Directed: King Vidor

Year: 1928

Nominated: Best Director – King Vidor

Plot in 25 Words: A boy is brought up believing he is destined to be ‘somebody’. Finding out he isn’t is quite a shock. Death, suicide and tears galore.

In My Opinion: Maybe I’m just getting a bit silent movie’d out. The wonder isn’t hitting me like it did in the first few films, and this one in particular was a real struggle for me.

A boy is brought up being constantly told he will become somebody important, and as a result he becomes somebody who is an utter jerk. Using crap tricks to get attention and cruelly bullying a man in a lesser occupation. Deriding him, to make himself seem the better man in front of a woman.

He is the main character, and I really had a problem finding any sympathy for him. He marries and treats his wife like garbage. Shouting, criticizing and bullying her constantly. One one occasion leaving the house during a meal with her family and not returning, choosing instead to party with his friend, some liquor and a couple of prostitutes (I’ve typed that word more this month, than I ever have before).

Only the news his wife is pregnant causes him to change his ways. Unfortunately his daughter is killed in a tragic accident (caused by some parental neglect). Even then I had no sympathy for him.

His depression causes him to fail to hold down a job and eventually he takes himself off to kill himself. (Un) fortunately his young son follows him and convinces him to keep on keeping on.

It works. Motivated, he takes on the job he so cruelly belittled at the start of the film and hurries home to tell his wife. On the cusp of leaving for good, she agrees to stay and give him one more chance.

And thankfully it’s over.

Star Performer: Bert Roach as Bert. He played the dolt quite well and was much less annoying than the star of the film, James Murray as John.

Overall: Clowns are better people than accountants. I like my films bleak but this was just dire. I’m over my love affair with silent movies and more than ready for some talking to help flesh out the plot a bit..