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Rating:  -
Watching this film before reading up on it (which, as another [...] viewer has noted, is the most satisfying way to encounter a Lon Chaney picture), I assumed this film was made circa 1927 and was a little surprised by the vintage costumes. For 1920, THE PENALTY is a superior achievement.
The plot is far superior to PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and not only moves swiftly but also is filled with surprises right to the end. And the ending indeed rings more true than that of its popular novel source material.
One explanation for the success of villainous Blizzard in San Francisco's crime district is that the "best undercover agent in the police department" is so inept. And the hats subplot is rendered ludicrous by the fact that anyone could acquire a hat that had fallen off a crook. Still, bumbling "homeland security" and the terrorism of a city bring unexpected currency to this story's more far-fetched elements.
Lon Chaney's Blizzard is a remarkable creation. He visually exudes evil and menace, yet (an apparent thread through many of Lon Chaney's films) transcends society's contempt by revealing a sympathetic soul underneath. His acting is credibly natural, despite his legs being strapped back at the knees, and it is his sheer physical grace (akin to Keaton's, Fairbank's, and Gilbert's) that contributes to his power and charm as a presence on the silent screen.
Rating: -
This film and this DVD reissue have already received vy competent reviews from prior critics, so I cannot add much. This is one of the best restorations I've seen, superbly mastered and artisically tinted. The music is extraordinary, very well coordinated with the action. I liked it a lot. It reminded me of "Tubular Bells" in Friedkin's "The Exorcist." Chaney is simply astounding in this film. He is known as the Man of a Thousand Faces and most people meet him in his heavily made-up roles as the Hunchback of Notre Dame and the Phantom of the Opera. Here he is himself, just his own face, his own acting skill against the camera lense, and he is astounding. This is one of the great, great silent films and I was reminded of Gloria Swanson's immortal line in "Sunset Boulevard." "Back then we didn't need sound. We had FACES." Chaney's gymnastics as a legless cripple are tremendous -- he climbs stairs on crutches and twice lifts himself by sheer arm-strength up a series of pegs driven in a wall, like a giant spider -- but in some way they are the least part of the film. It's his face, his acting, his sheer power that carries the film along. It's all expressions, all shoulders and arms and hands. It's an astounding performance. The only drawback is that he just blows everybody else away, every other actor in the film seems made out of cardboard, compared to Chaney. I agree with a prior reviewer: "WHAT ABOUT THE HATS?" That part of the film doesn't make much sense, though it does afford Chaney one of the most terrific and scary moments in his career, when he threatens a hatmaker, wobbling and towering above her like a huge monster on a table. The ending is silly, but one is left with the disturbing and unforgettable sense of having seen something truly demonic briefly released on film. An astounding and powerful film, a real tour-de-force, handsomely restored and presented with many fascinating extras. Even the subtitles are curiously horrific.
A minor note: Rex Beach, who seems to have collaborated on the screenplay, went on to promote Coral Gables as a real estate development south of Miami, along with William Jennings Bryan. Everybody ends up in Florida, sooner or later!
Rating: -
If you're lucky enough to have not seen this yet, the best advice I can give is don't read any reviews, biographies, opinions, commentary, etc. Just watch it. Afterwards, there'll be plenty of time for all the rest. Just let Chaney carry the film. An amazing movie!
Rating: -
the other comments are accurate. very good to excellent print. I found the music sympathetic to the film. But what about the hats? Fallen women in san francisco are making thousands and thousands of hats. there are very strict quality control standards (death for instance). And this is really the main essence of the subplot of the red takeover. The above reviews are right: great silent movie and an accurate barometer of why lon chaney is a star still.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE HATS!!
Rating: -
Like many other movie fans, my only view of Lon Chaney was in The Phantom of the Opera. I enjoyed it a lot and decided to try some of his other work. The Penalty sounded the most interesting since Chaney's legendary makeup skills are used not on his face but on his legs. He is nothing short of amazing in his role as a double amputee/crime lord. Indeed, this is one of those movies that is carried by an actor's charisma.
Unfortunately, the supporting cast is not nearly as fascinating as Blizzard. With the exception of Rose, they are just the standard gangster film characters. (The eager young man, the innocent young girl, the dogged investigater) Whenever Blizzard is onscreen, the movie really works and the viewer misses him when he is not there. Chaney takes a completely horrid character and makes him almost likable. It's no wonder this was the movie that made Chaney a real star.
The plot involves Chaney's character, Blizzard, seeking revenge on the imcompetant doctor who amputated Blizzard's legs at the beginning of the movie. Meanwhile, the police are investigating Blizzard, hoping to bring down his entire gang.
The print is nice enough, quite watchable. The soundtrack is another matter. It consists of NIN sounding loops and drumbeats. Some silent movie fans are purists when it comes to music and some are not. I am in the middle. I would have preferred a more traditional soundtrack (the clangs and bangs are distracting sometimes) but it did not wholly hamper my enjoyment of the film. I just want to give a warning to any traditionalists.
The DVD boasts a suprising amount of extras for a silent film. A 1914 western short starring Chaney. I enjoyed seeing how little a western changed between the teens and the fifties! Also,and a brief but well-done tour of Chaney's makeup case. There is a book-to-movie comparison that explains why the ending was changed. (I think the movie would have been stronger if they had kept the original ending.) I won't spoil it of course but I didn't think it was in keeping with the mood of the rest of the movie.
All in all, check it out for Chaney. It is an entertaining film and a great piece of film history.
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