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| Phantom (1922); "Lost" Murnau film | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 30 2008, 10:08 AM (250 Views) | |
| igsjr | Jun 30 2008, 10:08 AM Post #1 |
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Nostalgia blogger
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I caught this on TCM last night (late last night, I hasten to add--I really shouldn't do things like that) and found it fairly enjoyable. A lowly government clerk (Alfred Abel) has a chance encounter with a beautiful blonde (Lya De Putti) that results in a subsequent obsession with the woman...and as the movie progresses, financial ruination and his eventual downfall. Phantom's major flaw is that its pacing is a bit too rapid: terrible things happen to Abel at such top speed that it's difficult to take his plight too seriously. I also have difficulty with the subplot that has him falling hard for another woman who's a lookalike for his obsession (and is played by the same actress); I assume that it's supposed to convey a sense of his madness but it seems more like idiocy instead (he knows it's not the same woman, so why is he wasting time pursuing her?). That aside, this movie is definitely worth a look-see. It has a wonderful dream-like quality to it, and there are some nifty optical effects (my favorite is when Abel walks down a street in his town and the buildings appear to be "caving in" on him). |
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"Life is in color--but black-and-white is more realistic..." -- Samuel Fuller, director So many DVDs...so little time... | |
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| riddlerider | Jun 30 2008, 10:31 AM Post #2 |
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Balcony Gang, Foist Class
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Hey, I saw this movie! Only it was called VERTIGO, not PHANTOM.... |
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11:08 AM Jul 11