Before I Die #601: The Unknown (1927)

This is the 601st movie I've seen out of the 1,187 films on the "Before You Die" list that I'm gradually working my way through.

Director: Tom Browning

Boy, for a film produced in 1927, this was one sick, twisted look at a diseased mind. It was also surprisingly compelling.

The movie centers around Alonzo (Lon Chaney) - a circus freak without arms whose act consists of his using his feet to throw knives and shoot a gun at a female assistant, Nanon (Joan Crawford). Alonzo has a deep love for Nanon, but a competitor for her affections is the macho strongman of the circus, Malabar. As much as Alonzo would love to take Nanon as his own, he is keeping two deep secrets: one is that he does, in fact, have both of his arms, which he keeps tightly strapped to himself when in public. The other is that he is a serial murderer and thief who uses his circus character as cover from the police. Alonzo does, eventually, have one arm surgically removed, in order to both cover up some evidence of a past crime and to become closer to Nanon, who has a severe dislike of "grabby" men and their invasive hands. After convalescing from this procedure and returning to Nanon, however, Alonzo discovers that she has fallen for Malabar and plans to marry him. Alonzo, in a quiet rage, attempts to sabotage one of Malabar's dangerous performances of strength. His assassination attempt is foiled, though, when Nanon jumps in to assist Malabar, forcing Alonzo to sacrifice himself to save her.

When I look back at the list of great movies of the silent era, which was about to hear its death knell when The Jazz Singer would be released later that year, The Unknown stands out as a bold and shocking gut-punch to mainstream sensibilities. While other popular films such as Metropolis, The Phantom of the Opera, and Sunrise had taken on some dark subject matter, they were done with a certain high-minded artistry or at least couched within more familiar and comforting settings. The Unknown, however, takes as its focus a truly dark and warped character, placed within the odd and inherently creepy setting of a traveling circus, and has him thinking black thoughts and committing dark deeds throughout the story's length. Five years after The Unknown, director Tom Browning would direct Freaks, which is very similar in tone and setting, and would eventually become his most famous (infamous to some) movie. This earlier work can be seen as the prototype for a certain brand of horror movies and even TV shows  that would come many decades later (it put me in mind of a few Tales from the Crypt episodes from the 1990s). For this, it has to be recognized as trailblazing.

The tale is, typically of the silent era, rather thin in terms of character depth or sophistication. Yes, there is some sinister mystery and morbid curiosity generated by Alonzo's dual nature as a deceitful murderer while also showing a fierce desire for Nanon. But it's not as if his love is anything more than a greedy desire to possess her, just as he wishes to possess the goods of those whom he robs and kills. The other primary characters - Nanon and Malabar - do actually show a dash of development, but it is of a rather sentimental variety.

Crawford as the assistant, Nanon, and Chaney as the sinister
Alonzo. Chaney, usually covered in makeup for his starring
roles, knew how to put on a wicked gaze.

A major saving grace of this movie, and what makes it still watchable today, is the performance of Lon Chaney. This was only the second Chaney picture I've ever seen (the first being The Phantom of the Opera), but he was mesmerizing. Chaney was known for being a makeup guy, but he actually had a face that was full of character on its own, made of of striking angles, strong bone structures, and dark, deep-set eyes. It was a face made for evil leering, and leer he does in this movie. It reminds me of how there aren't enough "star" actors today who have faces with actual character, but instead the handful of true leading men are handsome in fairly generic, universally appealing ways. It's been far too long since we've had a Lon Chaney or a Humphrey Bogart become a leading actor who can carry entire movies.

It bears mentioning that one other little detail may urge potential viewers to give this movie a shot: it's running time of a mere 50 minutes. There is really no dilly-dallying here. From the jump, things get moving and stay moving. This is probably how such movies should go. When a story is predicated on fairly simplistic characters, despite being in odd setting and in the midst of shockingly horrible deeds, the strange novelty can wear off quickly (I'm thinking of Rob Zombie's wacko horror movies like House of a 1,000 Corpses and the like).

Certainly ahead of its time, The Unknown still has an eerie, fringe and cult quality to it that fans of schlock horror are likely to still enjoy. It won't be for everyone, to be sure, but film historians and devotees of the genre are sure to find some value in this 90-year old rarity.

That's 601 movies down, only 586 films to go before I can die. 

Before I Die #591: The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

This is the 591st movie I've now seen out of the 1,187 films on the "Before You Die" list that I'm gradually working through.

Directors: Rupert Julian and Lon Chaney, Sr.

One of the better silent movies I've seen, with a few elements that still hold up fairly well.

The movie is, of course, based on the Gaston Laroux novel of the same name, published in 1910. It follows the same basic plot: at the Paris Opera House exist strange rumors of a "phantom" that lurks about the shadows of the venue. One night, the Phantom makes himself known by threatening the current prima donna Carlotta to step down and allow the younger, talented understudy Christine Daae take the lead role. While Carlotta does this initially, for fear of her life, she refuses the second time that the mysterious Phantom makes the same demand. This refusal sends the Phantom into a frenzy, whereupon he crashes the massive chandelier into the audience during a performance. He follows this by kidnapping Christine and secreting her away to his lair - a massive, trap-laden, labyrinthine system of catacombs beneath the Opera House and other parts of Paris. The Phantom explains only to Christine that his name is Erik and that he is madly in love with her. He also shows himself to be a brilliant organist, although he is clearly unhinged. Erik does allow Christine to go free, upon the promise that she will abandon any romantic relationships and become his sole pupil. When Christine eventually tries to escape from this maniacal bond, the Phantom kidnaps her again. Her would-be suitor Raoul and Ledoux, a member of the Paris secret police, pursue the two into the catacombs, where they find themselves trying to evade the Phantom's many lethal traps. Hot on their heels is a mob of Parisians who have discovered Erik's existence and are storming the catacombs for him, as well. Raoul and Ledoux do manage to escape with their lives and Christine, barely. Erik flees his lair, only to be caught by the mob, pummelled to death, and thrown into the river.

It's a wild tale that covers a lot of ground in the film's brisk 91 minutes, and it was one of the very first horror/adventure movies. Seeing it today, in 2016, it's easy to see why it is considered to have kicked off the entire genre - a genre which gave birth to the later hit monster movies like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, and so many others. Phantom of the Opera creates a wonderful and frightening fantasy world for viewers to get completely lost in. While the first scenes in the Paris Opera House are nothing special, they do build the mystery around the Phantom well enough. But once Christine is first abducted and we get into Erik's underground lair, we are drawn into a world that has its own spooky allure. It is a combination of mazes, canals, and lavish rooms and decorations which has an effect similar to some of the more adventurous sets and moments in later movies like those mentioned above.

The reveal of the face underneath the Phantom's mask. This
still may look a bit comical, but the scene itself has a
surprisingly powerful effect. Modern films could probably
learn something from this about how horror does not require
hyper-complex special effects. 

Is the movie still scary in any way? For the most part, no. However, the scene during which Erik's mask is pulled off and reveals his horrid face is still incredibly unnerving. The makeup work done to transform Cheney's face into such a hideous visage, paired with the framing and shooting of that scene are still incredibly affecting. I'll also say that the movie wasn't afriad to portray Erik as a completely homicidal maniac, with him outright murdering various people in rather brutal ways. It keeps the stakes high enough, even if the characters are nearly all one-dimensional. This is probably one of several steps that led to the enacting of the Hayes code several years later, but it's still fun to see the filmmakers go for it, even so long ago.

As for the characters, there's not much there. The shame of it is that the title character was ripe for some true depth and analysis, being a psychotic who clearly had a passion for and ability with music. The movie touches on Erik's background briefly, but they never get into what could have been a more interesting study of the sharp dichotomy of his character. This is probably far too much to ask from a movie made in 1925, but I can't help it as a modern viewer who's been treated to plenty of great horror movies that delve into the psyches of rich, if terrifying, characters.

Of the 40-odd silent movies I've now seen from the "Before You Die" lists, this is actually one of the few that I would consider watching again. Thanks to its fantasy and horror elements, transporting affect, and overall narrative leanness, it could be fun to see it again.

That's 591 movies down. Only 596 to go before I can die.