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Band of Angels

Band of Angels

Romance · Drama · History · 1957

Living in Kentucky prior to the Civil War, Amantha Starr is a privileged young woman. Her widowed father, a wealthy plantation owner, dotes on her and sends her to the best schools. When he dies suddenly Amantha's world is turned upside down. She learns that her father had been living on borrowed money and that her mother was actually a slave and her father's mistress.

Movie details

Band of Angels

“You're no blue blood any more, honey. The master bought you...and now he's waitin'!”

1957 Romance · Drama · History 2h 5m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

Living in Kentucky prior to the Civil War, Amantha Starr is a privileged young woman. Her widowed father, a wealthy plantation owner, dotes on her and sends her to the best schools. When he dies suddenly Amantha's world is turned upside down. She learns that her father had been living on borrowed money and that her mother was actually a slave and her father's mistress.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Band of Angels?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Raoul Walsh

Written by

John Twist · Ivan Goff · Ben Roberts

Clark Gable

Clark Gable

Hamish Bond

Yvonne De Carlo

Yvonne De Carlo

Amantha Starr

Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier

Rau-Ru

Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Lt. Ethan Sears

Rex Reason

Rex Reason

Capt. Seth Parton (Union officer)

Patric Knowles

Patric Knowles

Charles de Marigny

Torin Thatcher

Torin Thatcher

Capt. Canavan

Court is in session

Put Band of Angels on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.