Old Hollywood dominated the late 1930s and early 1940s while the world was engaged in World War II. Although, Hollywood was lunged into a war of its own through propaganda films and the constant battle between studios. Several influential filmmakers, such as director Orson Welles and screenwriter Herman “Mank” Mankiewicz, made their mark through their work, which is especially poignant in their collaborative Academy Award-winning classic “Citizen Kane.”
Last year’s Netflix original film “Mank,” is a movie of a movie in a sense as it reevaluates the screenwriter’s creative genius behind “Citizen Kane.” “Mank” is directed by David Fincher, who worked on the project with his late father for years before its release on Nov. 13, 2020. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, this Netflix original follows the story of Mankiewicz struggling to finish the best screenplay of his career.
Without a doubt, “Mank” never fails to grasp the classic era of the 1940s. Overlaid in black and white, directors and writers fill the screen and don’t hesitate from immersing the audience into the fantasy. We get a taste of each Hollywood profession through the focused characters, such as Amanda Seyfried as actress Marion Davies, Arliss Howard as American film producer Louis B. Mayer, and Gary Oldman as Mank.
Filled with a series of flashbacks, the film grasps the viewer’s attention by telling a non-linear story of Mank and his screenwriting process. Loosely based on true events, this story takes an interesting approach to the time period and the early developments of big blockbuster films. For those who are not familiar with the inner workings and intertwined drama, this story gives fantastic historical context.
The costume design is phenomenal throughout “Mank.” Feathers and fur drape themselves over Seyfried in a way that Halloween costumes wish they could. Slick suits flatter the men who introduce themselves as working and entangled in the studio systems. Even actresses Lily Collins and Tuppence Middleton, who are not portraying Hollywood icons, are covered in the appropriate wardrobe for women at the time, which supports the story significantly.
Witty personalities and slight humor make their way into the film from time to time to make the sticky situations fresh. There wasn’t one actor or actress that broke the illusion of Old Hollywood. If anything, they did a brilliant job of capturing their character’s personalities in their respective professions. Oldman, maintaining the camera’s focus for most of the film, did an exceptional job capturing Mank’s characteristics, especially his carelessness.
As a drama, dialogue takes center stage and maintains the interest in what’s happening throughout the movie. Though since it is such a wordy film, essential details can be missed, and if they are, there can be a loss of appreciation. However, one factor that broadens appreciation for the film is the piece of work that Mank centers himself upon: “Citizen Kane.” Details from “Citizen Kane” find themselves hiding throughout “Mank,” and there are many “ah-ha” moments that arise after watching both. As a duo, these films are fun adaptations of entertainment, but I think some appreciation for “Mank” can be lost if one hasn’t seen the masterpiece the entire film alludes to.