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The Mark of Zorro (1920) Directed by Fred Niblo

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 2:53 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 19 February 2008)

This is the very first Zorro adventure movie and in that regard this movie is already an interesting one and also a must-see for the Zorro fans as well as for the fans of the swashbuckler genre and Douglas Fairbanks.

The movie is really fast paced, so the movie really flies by and its over before you know it. This means that the movie also really never bores and basically offers plenty of fun entertainment from start till finish.

I however didn't really found the story to be very interesting. It was not that the story was bad or anything but I thought it was all pretty standard material, also in the way it was approached and told in the movie. Oh well, perhaps I've just seen 1 or 2 too many of these sort of movies already. It's the usual standard sort of Zorro story you would expect, if you've already seen some of the other Zorro movies/TV-series or read any of the books/comics. It's about Zorro fighting the Spanish oppressors in California of the 19th century and of course Zorro also finds the time to fall in love with a girl.

It's funny to notice that basically every made Zorro production has the same light kind of atmosphere and humor in it. So this movie included does a good job at capturing the mood of what Zorro is all about.

For 1920 standards this movie is also quite action filled. It was all some quite spectacular action for its time and the movie features lots of sword-fights, horseback riding, jumping and Douglas Fairbanks once more showing off his athletic skills.

It was kind of weird thought watching Douglas Fairbanks halve of the time walking around without a mustache. He looked so much different without it. But he of course was great in his role and shows once more why he is regarded as the father of the swashbuckling genre. I also liked Robert McKim in his villainous roles in this movie.

The movie has some nice production values and it features some good looking locations and sets. They obviously had some money to spend for this movie and they spend it well on props and other details.

Fun entertaining movie, that also is less outdated then you would expect it is, considering its year of production.

8/10

Way Down East (1920) Directed by D.W. Griffith

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 1:29 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , ,




(Review originally written at 1 March 2007)

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When the young country girl Anna Moore, played by early big movie star Lillian Gish, for the first time goes to the big 'moder'n town, things go from bad to worse for her. She gets tricked into a fake marriage, gets pregnant, her fake husband leaves her, the baby dies, in other words, this is a melodramatic movie alright.

Lillian Gish definitely shines in this movie. I'm not her biggest fan, guess I'm more of a Mae Marsh person but I have to admit that she was totally great in this movie. The movie is filled with many more great and strong written and played characters, with also especially some great roles from Richard Barthelmess and Creighton Hale.

It was surprising to see how actually humor filled this movie was, despite its melodramatic undertone and story. D.W. Griffith also had comical moments in it but this movie is almost a comedy at times. Especially the middle is mostly filled purely with humor. Quite in contrast with the melodramatic beginning and spectacular ending. It certainly goes at the expense of the drama at times.

It's a well written movie, in which always something is happening. Especially the drama gets well developed and always keep things close to home, with real sensible emotions and feelings. It keeps both the characters and emotions always real, even when they're being over-the-top. It's also one of the many reasons why the ending works out so well.

Definitely true that the last 20 minutes, or so, are the reason why this is an absolute classic and memorable movie. The breaking ice sequence, with a drifting Lillian Gish heading towards a waterfall is probably better known than the actual movie itself.

The movie is great looking visually, with its sets and costumes but also with its camera-work and environments. The movie has some good looking establishment-shots, set in the beautiful nature.

Not among D.W. Griffith's best works but in 1920 perspective this is an absolutely brilliant- and also really enjoyable movie, nevertheless.

8/10

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) Directed by John S. Robertson

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 8:22 AM / comment : 0 , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 13 September 2006)

This is one of the earliest (but not the earliest) movie version of the famous story of Jekyll & Hyde, based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, the man who also wrote the novel Treasure Island, among other works. It's one of the best movie versions but at the same time also probably the least known. Movies from the '20's don't really reach a wide audience. People probably only know the '31 and '41 versions of this movie. A shame, since lots of '20's deserve some more recognition from a wider audience. They're artistic, style-full and overall also well written and impressive. The images themselves had to be speaking for itself and had to be impressive of course since the images basically were the only tool to tell the story and all its emotions with. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is one of those '20's movies that deserves more credit and fame than its currently getting.

The movie is very well made and the story is extremely solid written and features some interesting elements. The way Dr. Jekyll is torn between his evil and good side is brought effectively to the screen. The movie is basically about the battle between good and evil, only this time set into the mind of one man. It is mainly due to the solid written story that this premise works out so well and effective.

Of course also the acting helps a lot to tell the story with. Conform '20's style, every actor goes over-the-top in his performance, with exaggerated movements and facial expressions. Especially Cecil Clovelly goes way too over-the-top in his role. Also of course John Barrymore does this, especially when he is turned into Mr. Hyde. But nevertheless every actor feels well cast and plays his or her role with lots of profession. The still very young looking John Barrymore is good in his role as both Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde and he plays both roles convincing, despite going a bit too much over-the-top at moments.

The movie only features a bit too many unnecessary characters that don't add enough, or anything at all to the story. On top of that there also are some needless sequences, which don't seem to serve a purpose. Such as the Italian historical sequences, told by Gina. Yes, it serves a purpose later for the story but it could had easily been done in a more simple and shorter way, to make the movie flow better.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about this movie is its look. The sets look impressively detailed, although the entire movie is obviously filmed on a stage. Also the costumes and make-up are good, as are the impressive looking early special effects, which also adds to the horror of this movie.

Yes, as an horror movie this movie also works well. It's atmosphere feels dark and the Mr. Hyde character makes sure that the movie always remains unpredictable as well as both tense and scary.

The ending is very well written and also works very effective. It's well thought out and handled and provides the movie with an impressive and memorable ending, which might also come quite unexpected, since it's not an happy one.

A must-see for the fans of the story and horror fans in general.

8/10
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