This George Stevens classic is quite simply the best american film ever made. It is the most hypnotic use of cinema to combine the romance and depth of tragedy without ever diminishing the complexities of the subject. Check the other films directed by the likes of Kazan, Minnelli, Huston (possibly in regards to Huston and Minnelli their best work) and remember that it was Stevens who took the prize that year. I was shocked when it only placed in the nineties in 1997. Now, for it to be bumped entirely shows me the committee that made the decision just don’t know what they are doing. The bloodless, technique laden Kane still reigns supreme.