Review of The Crowd (1928) by Alex M — 15 Jan 2004

[size=3]One of the least dated and best of all silent films, King Vidor's [i]The Crowd [/i]is like an earlier version of [i]It's a Wonderful Life[/i], and like that classic, it is just as thematically relevant today as it was when it was released. The subject of Vidor's film is dashed expectations, compromises, disappointments and the general mediocrity of modern urban life (and yes, despite being made in 1928, the film still feels modern in most respects). James Murray gives a wonderful performance as Johnny Sims, a man born on July 4th, 1900 who feels that he must succeed in life (if only to live up to his fortuitous birthday). Yet, like the James Stewart character in [i]It's a Wonderful Life[/i], Johnny's dreams are crushed by the unexpected death of his father. Johnny moves to New York City in hopes of "becoming somebody", but he finds himself helplessly lost in the overwheling urban sprawl that is New York (in many ways, [i]The Crowd [/i]set the stage for some of the urban works of Scorsese and Woody Allen). Vidor, who unfortunately went on to a rather conventional career in Hollywood, masterfully conveys the tension of the urban lifestyle with a stylistic mixture of tracking shots and expressionism. Eleanor Boardman is also wonderful as Johnny's wife Mary...her attempt to tell Johnny she is pregnant is one of the best acting scenes I have seen in a silent film. What makes [i]The Crowd [/i]so excellent a movie is that it does not attempt to mythologize its hero or make him a sympathetic symbol of suppressed talent. In many ways, we wonder whether Johnny is particularly talented at all, or whether his ambition is his only distinguishable characteristic. It is this ambiguity that elevates [i]The Crowd [/i]and makes it a powerful examination of the dark side of the American dream. The ending, while on the surface "happy", shocks us with its banality. A classic of the silent era, or of any era, [i]The Crowd [/i]should not be lost or forgotten.[/size].

[size=3](BASIC) [/size].