Directed: Lewis Milestone

Year: 1928

Nominated: Best Film

Plot in 25 Words: Two bootlegging gangs fight for control of the streets. Family ties, an honest policeman, and one very young reporter try to keep the criminals honest

In My Opinion: Very enjoyable film. From the start it was a very simple classic plot – two gangs vying for control – but instead of dancing/singing it out they went for the good old-fashioned route of crime-ing it out. My only trouble with this is my own complete lack of knowledge. I have no real awareness of the rules regarding prohibition, so it took me a few minutes to work out what they were smuggling and why it was wrong!

The Racket has a very simple story, and despite this it still required the use of more script cards then I’ve seen so far in any of the silent films I’ve watched.

I’m really enjoying the basic special effects in use in some of these early films. The x-ray shot showing us what the two gangs were hiding under their hats at a funeral was almost flawless. It looked simple but for the time it must have been difficult, and it came off.

The trouble I’m having with the silent films is judging an actor’s tone. If they’re not particularly expressive with their face and movements, it can leave their actions a tad ambiguous. I was confused for the first half hour of this film, as I couldn’t tell if Thomas Meighan as Captain McQuigg was a dirty cop or not. His blank face during a lot of conversations baffled me.

An actor not having that problem was Louis Wolheim, playing the head of the Scarsi family. A squashy faced man with tremendous character. He looked evil. But in a nice way if that makes sense? Like a Disney villain. He was brilliant. Serious and cartoony at the same time.

Star Performer: Louis Wolheim. Whether he was trying to protect his younger brother from the criminal lifestyle or trying to bring down his nemesis, Captain McQuigg, he did it all with an evil smirk on his face. He was the epitome of a criminal gang leader. Pretty impressive for a silent movie.

Overall: Not a bad film at all. Some of the chase/fight sequences had the potential to appear Benny Hill-esque had the background music been different. That’s actually a point I haven’t made yet on any film but have definitely thought. The soundtracks have been awesomely written and timed. This film is no different.