The Last Laugh (Der letzte Mann) 1924 **

Clothes do make the man…or in this case a uniform with shiny brass buttons.

Emil Jannings plays a very proud doorman in this classic 1924 F.W. Murnau silent. In the beginning of the film, we find Jannings’ pompous doorman happy and a bit condescending to his co-workers—he has the brass buttons and fancy braids after all. When he is demoted to washroom attendant due to his age (Robert Osborne better watch out), we see a humiliated and scorned Jannings. Unable to face the world outside the hotel without his uniform, Jannings steals one from a locker to wear home. In the end, Jannings becomes a drunkard and a pitiful character that lives the rest of his days in abject misery. Actually, this is the ending I saw in a film class because my professor refused to show the ending Murnau was forced to use by the studio. Later, I learned that Jannings inherited money and went back to the hotel and flaunted his newfound wealth in the faces of those who had laughed at him. Hence, he who laughs last laughs best.

This film is 99% title card free—only at the very end does Murnau use one card to explain the tacked on ending. So, this means the viewer must pay close attention to what Jannings’ face and Murnau’s camera are saying about the narrative. Karl Freund’s camerawork in this film makes the viewer feel like a voyeur of Jannings’ life. The bathroom scenes are truly heartbreaking.

An interesting film to watch, but the ending is trite.

Sherlock, Jr. (1924) **

So, if I said Buster Keaton is the most gifted actor/stuntman ever would your response be, “No, s*#t, Sherlock?

This 1924 silent starring Keaton is one of his top five performances. Under an hour long, the film moves at an extremely fast pace. In the film, Keaton plays a projectionist and aspiring detective, who is framed for the theft of his would-be father-in-law’s watch by his romantic rival (Ward Crane.). Later, while attending to his job at the theatre, Keaton falls asleep and finds himself in a dream where he is the second greatest detective in the world: Sherlock, Jr. His dream alter ego must solve the case of the missing pearls before the dastardly villain kills him. In the end, Buster solves both cases and the lovers are reunited.

The stunts in this film are usual Keaton—amazing. His ride on the motorcycle handlebars is priceless. The dual storyline—real life and reel life—is a clever plot device as well. In this regard, Woody Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo owes a nod to Keaton.

An entertaining, exciting, funny film. A must see for silent film fans, and of course, Keaton fans.

Greed (1924) **

One of the seven deadly sins of Irving Thalberg.

Eric von Stroheim directed this monolithic 1924 film about the rise and fall of John “Mac” McTeague. Originally the film was over 9 hours long, von Stroheim cut it to 4, but that wasn’t enough for Thalberg, who had it cut again to just over 2 hours. There is a restored version with stills that attempts to restore it to 4 hours, but it’s difficult to find.

The story follows the life of non-licensed dentist McTeague as he falls in love with Trina (Zasu Pitts), the girl of his best friend, Marcus. After Marcus steps aside the couple marries and she wins $5,000 from the lottery. This is where greed comes into play. Marcus, now jealous that McTeague is married to $5,000, reports McTeague’s lack of a license to the authorities. McTeague is forced out of business and looks to his wife for financial help. The problem is she’s a hoarder, who likes to roll around naked in her money but not spend it. So, McTeague must work manual labor jobs and the two of them live like paupers. Eventually McTeague snaps and kills Trina and flees to the desert with her gold. Marcus follows him and a showdown occurs. Marcus is killed, but not before McTeague finds himself handcuffed to the corpse. Attempting to drag the dead weight behind him, McTeague succumbs to thirst and dies.

Von Stroheim was looking to make the most realistic film possible and he does a very good job. The film is shot entirely on location in San Francisco and Death Valley, so the sets are as authentic as they come. If you want to see what downtown San Francisco looked like in the early 1920s—watch this film. Most of the lighting is entirely natural, which gives the film a stark look at times. The story itself is both compelling and creepy. The depths of Trina’s greed are something to behold. When you watch the closing scenes between Marcus and McTeague in Death Valley you might actually begin to sweat yourself.

An entertaining film to watch--if you can find it.

Strike (Stachka) 1924 **

Remember the good old days when Americans knew who their enemies were? One of the classes I teach is American history since 1945. You would not believe how many of my students have no idea what the Soviet Union was. Sergei Eisenstein sometimes wished he was so oblivious!

Strike (Stachka for the Russkies out there) is a Soviet propaganda piece directed by Eisenstein in 1924, seven years after the dramatic events of the Russian Revolution. The film takes place in the terrible days of Czarist rule, where most people were peasants or exploited factory workers. This particular Eisenstein piece focuses on the exploited factory workers. Unhappy with working conditions and enraged by the suicide of a co-worker falsely accused of theft, the workers go on strike. As the strike wears on wives begin to complain that there isn’t enough to eat and the men show unrest through drinking and lazing. In the end, those most hated Cossacks are called in to end the strike. This of course means the unmitigated slaughter of the striking workers (or anyone else in their path).

The film is pure propaganda. Capitalists and the Czarist army are seen as instruments of evil, while the proletariats are heroic. As a history teacher, I know just how bad Soviet communism was for a number of people, so it is difficult to like the narrative of the film. However, Eisenstein was still a gifted director and does create some interesting montage shots in the film. The slaughter of the workers is interplayed with the slaughter of other “innocent” beasts—animals at the slaughterhouse. He also does a nice comparison element when he shows the grandiosity of the factory owners and the abject poverty of the workers. So, visually the film has merit. In addition, the film can be used as an educational tool to show how political propaganda helps develop the culture of its society.

Not my favorite film, but still visually stimulating.

The Thief of Bagdad (1924) **1/2

No, this film isn’t about W. or Dick.

Douglas Fairbanks stars in this 1924 silent classic, where people take magic carpet rides without the aid of hallucinogens. Fairbanks plays a handsome, happy-go-lucky thief, who through sheer acrobatic ability lands himself in the caliph’s palace. He falls in love with the soon-to-be-wed princess and goes on a quest for a magic chest that will win him his love and save Bagdad from the evil Mongols.

The special effects are pretty advanced.  Favorites of mine include the winged horse, the magic carpet, and the fire-breathing dragon. If you rent the DVD it has a bonus section about the special effects. Fairbanks’ athleticism (and chest) is on full display from beginning to end. The caliph, played by Brandon Hurst, is a riot.

Overall, for its time, the film is a visual marvel. The story is captivating and has good pacing. A delightful film to watch.