The Wedding March (1928) :
Brief Review -
Erich von Stroheim's incomplete/lost romantic drama would never go out of fashion for its heavily pure and conventional theories. The reason for calling it incomplete/lost is that, as we know, the second part, the continuation footage, is lost, but a synopsis is available out there on Wikipedia. When you read it, you realise that it was actually a tragic romance. But when you look back at the beginning portion of this film, you will come to know that it was a comedy. And that's contrary to Erich von Stroheim's image, at least for me. All those Stroheim films I have seen are either brutal or strained about marriage, extramarital affairs, sexual desires and greed, and all of them are intense and quite heavy for a normal audience. But The Wedding March is such a light and funny film, at least until the last 40 minutes. The film is about a young, impoverished aristocrat who is in a terrible hole, but all he gets as a solution from his parents is to "marry money". He then falls in love with an inn-keeper's daughter, which was expected not to last longer, and he has to marry for money. Now this is a tragic part, I think, but there is a kick to it. There is a second side to it. You see, from one angle, it is a happy ending because the aristocrat was never a gentleman. He always had a woman to hang out with, and every time it was a different one. Even in his introduction scene, you see him kissing a maid. Maybe so, but I believe he deserved that in the climax. Now, one more side is its sequel, "The Honeymoon", a film Stroheim was forced to make and is lost. Hence, that incomplete reference in the tagline of my review. As you can read in the synopsis, you will know it's a big tragedy for all four major characters. Anyway, Stroheim did swim against the tide and reached shore safely. The performances, writing, and direction are three major points that make this film a definite watch for silent cinema lovers.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Erich von Stroheim's incomplete/lost romantic drama would never go out of fashion for its heavily pure and conventional theories. The reason for calling it incomplete/lost is that, as we know, the second part, the continuation footage, is lost, but a synopsis is available out there on Wikipedia. When you read it, you realise that it was actually a tragic romance. But when you look back at the beginning portion of this film, you will come to know that it was a comedy. And that's contrary to Erich von Stroheim's image, at least for me. All those Stroheim films I have seen are either brutal or strained about marriage, extramarital affairs, sexual desires and greed, and all of them are intense and quite heavy for a normal audience. But The Wedding March is such a light and funny film, at least until the last 40 minutes. The film is about a young, impoverished aristocrat who is in a terrible hole, but all he gets as a solution from his parents is to "marry money". He then falls in love with an inn-keeper's daughter, which was expected not to last longer, and he has to marry for money. Now this is a tragic part, I think, but there is a kick to it. There is a second side to it. You see, from one angle, it is a happy ending because the aristocrat was never a gentleman. He always had a woman to hang out with, and every time it was a different one. Even in his introduction scene, you see him kissing a maid. Maybe so, but I believe he deserved that in the climax. Now, one more side is its sequel, "The Honeymoon", a film Stroheim was forced to make and is lost. Hence, that incomplete reference in the tagline of my review. As you can read in the synopsis, you will know it's a big tragedy for all four major characters. Anyway, Stroheim did swim against the tide and reached shore safely. The performances, writing, and direction are three major points that make this film a definite watch for silent cinema lovers.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.