The phrase 'A Real Roller-coaster Of A Movie' has become a cliché of late, but it more than adequately describes this silent masterpiece.
The opening 15 minutes themselves zing along with a tempo and fury seldom seen outside of Scorsese's 'Goodfellas', and the film manages to maintain this pace for most of it's running time. Whilst director King Vidor at least got an Oscar nomination, it's editor Hugh Wynn who is the unsung star of this picture. His montage shots of the bustle of an overcrowded New York at times recall the more modern Koyaanisqatsi/Powaqqatsi movies.
Unlike many other silent movies, the acting here is restrained(in contrast to the pace of the film). There's no flailing arms, wide-eyed stares and melodramatic posturing that often spoils silent works. Both James Murray and Eleanor Boardman put in excellent performances which accentuate both the joy and tragedy that befalls the couple.
I find the scenes where the couples happy marriage first appears to falling apart extremely similar to Carl Dreyer's 'Master Of The House'(1925), yet where Dreyer's film moves as if it were wading through molasses, Vidor's film still moves at an exhillarating pace.
All in all then, a very modern looking silent movie, and a richly rewarding experience.
The opening 15 minutes themselves zing along with a tempo and fury seldom seen outside of Scorsese's 'Goodfellas', and the film manages to maintain this pace for most of it's running time. Whilst director King Vidor at least got an Oscar nomination, it's editor Hugh Wynn who is the unsung star of this picture. His montage shots of the bustle of an overcrowded New York at times recall the more modern Koyaanisqatsi/Powaqqatsi movies.
Unlike many other silent movies, the acting here is restrained(in contrast to the pace of the film). There's no flailing arms, wide-eyed stares and melodramatic posturing that often spoils silent works. Both James Murray and Eleanor Boardman put in excellent performances which accentuate both the joy and tragedy that befalls the couple.
I find the scenes where the couples happy marriage first appears to falling apart extremely similar to Carl Dreyer's 'Master Of The House'(1925), yet where Dreyer's film moves as if it were wading through molasses, Vidor's film still moves at an exhillarating pace.
All in all then, a very modern looking silent movie, and a richly rewarding experience.