Review of The Penalty (1920) by Nicola J — 04 Jul 2007

Oh yes, The Penalty was worth waiting for. It's an underappreciated Lon Chaney melodrama, and what a melodrama it is! Some of the plot elements, from the IMDB keywords page:

Psychological Abuse, Sewing Machine, Fireplace, Trapdoor, Riot, Telephone Operator, Gangster, Revenge, Underworld, Amputee, Traffic Accident, Thief, Surgeon, Show Girl, Secret Passage, Sculpture, Satan, San Francisco California, Murder, Marriage Proposal, Leg, Knifing, Hat, Hairpin, Gunfire, Gang, Father Daughter Relationship, Explosion, Drunkenness, Drug, Disabled Person, Brain Surgery, Barbary Coast.

What more do you need to know? Well, for starters, it's fascinating when viewed through a crip-lit lens. Chaney's a revenge-addled double-amputee crime boss named Blizzard, and his disability is handled with all the sensitivity that 1920 melodrama could muster. "We should chloroform that old cripple and be done with him", says San Francisco's police chief at one point. Definitely worth seeing! It's slow enough paced that you can watch it at double speed and not miss any interstitials if you want.