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Post by Mike Sullivan on Dec 8, 2005 3:15:06 GMT
Adapted from the American novel, "McTeaugue", this film, directed by Erich von Stroheim, has come to be regarded as a high point in the early days of Hollywood cinema. It's truncation by Irving Thalberg and Louis B. Mayer to give it a more conventional running time is perhaps one of the greatest crimes ever committed by executives yet somehow, though all of the cutting, Greed still became regarded by critics and film scholars as a masterpiece. The recent reconstruction by Kevin Brownlow however has restored the film to all it's epic greatness and it is that version which I regard as the true masterpiece. Indeed, it brings more scope to the story of two lovers and their close friend who all degenerate over time due to the evils caused by one of our most basic human instincts: Greed. It's not a truly in-depth review but at least it serves as a stepping stone and a spark of conversation for this film.
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jrod
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Post by jrod on Jan 3, 2006 17:40:01 GMT
I found this film in my schools library (rather impressive) and rented it. I really enjoyed it, but would like to see the shorter version actually. I think it would have been helpful to see the shorter story, then had the supplements (yeah, I know that they were actually the original pieces) added on later. It is remarkable how well they were able to restore those parts of the film to me however. Very unfortunate that all those pieces are lost.
I am some one whos viewing pleasure is enhanced when I know a little bit more about the movies history. Films like Greed and Citizen Kane were both so surrounded in controversy, and that really just peaks an interest in me, and makes watching the films even more entertaining.
But like I said, I think it would have helped me to see the "short and sweet" version first. The 4 hour gives information on McTeauge's neighbors and people of the sort, and upon my only viewing, I was much more interested in the main story involving McTeauge and his wife.
My favorite part of the movie is the ending, which is just plain haunting.
Whens the damn dvd coming out?
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Capo
Administrator
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Post by Capo on Jan 3, 2006 20:45:03 GMT
I've only seen the just-under-two-hours version, and thought it was fantastic.
My memory of it, however, is patchy. The only three sequences which I remember with any kind of real visual sense is the bedroom beating (shadows on the wall), the wrestling throw from the railway bridge (crude, dated and strangely frightening) and the final shots, which to me made the film.
I can imagine that the restored, longer version is agony to sit through, though. It is indeed impressive that a school would have a film library to start off with, let alone one containing the four-hour version of this film. I envy you in the nicest way possible.
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jrod
Ghost writer
Posts: 970
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Post by jrod on Jan 3, 2006 21:20:13 GMT
Its a really good one. When I was going through the AFI 100 I think they had 70 of the movies, including VHS versions of the African Queen, Frankenstein, and King Kong which were not DVDs at the time. All I had to buy on VHS was the Jazz Singer. They also have lots of Hitchcocks (Rope, Rebecca) and DW Griffiths (Birth of a Nation, Intolerance) that I was glad to see
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Capo
Administrator
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Post by Capo on Jan 3, 2006 21:59:19 GMT
Mike, have you read the original novel, called McTeague? I've not ever seen it to buy; is it a fairly large book?
Who else considers the cuts made to this film a crime? While I certainly lament the fact that footage has been lost, I still believe that the version I saw could scarcely be improved if over-doubled in length. It'd be as daunting a watch as anything.
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Post by Mike Sullivan on Jan 3, 2006 23:11:16 GMT
I haven't read the novel of, "McTeaugue". I imagine that it must have been a good litterary work, being filmed in 1914 and over the years finding more screen encarnations.
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Post by Vercetti on Feb 22, 2006 4:47:11 GMT
Does anyone have any idea when the vote for a new TCM DVD will take place? I've been aiming to see this.
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Post by Mike Sullivan on Feb 22, 2006 4:56:42 GMT
Usually it begins towards the mid summer with the votes coming in by Agust or September with the DVD's seeing their release in the first quarter of what would be 2007.
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