The Crowd (1928)
Summary: John Sims grew up knowing that he was meant for big things. And so he sets out for New York City in the hopes of achieving those things. But can he break free of the crowd and show his true colors?
Stars: James Murray, Eleanor Boardman, Bert Roach, Estelle Clark, Daniel G. Tomlinson, Dell Henderson, Lucy Beaumont, Freddie Burke Frederick, Alice Mildred Puter
Directed by: King Vidor
Viewed Via: TCM/DVR
Current Commercial Availability: Unavailable
1) The direction and cinematography is beyond compare. Even with the (sadly) bad state in which The Crowd has survived, you can't deny the beauty of the film's composition. The moment where young John ascends the stairs to learn of his father's death is breathtaking.
2) Murray is, for the most part, wonderful. He's fabulous with the light and arrogant parts. He's also fine towards the end with the character's obvious depression and sadness. But the melodrama...he's overplayed. The daughter's death, in general, played as a cheap shot at sympathy and his acting there was kind of over the top. I can't say that a more "experienced" actor would have played it better. I can just say I wasn't impressed with him there.
I was also, at times, torn about what we were supposed to feel for the character. Some of his issues were directly stemming from his inability/unwillingness to go out and grab certain opportunities. If I blame (and not pity) myself for missing out on opportunities, why should I feel sorry for him for doing the same things?
3) Boardman is wonderful. She too falls down a bit in the melodrama part but, in general, her acting is wonderfully nuanced and engaging.
4) And the two of them feel like a real couple. With their first night together as newlyweds, you feel all of those nervous and ready emotions. Likewise, their snippy, long time married couple act feels just as real. You feel it painfully so at times.
5) Although I know that the ending is a compromise, I like it. We all know so many people who enter back into relationships that aren't going anywhere because of a myriad of reasons. That she would turn back to him in the end feels right. It doesn't mean that they'll stay together forever. It doesn't mean that everything will be fine. In fact, when they dissolve into the vaudeville watching crowd, it portends that things won't really change. They haven't risen above their problems. They're still knee deep in them.
6) Secondary parts are truly secondary in comparison to the work of Murray and Boardman. No one failed but no one stood out.
While the layered on melodrama towards the middle attempts to derail it, The Crowd rises above to show the darker side of the American dream. It is, perhaps, as true today as it was when it came out.
Stars: James Murray, Eleanor Boardman, Bert Roach, Estelle Clark, Daniel G. Tomlinson, Dell Henderson, Lucy Beaumont, Freddie Burke Frederick, Alice Mildred Puter
Directed by: King Vidor
Viewed Via: TCM/DVR
Current Commercial Availability: Unavailable
1) The direction and cinematography is beyond compare. Even with the (sadly) bad state in which The Crowd has survived, you can't deny the beauty of the film's composition. The moment where young John ascends the stairs to learn of his father's death is breathtaking.
2) Murray is, for the most part, wonderful. He's fabulous with the light and arrogant parts. He's also fine towards the end with the character's obvious depression and sadness. But the melodrama...he's overplayed. The daughter's death, in general, played as a cheap shot at sympathy and his acting there was kind of over the top. I can't say that a more "experienced" actor would have played it better. I can just say I wasn't impressed with him there.
I was also, at times, torn about what we were supposed to feel for the character. Some of his issues were directly stemming from his inability/unwillingness to go out and grab certain opportunities. If I blame (and not pity) myself for missing out on opportunities, why should I feel sorry for him for doing the same things?
3) Boardman is wonderful. She too falls down a bit in the melodrama part but, in general, her acting is wonderfully nuanced and engaging.
4) And the two of them feel like a real couple. With their first night together as newlyweds, you feel all of those nervous and ready emotions. Likewise, their snippy, long time married couple act feels just as real. You feel it painfully so at times.
5) Although I know that the ending is a compromise, I like it. We all know so many people who enter back into relationships that aren't going anywhere because of a myriad of reasons. That she would turn back to him in the end feels right. It doesn't mean that they'll stay together forever. It doesn't mean that everything will be fine. In fact, when they dissolve into the vaudeville watching crowd, it portends that things won't really change. They haven't risen above their problems. They're still knee deep in them.
6) Secondary parts are truly secondary in comparison to the work of Murray and Boardman. No one failed but no one stood out.
While the layered on melodrama towards the middle attempts to derail it, The Crowd rises above to show the darker side of the American dream. It is, perhaps, as true today as it was when it came out.