1921/2021 Forum Watchfest

[Kitty]

Additional comments on Orphans -

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Finished with Orphans. Great film!

What happened to the Aunt, her real mother, after she fainted? It's too bad there couldn't have been a reunion there, too.

Was that not her there at the end with the count? Maybe I’m wrong—that’s one thing that confused me, the family relations between some of the characters. I think that came from watching it in bits. I also forgot what it was that Jacques-Forget-Not didn’t forget.

As a parting shot, (how about that dude doing the twist in the checkered pants?

How stupid of me! I guess I looked away at that part. You're right, that's her. Forget-Not was tortured toward the beginning, and they showed the clip again a little later to remind us. The checkered-pants-guy knows how to mash potatoes really well.

I should probably start taking small notes with these longer films. I, like you, tend to watch the longer films in batches, and end up forgetting certain things, which leads to lame-ass reviews like the one I wrote just now for Orphans. I forgot to mention a couple things that I wanted to mention.

1. The music is really terrible. In the end credits, are they really saying that the music played was the original composition? For example, you'd think that the drumming parts would have been more intense, with actual drums instead of organ music playing. It just didn't fit. Particularly the part where you could only see the drum and not the drummer. I thought it was supposed to be an ominous and intense part, but it wasn't to be.

2. Is Frochard (I think that's the person that kidnaps Dorothy) a man or woman? It sure looks like they have an intense mustache, or maybe I am just seeing it wrong. What a character, eh?

[Kitty]

I know that we're all behind on these, but I'm going to go ahead and post the next film, The Conquering Power. We are really getting an education on Valentino, aren't we? I honestly don't think that I'd have watched so many of his if it weren't for these Watch-fests!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBwXPO69Uoo

[donnie]

Orphans responses:

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How stupid of me! I guess I looked away at that part. You're right, that's her.

Not stupid at all! I wasn't sure myself, as I got some of the characters confused, and again, who was related to who.

I should probably start taking small notes with these longer films. I, like you, tend to watch the longer films in batches, and end up forgetting certain things, which leads to lame-ass reviews like the one I wrote just now for Orphans. I forgot to mention a couple things that I wanted to mention.

Ha! Those were two things I was going to comment on, as well, and forgot. (And no, your review is not lame-ass.)

1. The music is really terrible. In the end credits, are they really saying that the music played was the original composition? For example, you'd think that the drumming parts would have been more intense, with actual drums instead of organ music playing. It just didn't fit. Particularly the part where you could only see the drum and not the drummer. I thought it was supposed to be an ominous and intense part, but it wasn't to be.

Well, I thought it was a mixed bag, very good at times and not so good at others. Yes, there were times when it seemed over-intense or under-intense. And it was a kind of odd blend of synthesizer and piano (I didn't hear any actual organ, but there were some synthesized organ-like effects.) The worst place was the sudden transition to dippy piano music at the exact climax of the whole film. Nooooo!

I was confused by the music credits at the end, also. Yes, this is supposed to be the original music. I think the weakness may be in the bottom two credits. Since it would have been scored for orchestra, some arranging would have been necessary to do it on synthesizer. But something may have been lost in the transition. And why would it have needed re-editing?

Screen Shot 2021-07-19 at 2.20.19 PM.png (148.43 KiB) Viewed 2565 times

2. Is Frochard (I think that's the person that kidnaps Dorothy) a man or woman? It sure looks like they have an intense mustache, or maybe I am just seeing it wrong. What a character, eh?

Wow, I was seriously confused on that—I went back and forth for awhile before finally deciding it was a woman—I guess. No, you weren't seeing it wrong, it did look like a man's mustache. At any rate, I wanted to see some serious punishment for that person at the end—ok, maybe not the guillotine, but something more than being poked in the rear end with a sword two or three times.

[BettyLouSpence]

Hello everyone; things on the homefront are back to normal, so I can finally catch up with this watchfest!
Time for a silent movie bingewatch!

[Kitty]

Orphans responses:

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At any rate, I wanted to see some serious punishment for that person at the end—ok, maybe not the guillotine, but something more than being poked in the rear end with a sword two or three times.

Serious lol when I read this.

[donnie]

Hello everyone; things on the homefront are back to normal, so I can finally catch up with this watchfest!
Time for a silent movie bingewatch!

All right! So glad to hear it.

[BettyLouSpence]

Here are my very belated comments on The Sheik.

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I have to admit, after Diana was introduced as an independent modern woman who doesn't take orders, I sighed and steeled myself for the inevitable part where she gets the independence hammered out of her. That that wasn't the case pleasantly surprised me, as I was expecting her personality to take a 180.

There are several aspects of the plot that haven't aged well - a big one is that Diana falls in love with her kidnapper, which would put off quite a few folks - but considering that this film is an adaptation of a best selling 1919 novel with content that was considered very salacious, I don't think this picture is meant to be anything more than a hot, bodice-rippin' fantasy of a fair English maiden stolen away by a handsome sheik to be ravished in the desert.

Okay, "bodice-ripper" applies more to the original book, which I haven't read but contained some really icky elements. Remember that scene where Diana is crying and we see Ahmed about to force himself on her, but he realizes that what he's about to do would be terrible and he chooses to back away? Yeah, apparently in the book he doesn't restrain himself, and he gives in to his baser elements. Repeatedly

Valentino's acting here was a mixed bag. I agree that he got better in the latter parts of the film, where he's more restrained and not as over the top as he was previously with the nostril flaring, wide lascivious grins and bulging eyes... seriously, he was capable of utterly burning up the celluloid with a simple heavy-lidded stare, so why the borderline comical mannerisms? Or did the director just ignore that and go, "lol, nah. Ham it up, Rudy!"

I almost forgot to mention this... when Diana disguised herself to sneak into the Arab-only casino, she seriously didn't realize at any point that it was male only establishment? Surely just scanning the audience she'd have seen that she'd stick out like a sore thumb as the only woman there who wasn't a dancer but an audience member?

Anyway, as for what I think of this film... well, it's okay. When I first watched it years ago, I thought it was slow going and even a little creaky, but now I actually find it rather nicely paced. It is marred, however, by cliches and some overacting by Rudy and Agnes (seriously, can we tone it down with the wide eyes?!); it's due to these issues that people associate with the medium as a whole that I wouldn't recommend it to silent film noobs.

And the ending... ok, so she learns that he's European just like her and all's well that ends well because now she can be with him without any social stigma... right? Wait: what about her family back home in England? What's her brothers reaction to all this? He shows up in the first half hour to admonish her for being reckless and after that just drops out of the picture altogether. The end title just pops up and I'm just sitting here wondering, yo, where's the rest of the resolution?

...I would absolutely love to hear Valentino singing, as he obviously is on film.

Well, you're in luck, because here he is singing the same song he does in the film!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lO4IBVpIn40

That was so sweet and unexpected when she was concerned for Ahmed's safety, but it turned out it was not him who was hurt but someone else. I literally giggled.

Yeah, that scene made me chuckle too. Though after she heaved her sigh of relief I was like, "Wait, some guy got his hand horribly injured"

Notice at the end, they had to specify – again, in abnormally long paragraphs (especially at the end of a film!) that he was Spanish and English, because that would make their love ok – This opens up for a sequel, since it’s not an interracial relationship.

It seemed really tacked on to me."It's okay, he's white just like her! We good!" Also, the whole line about his hands being unusually large for an Arab... huh? I never even knew about that stereotype.

This was a pretty solid film, easy to follow, though I’m not so sure it should be an entry film for people trying to dip their toes in the water, as Valentino’s crazy eyes might put them off. Save that for when they already love Rudy.

Agreed!

[donnie]

Further comment on The Sheik.

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Good comments!

…seriously, he was capable of utterly burning up the celluloid with a simple heavy-lidded stare, so why the borderline comical mannerisms? Or did the director just ignore that and go, "lol, nah. Ham it up, Rudy!"

I think you may have put your finger on the problem, i.e., the directing. I can’t imagine any other reason why the Valentino of Blood and Sand and Horsemen would have been that comparatively cartoonish and one-dimensional here.

Actually, I think my opinion of this whole film has dropped even further since my original comments. No, definitely not a recommendation for those new to silents.

I wonder if a lot of the appeal of this film wasn't due just to the concept—not the right word, exactly, but what I mean is the idea of whisked away and swept off your feet by a handsome Arabian prince, etc., etc., rather than to the actual performance at all. Maybe it fired the imagination and inspired fantasies, in other words, apart from the actual quality of the film?

It's just hard to imagine those crazed, wide-eyed looks being taken seriously. Or maybe they were. It was a different day.

[Kitty]

Our last film in the watch-fest is Seven Years Bad Luck with Max Linder. This one is quite short!
I say it's our last film in this session, but the good thing is that we are all behind on our watching, so the watch-fest will be extended. After all, no watch-fest is ever over, if I'm being truthful. Ok, I'm rambling, and you're shouting at me to shut up and link you. Well, here you go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lHdVas0dZc

[Kitty]

Hey, guys, why don't we try to finish this one?