On A List of Movie Reviews

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All My Sons (1948)

Rate: 4
Viewed: 8/24

8/24: I read the play All My Sons by Arthur Miller years ago but hadn't come to seeing the film until now.

One thing is sure: it's too similar to Death of a Salesman which came out a couple of years later. The structure, the themes, the conflict, and the ending are identical. Arthur Miller only redressed everything. My major complaint, besides it being too theatrical and old-fashioned, is he took the easy way out by having the father kill himself at the end.

The acting is fine. Perfectly cast, Edward G. Robinson dominates the show, but the dialogue is sometimes hammy to listen to. Then again, the play was in the same way. Hence, there's no reason to rewrite it. Just leave Arthur Miller's work alone and let it be the basis. Burt Lancaster is average while everybody else is nothing special.

All in all, you're better off seeing Death of a Salesman with Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich as it's the same thing as All My Sons but superior in every way.

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