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Greed Reviews
A chilling tale about the consequences of greed.
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.
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.
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.
One of the best silent films I've seen, Greed was truly ahead of its time.
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.
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.
(Turner Restoration) Greed offers a wonderful departure from the simplistic and superfluous dramas of the Victorian age that pervaded early silent film, made all the more remarkable by the age of the source material and its rather uncomplicated base themes (greed=bad). The real vision is not in the novel, but in von Stroheim's adaptation - his far more profound sense of character compared to other films of the period, his use of choice imagery (the constant references to various animals and man's animalistic nature), and the exploration of the perils of the immigrant and working classes. There is wonderful contrast and significance in the subplots, which makes it all the more disappointing that MGM decided to gut it with a machete, and that what ended up on the cutting room floor only survives in a series of stills. Watching the Turner reconcstruction (combining the original theatrical cut with such stills) as a first-time viewer certainly provided a clearer picture of von Stroheim's intent, but it was certainly jarring to see, and I wouldn't recommend it without having the proper context. Still, whether in its abridged or restored form, Greed shines as a far more complete, modern film than most of its silent era contemporaries. (4.5/5)
The best, GREATEST movie ever made! With the best movie character ever portrayed: Gibson Gowland as Dr. John McTeague!
The heavy rain attacked as if they were waiting for the two who sat and the hips on the embankment of the dirty sea near the station and the woman ran away and the man was a guts pose. A camera looking up at the wife overlooking the hill over the staircase from searching for a job and pushing out her husband. A wife across a window that you can not enter because it is bitten by a dog. A long-awaited husband's shadow. There is no other taste of eeriness. great.
1001 movies to see before you die and another lost flixster rating.
An ambitiously thoughtful look at the progression of life as poisoned by different kinds of greed, this extended silent production is charming and tragic, but the talent of its male star is weighted down by the timely cheese of its female one.
One of the most memorable silent films in the 20s, Greed is an adaptation from the novel McTeague about how greed ruined people's live. Because the original is lost, we only have the restored version with some still images to bridge the gap of missing fragments. It was very shocking for its day I believe, it is still entertaining to watch nonetheless.
The original 9.5 hour length version was described as a masterpiece and supposed greatest film ever made. However, after watching this version, I don't see how many more back and side stories would have been such an improvement. This is a good film, but not one of the best of all time. I just don't understand the praise that has been showered upon this film. There are far better silent films, just look up Lon Chaney. ;)
It may be a classic and very influential for film making... but jeez. Let's talk about sexual assault and odd human behaviors! It's very uncomfortable to watch this. And, for the record, I don't believe "truth" has anything to do with being 100% accurate to a book. Naturalism, in this case, sucks.
Crippled in the cutting room, with over 5 hours of footage lost, Eric von Stroheim's epic tale of the toxicity of fortune is commonly regarded as one of the greatest artistic losses in the history of cinema. TCM's restored 4 hour cut uses old stills and additional intertitles to recapture some of the missing magic of the 8 hour original; a film, evidently, of harsh narrative gravity and daring visual experimentation. Obsession, jealously and insanity all have their parts to play, but Greed's real genius lies in Von Stroheim's ability to express ideas and evoke emotions with crystal clarity in an entirely visual medium. Essential early cinema.
This rating is for the 4 hour restored cut. I am definitely going to watch the shorter version as well, easily amongst my favorite silent films ever.