In Paul Muni's first movie, he came out of nowhere-aka the stage-and earned an Oscar nomination and instant success. So, if you're a Paul Muni fan, you're going to want to rent The Valiant. Prepare yourself beforehand and remind yourself that it was made in 1929. This movie is so similar to silent pictures, it could have easily been one! Everything, from the title cards to the sparse dialog, acting styles, and frame composition, looks like a silent movie. There's even a shot of Edith Yorke sitting in her rocking chair with a dog curled up on the floor reminiscent of how silent films introduced characters to the screen.
The film is very short, and the story is very simple. A man commits murder, turns himself in, and refuses to give his real name. He doesn't want his family sullied by his crime. Back at home, his saintly mother and sister worry that the unknown criminal might be the young man who left home years earlier. It's not really fair to judge this film so harshly, since many of that time period don't stand the test of time, but this isn't an exceptional movie. The story itself is good, and when Paul is given his big scene in the end, there were probably lots of 1929 audience members who teared up. By today's standards, we've seen much sadder films with much nobler characters. As a screen actor, Paul is extremely green, but fans of his won't really mind.
The film is very short, and the story is very simple. A man commits murder, turns himself in, and refuses to give his real name. He doesn't want his family sullied by his crime. Back at home, his saintly mother and sister worry that the unknown criminal might be the young man who left home years earlier. It's not really fair to judge this film so harshly, since many of that time period don't stand the test of time, but this isn't an exceptional movie. The story itself is good, and when Paul is given his big scene in the end, there were probably lots of 1929 audience members who teared up. By today's standards, we've seen much sadder films with much nobler characters. As a screen actor, Paul is extremely green, but fans of his won't really mind.