Nominated for Best Picture at the first Academy Awards in 1929, "The Crowd" is an unflinching look at the dehumanization of the industrial world. But unlike the factory workers of "Metropolis", the workers in "The Crowd" are white-collar. Theirs is a monotonous existence working at long rows of little desks that make today's cube-land offices look palatial. And this is made in 1928, at the height of the Jazz Age! King Vidor, the director, and his screenwriter seem downright prescient about the coming Depression, which arrived only a year after the movie's release.
The plot centers on a young family and their trials, tribulations, hopes, and disappointments, all told in a manner that would resonate with today's audiences. The major barrier to finding that audience today is that the film is a silent. Sadly, this is usually the kiss of death, and that's a shame. This is an excellent movie.
The plot centers on a young family and their trials, tribulations, hopes, and disappointments, all told in a manner that would resonate with today's audiences. The major barrier to finding that audience today is that the film is a silent. Sadly, this is usually the kiss of death, and that's a shame. This is an excellent movie.