My second Chaney film! Despite it's huge reputation as one of "the" silent films, I think I preferred LAUGH, CLOWN, LAUGH to this. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. It's a very good film, and Chaney is again amazing as tortured circus performer Alonzo, who is hopelessly in love with young Nanon (Joan Crawford), who doesn't like to be touched by men. Alonzo, of course, is the armless performer who actually has arms, and after killing Nanon's father (she sees his deformed hand), he decides to have them removed so he can be with her. Things are not so simple. Crawford has suddenly gotten over her fear of being touched, and has fallen in love with the (boring) hero, Norman Kerry.
The film is coated with irony and it is remarkably perverse. I'm undecided about Browning as a director- he contributes some excellent moments, and some very dull, flatly directed scenes. His best asset is his star, Chaney. Crawford is less likable than Loretta Young in LAUGH, CLOWN, LAUGH- in fact, I found her rather unattractive and forgettable when compared to Young's sweet charm. I saw this over youtube (it's the TCM version) and it must be missing a few scenes, because the official running length has it at 65 minutes, and the version I watched ran under an hour.
The film is coated with irony and it is remarkably perverse. I'm undecided about Browning as a director- he contributes some excellent moments, and some very dull, flatly directed scenes. His best asset is his star, Chaney. Crawford is less likable than Loretta Young in LAUGH, CLOWN, LAUGH- in fact, I found her rather unattractive and forgettable when compared to Young's sweet charm. I saw this over youtube (it's the TCM version) and it must be missing a few scenes, because the official running length has it at 65 minutes, and the version I watched ran under an hour.