This might be the best Lon Chaney film ever made. It strikes such an unusual tone. And the use of clown imagery is haunting and evocative of a time long gone. Chaney has many moments that can rip your heart out. His use of the clown smile creates utter tension between humor and pain conveying depths of torn emotion. Norma Shearer is also quite interesting in this film. And the circus imagery is beyond classic.
The only real quibble I have with the Warner Archive edition is that the soundtrack while not wholly inappropriate is a sort of mishmash of various styles. They need to commission a new score and get this a better release. The clarity of the film is great. There are occasional film glitches and spots that also are begging for a nice restoration. But I'm not complaining. I saw this with piano accompaniment in New York once and have been desperate to see it again. I'm grateful that it was finally reissued at all.
The only real quibble I have with the Warner Archive edition is that the soundtrack while not wholly inappropriate is a sort of mishmash of various styles. They need to commission a new score and get this a better release. The clarity of the film is great. There are occasional film glitches and spots that also are begging for a nice restoration. But I'm not complaining. I saw this with piano accompaniment in New York once and have been desperate to see it again. I'm grateful that it was finally reissued at all.