Though there are a few scenes with spoken dialogue, this is still very much a silent film. And like most silent films this is an extremely simple story. It's a story of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back and it's all over in a brisk 69 minutes. None of this is a meant as a negative. In fact, it's a great asset because what makes this film really special is director Paul Fejos' hyperbolic style with all its rapid cutting, color tinting, swinging cameras and superimpositions. Had this film been any more narratively complex, the style would simply have been all too much to take. Thankfully instead, this wild style works as a joyous and palpable expression of the simple and pure love story at the heart of this wonderful film. God bless the wonderful people at Criterion and George Eastman House for saving this film and bringing it to my and everyone else's attention.
No comments:
Post a Comment