Review of Min and Bill (1930) by James H — 23 Jun 2009

A friend once told me the celebrity I most resembled was Marie Dressler. I took it, ruefully, as a compliment. Dressler's acting style was heavily influenced by the traditions of vaudeville and silent film melodrama and may seem quaint 80 years later, but I defy anyone to say she didn't earn her Oscar with the last close-up of this film, in which she wordlessly communicates a complex sequence of emotions that form a kind of epilogue to the movie.

Also interesting to me: The relationship between Min and Bill, which seems both romantic and innocent, as if they were childhood sweethearts who grew old without ever developing their romance. I love the knock-down drag-out they have towards the middle of the film. I'd like to learn more about Marjorie Rambeau, too.