Final thoughts on It Happened One Night

I spent the past month watching It Happened One Night and re-watching it. Once again, focusing on different aspects during each viewing. And it's funny because I think one of my first reactions is that it could speed up a tiny bit, and after several viewings it no longer bothers me. I do think the pacing slowed down a bit when Peter and Ellie are falling for each other, but other than that, the pacing went fine. Even during the The Man on the Flying Trapeze scene, which at first I thought it went one verse too long. Some of the jokes weren't as funny, but I still loved the banter between Peter and Ellie, which never got old.

One thing that stands out about this film is the dialogue. I've mentioned before how much I enjoyed the banter between Peter and Ellie. Neither was afraid to tell the other what was on his or her mind, and it made watching them go on this trek to New York much more enjoyable. The film may not be heavy on the sexual innuendos as in other films, but the interaction between the two leads was enough. The idea that opposites attract is quite clear, and this became a staple of the screwball comedy. Two different people from opposite ends of the pole find that all the arguing and fighting is kind of a turn-on. And the dialogue just helps create the sexual tension between the two characters.

A strong female lead is another strong point of the film. I think for 1934, showing a female on screen who fights back against her father's wishes and actually goes after what she wants was something that not many were used to seeing. A female was always to be in a more submissive role in society, so to see a girl defying a man, it must've been quite refreshing for female audiences. It's quite refreshing nowadays to go back and watch this film and see a well-written female character who has a clear goal and throughout the film is set on achieving it. I think unfortunately a lot of times, either in literature or film or TV, we watch these characters, in particular female characters and they have quirks and they're cute, but then they do really stupid things, which can't be justified because it doesn't advance the plot or make a point, it just kind of makes the character stupid. And while everyone makes stupid mistakes, Ellie herself can't take care of herself as she loses her suitcase, almost loses her bus ticket, misses her bus, and spends al her money in under two days, there needs to be more going on with the character in order for the audience to like them. A good actor helps, but when you see someone who wants something, is clear about it, and won't take no for an answer and then jumps off the yacht she's in to go after what she wants, how can you not forgive her the stupid mistakes she will eventually make? Strong and likable characters are so important in all storytelling.

The pace is equally important in this film. Quick pacing is something screwball comedy became known for and it's funny that it's kind of a happy circumstance that occurred in this film simply because of time constraints setting the tone during filming. I think quick pacing always gives off the idea that things are going topsy-turvy. It's almost like things are building up only to be ready to just fall down all over the place. But in this film, the pace makes it so that time flies by. There is always something going on, another adventure or situation in which the two leads find themselves struggling to get to New York. The film doesn't drag on, and if anything, it adds to the humor of the film.

I think after reading the script and watching and re-watching the film, I was most blown away by Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert's performances. From what I've read there was a lot of drama going on behind the scenes, before and during the production, but those two gave excellent performances. I completely bought that they couldn't stand one another and then gradually fell hard for one another. And the script was great. I remember thinking once that you could tell it was written by a man just because of how Ellie was portrayed, but that thought only crossed my mind once, and I can't even remember when it was. I think it was also good to see that the draft I read was still a working draft, and while much of it was ready for shooting, it wasn't done. They still worked on it and omitted scenes to show just what was necessary in the final cut of the film.

It Happened One Night is a well-written film, showing how important a good script is to a successful film. The dialogue is funny and quick, only what is needed is ever said and shown. It had great acting by true professionals, and in the end, while it may not have been the first screwball comedy in my book, it certainly paved the way for more films of the genre to come.