33. The Unknown (1927)

Directed by Tod Browning

Synopsis

Man has no arms, in fact he has arms. He hides arms not be be murder suspect. Girl has armophopia, man fancies his chances. Girl also chased by strong-man, who has arms. So Armless-man can consumate his prospective marriage he gets his arms removed surgically. When he comes back he discovers that armophobia has been cured and girl can't get enough of strong-man's arms. Armless man is sad. Tries to kill strong-man by having horses remove his arms forcibly, gets killed trying to save girl from horse stampede.

Review

This is one of those rare cases where the filme is so bad that it's good. The story is insanely grotesque but then that's what Browning and Chaney are good at, so no problem there. My only problem is that the film is in fact too tame, if it was taken to it's logical gruesome conclusion (arms ripped out etc.) it would have been a much better film.

Of course this is the 20's we are talking about here, and with all the mutilation fantasies of Chaney and Browning it is still pretty racy. Another interesting thing here is seeing a very young Joan Crawford in her first starring role.

So, how those this measure compared to the other Lon Chaney film reviewed here (Phantom Of The Opera)? It is infinitely better. Is it a masterpiece of cinema? Hell no. And neither is any Browning film (Dracula, Freaks etc..) but they do make for great entertainment. Chaney's acting is pretty amazing here as well, his hysteria attack when he finds out that his girlfriend is now going to marry Malabar is pretty cool.

So, definitely a film to watch, as it is also a pretty short one, but not much to write home about. Maybe if it was gorier. Buy it at Amazon UK or US.

Final Grade

6/10

Trivia

From Wiki:

The Unknown is by far the most intense and demented of director Tod Browning's films (which include Dracula and Freaks). Joan Crawford always said that she learned more about acting from working with Chaney in this movie than from everything else in her long career put together, and critics often cite Chaney's performance as one of the greatest ever captured on film. Burt Lancaster always maintained that Chaney in The Unknown offered the greatest acting he ever saw, and there is indeed nothing else remotely like it in the annals of film.

32. The General (1927)

Directed By Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton

Synopsis

Man loves train, man loses train, man goes in chase of train, man finds train. Man takes care of Union army in the process.

Review

Ok this is a great film, but honestly it is not as funny as some films previously reviewed, like Our Hospitality or Sherlock Jr. Fortunately the film does more than make up for that with its amazing epic qualities. There's the whole North vs. South thing going on in the background of a truly amazing train chase.

I can only imagine that Keaton had some strange fetish with trains, I still haven't seen one film of his which is train free, even if just for a shot there has got to be a train there. In this film he pulls all the stops in his train loving. About 3/4ths of the film are set on a train or during the great train chase which ends up with the phenomenal destruction of the Union train on the collapse of a bridge, in what was one of the most expensive shots in the history of the cinema at the time.

Again, Keaton presents us with his death defying stunts, many of which are very well known, like the one in which he escapes the shot of a cannon which is pointing at his train, or when he sits on the cowcatcher of The General (the name of the train) trying to clear the tracks while the train is still going. Through it all Keaton keeps his stony face for ultimate comedic payoff. Buster has a much bigger budget here than he had on any of his previous films and this is put to very good use. The battle scenes, army encampments etc. are truly amazing.

Definitely a film not to be missed. Get it at Amazon UK or US.

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

Keaton was such a fucking train spotter. Glad they hadn't popularised anoraks then.

From Wiki:

The climax of the film includes a spectacular moment where a bridge (sabotaged by Keaton's character) collapses as a railroad train crosses it (compare The Bridge on the River Kwai). Keaton filmed the bridge collapse in the pine forest around the town of Cottage Grove, Oregon, using 500 extras from the Oregon National Guard. This scene was one of the single most expensive shots in motion picture history at the time. The production company could not afford to remove the wreckage after the scene was filmed, so they left the wrecked locomotive in the river bed, where it became a minor tourist attraction for nearly twenty years. The metal of the train was salvaged for scrap during World War II.

31. Sunrise (1927)

Directed By F. W. Murnau

Synopsis

Married Country Man falls in lust with City Ho. City Ho convinces Country Man to kill Country Wifey. Man tries to drown Wifey but chickens out. Spends day making it up to her in the Big City. Comes back, big storm on river. Boat capsizes. Wifey disappears. Man distraught, tries to kill Ho, Wifey is found alive. Finis.

Review

Ok, I think there is a danger in universally critically loved films to just follow the leader and I could be here just sucking Murnau's man-member. But I won't. Yes, it was a good film, but very few Murnau films were ever less than that. In fact it is a great film. The plot however is frankly simplistic but the great acting in the film really helps save it.

Other reasons why this film is important are the techinical innovations, not just Murnau's brilliant use of double exposition and tracking shots but also this is the first talkie! I hear you say " Eh, wot? Surely the Jazz Singer my good man." And I reply "Nay!", this film uses movietone and while there's only one sentence clearly distinguishable ("Get out of the way") the truth is that there is sound recorded for this film including indistinguishable dialogue on crowd scenes, car honks and church bells and even sung music and not like in previous films as a part of the orchestral score, but as actual sounds. Jazz Singer has longer spoken parts and music (remember sung music was already used in Phantom of the Opera) but it is still mainly a silent film, like Sunrise.

On the other hand this is quite a weak film emotionally, it didn't do much for me. Murnau's previous film The Last Laugh did much more in emotional terms for me. This is still like distinguishing between two very large diamonds. But there is indeed a difference.

It is however something you should definitely see, so buy it at Amazon UK or US.

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

Jazz Singer, Schmazz Singer.

From Wiki:

* Murnau apparently had George O'Brien wear boots specially weighted with lead in certain scenes to lend him an air of oppression and despair.

* When asked years later about winning the first Academy Award for Best Actress, Janet Gayor said that if she'd been aware of how important the award was to become, she would've appreciated the moment more, rather than simply ogling Douglas Fairbanks.

* Much of the exterior shooting was done at Lake Arrowhead in California.

* Murnau makes extensive use of forced perspective throughout the film. Of special note is a shot of the City where you see normal-sized in the foreground and midgets in the background along with much smaller sets.

* Janet Gaynor went on to star in Murnau's film Four Devils, probably one of the most notable lost films.

* 20th Century Fox released this movie as a special, limited edition DVD, available only by mailing in proofs-of-purchase for other DVD titles in their "Studio Classics" line. Copies can frequently be found on Ebay.