Review of The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) by Giffy G — 05 Aug 2007

This movie didn't fail in its title, as far as I'm concerned. I saw this movie having no expectations, and I loved every minute of it. I liked the quixotic blend of 50s style documentary with romantic melodrama.

I loved the acting. I loved the perfomrances. I was emotionally swept up in this movie: I cared what happened to these characters. There were some outdated moments, such as the priest blessing the circus train, but they did not interfere with the movie.

Most importantly, unlike many other long movies I have seen in the recent past, it did not feel padded. It was well timed, and I never lost interest. An hour and forty five minutes in, I didn't know how they could keep going, but they did, and I was not disappointed.