The Oscar Project

The Crowd (1928)

A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Film. Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

This was actually the first film I watched from this year’s Oscars, and I guess was in some ways the film that started me off on this whole thing. It was probably a good thing all in all too – The Crowd is largely regarded as one of the triumphs of silent cinema and, watching it back now, it really still stacks up.

The film wastes no time introducing us to John Sims, who we watch grow from infant to boy to man. As a boy, his father praises him without restraint, telling him that he’ll be something in life, whilst John preens under the praise and yet shows little skill at anything in particular. John’s father dies abruptly when John’s a boy, and the film flashes forwards to John as a young man moving to the city, equally idealistic and full of self-importance. He meets and marries Mary in the space of a few days, and together they have two children whilst John works at a menial job without promotion or recognition.

The film’s focus lies in John, but also in Mary, covering milestones across their lives together and the unravelling of his character from ambitious, big-dreamed and egocentric to ultimately another lost soul in a big city. It’s interesting because for a film pushing 85, it’s thematically still totally relevant. John’s desire to separate himself from the masses and his expectation that this would come to him without ever having to work for it is hugely reflective of society in any age. It embodies the average developed-world man who grows up being told he’s special only to realise, ultimately, that he’s not. Of course it’s not just that. The film is a study in loss and grief, of the turbulence of a marriage built on unsteady foundations; it’s about shifting self-image and changing self-worth, and in all of these ways thematically it succeeds.

It’s melodramatic, sure, but it’s got a lot going for it that kind of lets you forgive that. The cinematography for one is gorgeous and photographic; the performances all wonderful, and the score (created in 1981 by composer, Carl Davis) does wonderful things at capturing the shifting moods of the film. This one is definitely worth the watch.

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Director: King Vidor

Writers: King Vidor & John V.A. Weaver

Cast: Eleanor Boardman, James Murray & Bert Roach

Nominations: Best Director, Dramatic Picture & Best Picture, Unique & Artistic Production.

A Ship Comes In (1928)

A DeMille Pictures Corporation Film, Distributed by Pathé Exchange.

A Ship Comes In (1928) is a heartfelt film about a Hungarian, immigrant family rehoming themselves in America. The film has a heavy hand in themes of patriotism, longing, grief and reinvention, and explores all of these discourses against the backdrop of New York during the First World War.

The story begins with a ship harbouring in New York, ushering in the immigrants as ‘hopeful strangers’. We meet Peter Pleznik (Rudolph Schildkraut), his wife, referred to only as ‘Mama’ (Louise Dresser) and their three children, Eric (Milton Holmes), Marthe (Linda Landi) and Katinka (Virginia Davis & Evelyn Mills). They move into an apartment and Peter gets a job as a janitor in a federal building. After five years, Peter is sworn in as an American citizen, something he has immensely desired, only to be framed for an act of terrorism intended for a Judge with whom Peter has formed a friendship. On the same day, the Pleznik’s eldest son enlists in the army for the First World War.

The film itself is actually kind of tedious, with lengthy scenes, unsympathetic characters and a plot that doesn’t so much thicken as ramble. Having said that, performances across the board are pretty solid. Rudolph Schildkraut gives a strong performance as the wistful and proud Peter and Louise Dresser also gives an emotional performance as Mrs. Pleznik, a woman defined by the traditional life roles of motherhood and wifedom. (Dresser actually has some of the most expressive eyes I’ve seen in cinema).

Though thematically, the film is still incredibly relevant, the narrative itself hasn’t really aged well and whilst the scope of themes such as terrorism, patriotism and a sense of home are explored admirably, the film itself is a bit of a drag.

Rating: 5/10

Director: William K. Howard

Writers: Sonya Levien & Julien Josephson

Cast: Rudolph Schildkraut, Louise Dresser & Milton Holmes

Nominations: Best Actress in a Leading Role – Louise Dresser