MANY terrific films, this might be his best (though The Prisoner of Zenda is awfully good as well). It's pure escapist fun about a group that unexpectedly stumbles upon the magical land of Shangri-la. What makes it so watchable are there many different reactions to this paradise--some embrace it, some inexplicably want to leave and some are really torn between the two groups. About the only negative about the film is that some small sections of the film footage have been lost, though the soundtrack remains intact. As a result, you'll have a few tiny sections where there are only movie stills as the dialog is being spoken. It really doesn't detract too much in the restored version, but be prepared.

I watched this film for the first time as a 10 year old and its effects on my willingness to be a optimistic idealist have always been led by my memories of this hope inspiring tribute to the need for the human being to find Heaven in this life. Perhaps Lost Horizon could have been that spark that enabled me to find just that. Like all films from another era do not judge this film for its apparent imperfections, rather for what it offered the audiences of that time (1937), hope that all would be well when man would recognize that his time is always better spent broadening his horizons of understanding. Frank Capra's guides his audiences through danger and turmoil to that place which dreams are made of, when we all make the effort to make it happen.