Downton Abbey. That’s what this week’s film reminds me of.

Following the story of a wealthy British family and their friends, servants, and acquaintances through several decades of history beginning at the close of 1899, Cavalcade (1933, Fox) interweaves events with worldwide ramifications such as the Boer War, the death of Queen Victoria, the sinking of the Titanic, and, of course, the War to End All Wars with personal family trials, triumphs, and tragedies. Adapted from a successful play of the same name, Cavalcade took home three Oscars:  Art Direction, Directing, and Outstanding Production, in addition to Diana Wynyard’s nomination for Best Actress.

Cavalcade’s story-line begins on New Year’s Eve in 1899, with the Marryot family and their servants expressing hopes and fears for what the new century will hold. I think most of us who are older than 20-ish can also remember similar thoughts and emotions in 1999. What with Columbine and Oklahoma City and the O. J. Simpson trial and the Persian Gulf War of the 1990s, and with the unknowns of Y2K and the unanticipated attacks of September 11, the turn of the twenty-first century mirrors that of the twentieth in that the beginning of a new century is perhaps more of a collision of past, present, and future than other new years are. From a historical point of view, I find Cavalcade’s tracing of time and its emphasis on new years/New Year’s quite fascinating—especially when thinking back on my own life so far and the world events that have occurred within the same span of time.

Celebrating New Year’s 1900 in Cavalcade

Furthermore, Cavalcade is itself situated at an interesting time in history for its emphasis on the mixing of past, present, and future. The movie expresses both optimism and anxiety about the future in light of the past; however, as we saw in Wings and All Quiet on the Western Front especially, the idea that the Great War was the culmination of past evils, the destroyer of present hopes, and the reason why the future could not possibly be so bad also permeates Cavalcade. Though the characters express doubt regarding the evils that the future might hold, they seem completely oblivious to the fact that the foundations for World War II are being laid as they speak. Nothing can possibly be as bad as what they have already endured, so they believe. But now in hind sight, we know better.

And that’s the problem with new and young centuries. A new century is both a time to reflect on the past and to feel out the future, yet that future is unknowable to us. It is unbelievably creepy to watch the film’s final scenes and to know the Holocaust is looming in the near future when the characters do not know this. And then I bring this idea home to my own often-mistaken thinking about the future. Not to be morbid, but in observing the state of the world today, one wonders what is in the future that we cannot see. For me personally, I need to leave that future in God’s hands because worrying about it just causes more stress than I can handle! And who really needs more stress in their lives?

Speaking of stress, after what the Marryots go through in the film, I would like to think they get the same type of ending as the finale of Downton Abbey, which I will not spoil for you all…except while we’re on the topic, I’ll just note that I found it satisfying but not completely realistic! Cavalcade is perhaps the opposite of this: more realistic but not as completely satisfying.

For more detailed (and hopefully less rambling!) thoughts on Cavalcade and its significance, please check out the full post this weekend!