CS Weekly Archive > DVD of the Day > 6/24/05

Heavenly on Every Level

by jason davis

An Academy Award-nominated romantic comedy rife with urbane wit, dense with multiple layers of meaning, and edged with an uncommon darkness joins the Criterion Collection with particular supplemental attention paid to the scribe behind it.

Heaven Can Wait (1943)
(Criterion Collection)

Samson Raphaelson
Based on the play "Birthday" by Lazlo Bus-Fekete

Upon his death, Henry Van Cleve (Don Ameche) presents himself to the Devil (Laird Cregar) to begin eternal damnation for his philandering ways. When the lord of hell asks for a summary of his petitioners sins, the recently deceased offers up an account of his life as a would-be Cassanova who only truly had eyes for his beloved wife.

Though the dialogue at first seems dated, Raphaelson's script is actually a masterpiece of characterization, with stylized dialogue designed to stereotype each character in the viewer's mind. Van Cleve's parents (Louis Calhern and Spring Byington) and their somewhat corny speech is an immediately apparent example. They're quickly contrasted by the unique voices of the characters around them who, in their eloquence, alert the audience to the elder Van Cleves' obtuse nature. The opposite observation is just as quickly rendered with regard to the quick-witted Grandpa (Charles Coburn), who spends the bulk of the film conducting his own private commentary on an entirely different narrative level, filled with rich humor and sarcastic asides.

Often, a scene will play out on several levels, with the deceased Henry's narration making humorous comment on the action, which again incorporates many interpretive levels depending on Grandpa's commentary, Henry's level of prevarication, and his parents' extent of obliviousness. This layering of humor insures that no scene goes without a laugh, but the laughs are not all on behalf of the same joke. Amazingly, the filmmakers manage to make Henry Van Cleve's amorous excursions absolutely forgivable and the character's evolution from a rakish youth to a repentant spirit is ably conveyed by a personal account that spans great lengths of time without ever breaking the stride of the story with temporal concerns. The specter of death is ever present as Henry loses those he loves, but the writer never allows the story to become too maudlin, despite the prevalence of the Reaper's work in the tale.

- Creativity with Bill Moyers: A Portrait of Samson Raphaelson
- Audio seminar with Raphaelson and film critic Richard Corliss
- Video conversation between critics Molly Haskell and Andrew Sarris
- Lubitch home piano recordings
- Trailer

A 30-minute episode of Bill Moyers's 1982 PBS series profiles legendary writer Samson Raphaelson, who, at the time, was still teaching writing in his mid-80s. Raphaelson's wit had not dulled, and his ruminations on the craft of writing are worth the price of admission as he cuts through the theoretical nonsense and gets to the heart of story and what makes a writer worth his or her salt.

A similarly engaging audio recording, taped in the late '70s at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, finds the writer in a question-and-answer session following a screening of Heaven Can Wait. Once again, Raphaelson's replies drip with experience and character as he fields questions ranging from the academic to the obscure. While some of the other extras take an oblique look at director Ernst Lubitch, Raphaelson's account of their singular writer-director dynamic is the real jewel of the added value material.

A film still as fresh as when it premiered, accompanied by supplements spotlighting its unparalleled writer, is a rarity in catalog DVD releases. Criterion's Heaven Can Wait not only illustrates excellent writing, it brings the writer out of the shadows to discuss it.

Heaven Can Wait (1943) (Criterion Collection)
The Criterion Collection
Unrated; 112 min.
$29.95

Buy it now for only $20.96 (save 30%)

From the Trenches
Working screenwriters discuss in their own words a particular aspect of screenwriting, from the mechanics of writing to the personal and professional impact that writing has had on their lives. > VIEW ARCHIVE

The Art of Craft
Screenwriting experts discuss how to approach various aspects of writing and the writing life. A mini-seminar each week from the people who write the books and teach the classes. > VIEW ARCHIVE

The Big Picture

Features that cover all aspects of screenwriting, from our "Seven Best" lists to analysis of old favorites and new classics. > VIEW ARCHIVE

Expert Witness
A panel of experts assembled to provide the facts about the screenwriting business. Readers will be able have their questions answered by an agent, producer, entertainment attorney, and WGA representative—and without paying that 10% commission. > VIEW ARCHIVE

Son of a Pitch
A weekly tutorial on how to write a script. Each week deals with a different element of creating a script, with the ultimate goal to provide a step-by-step instruction manual for new writers. The guide for this is a writer just diving into screenwriting himself, who asks the pros questions any new screenwriter would have about this brave new world. > VIEW ARCHIVE

Weekend Read
Film, book, web site and technology reviews from a writer’s perspective. How can these items help a writer on his or her journey, or make that journey more enjoyable? > VIEW ARCHIVE

DVD Review of the Day
DVD reviews from a writer’s point of view. What aspects of this script and features of this DVD illuminate the writing, development, and storytelling process? > VIEW ARCHIVE