Greed

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DanTheMan 2 Silent films really do hit differently... Powerful even in its incomplete form, about 7 hours worth of material is missing, Erich von Stroheim's Greed is a spoil of cinematic riches and a harrowing dissertation on the corrupting allure of money. Even now its relentlessly cynical portrait of physical and moral squalor retains the ability to shock, while Stroheim's obsessive attention to realist detail is never mundane; delving into deep the human soul, bringing out the worst, but also the best, of people. Von Stroheim conveys a fierce realism to the production process with his usual megalomaniacal personality, especially during the film's climax; shot in Death Valley, in 51°C heat, for months on end, resulted in most of the production becoming ill and even one member of the crew dying! It's a film that utilises extensive location shooting, deep-focus cinematography and use of extreme close-ups, all of which feel incredibly ahead of its time. While we may never see Greed as von Stroheim intended, the film remains an incredible feat for not only the silent period but in the history of cinema as a whole. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/29/24 Full Review John E I loved this film and am so very impressed by its engaging story and brilliant storytelling through the skills of director van Stroheim. This is a must see for any true film buff. For its day, it should have been a masterpiece. For our day it certainly was turned into one. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/27/23 Full Review Alexander B There are a few scenes that were influential and shocking for the time it was made. Sadly it suffered from slow pace and boring moments. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review David B One of the best silent films I've seen, Greed was truly ahead of its time. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Only watching because of its historic significance in film history. It isn't a bad little parable of one of the deadly sins but it is a slog as there is no music accompaniment. I watched it on 2x speed and don't think I missed out on anything. A 2hr version is on YouTube and may be worth checking out. Pretty old story, not a bad one but nothing that will stick in the memory. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Ethan S I saw the two hour and ten minute version. Not sure what a longer cut adds to the overall story, but from what I understand this version is still a pretty bare-bones retelling of Stroheim's masterpiece, particularly when it comes to the development of the supporting cast (Mac and Trina's families and neighbors mainly) who appear for a segment of the movie and then disappear never to be seen again. It is a dark movie, a story of spiritual and emotional as well as literal poverty and squalor interspersed with baroque, almost surreal images of skeletal hands grasping at coins, cats watching caged birds and a funeral procession passing by the window during the protagonists' wedding. The decision to move the final act of the film from an urban to a western setting is an interesting one too (though I had a bit of trouble getting around Marcus' flamboyant 'cowboy' shirt - what the hell was that!). I don't want to give away the ending but I can see why this was a problem for the newly-formed MGM, and I am surprised the studio allowed it to remain in the final cut of the movie. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/21 Full Review Read all reviews

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