Why Bradley Cooper's version of "A Star is Born" is the Best One Yet
Of the versions of the Hollywood classic “A Star is Born,” I believe that while Bradley Cooper’s 2018 version is a remake of a remake of a remake, it is the best version. George Cukor, William Wellman, and Frank Pierson’s previous versions have their strengths, but Cooper’s incredible character backstories, cinematography, and performances create an authentic, intimate, and beautiful film.
This whole franchise is exciting because the skeleton of the plot is very flexible, and each version molds its movie to reflect the evolving perspective on stardom and fame. Major plot points and aspects stay the same, like the emphasis on the female lead’s looks, the destructive nature of the male lead, and the line “one more look.” Still, Cooper’s version takes this story to another level. The 2018 film has incredible chemistry, character development, original music, and undeniable star quality.
The basic structure of all the films stays relatively the same; an aspiring female star wants to break into show business and meets a famous and successful man by chance. The two become taken with each other, and he helps her launch her career. He suffers from alcoholism which is slowly ruining his career, and after they get married, her fame eventually surpasses his. As he grows jealous of her stardom, he interrupts her speech when she accepts a significant award for her talents. He goes to rehab, and he overhears her considering dropping her career to focus on helping him with his recovery. He can’t stand this, and he commits suicide. She returns to the stage to honor his memory, continuing her career. Each version depicts these plot points in different ways, respective of their cinematic era.
I think that Cooper’s inclusion of Jackson Maine’s extensive backstory is a strong choice. His background of growing up in a broken family on an Arizona pecan ranch gives his character depth that makes the audience more sympathetic to his often unkind actions and words. James Mason’s Norman Maine character in the 1954 version of the film also has some profundity; he is depicted as a kind but troubled man. But by giving Cooper’s character a heartbreaking and developed origin story, we empathize with him, which creates a more spellbinding feature. Cooper’s character is an antihero. On the surface, he can be cruel to his wife, brother, and everyone else around him; but we know he’s a good person underneath it all because of all the context his character is given. We learn throughout the film about his history of abandonment and mental illness that will eventually propel his downfall.
The grammy scene in the 2018 version is one of the most painful scenes to watch. While in the older versions of the film, Norman interrupts the speech out of anger and jealousy. In the 2018 version, the scene indicates Jackson’s serious struggle with substance abuse, not just his discontent with his position of power in his relationship. Jackson is a more evolved character than the previous male leads, and he gets more screen time than in the earlier versions.
Lady Gaga’s character Ally has roots similar to the 1937 Esther; there is a real emphasis on her home life, but her character is modern and original because she wants to be a pop star. This role is perfect for Lady Gaga, one of the most successful pop stars of the 21st century, who proves herself an incredible actor. There are a lot of similarities to the female characters in the versions. All versions discuss the extremes of the Hollywood star-making system but are customized to the time of its release. While Ally doesn’t change her name like the 1937 Esther character does or sit in the makeup chair like the 1954 Esther character, she dyes her hair red and is forced to hire backup dancers.
Sam Elliott’s character, Bobby, Jackson’s brother and manager, is a new character that grounds the story in ways that previous versions didn’t. Because he is much older than Jackson, revealing that he is the brother Jackson mentioned early in the film is shocking, once again giving Jackson’s character the context needed for depth of backstory. Toward the end of the film, Bobby says to Ally that “music is essentially 12 notes between each octave,” which serves as an epigraph for the entire film franchise. Each film interprets the same story in different ways to serve their respective audiences. All the movies have their strengths, but I believe that the 2018 film is the most honest, sincere, and most representative of its era.
