The Crowd

What begins as a feel good romantic comedy (quite reminiscent of Harold Lloyd's Speedy during the Coney Island scenes) turns into a quite upsetting film reminiscent of Italian neo-realism of post World War II cinema.

There were moments of this film that absolutely captivated me. I didn't really know much about this film so when things take a turn for the disturbing, I was caught unawares.

This would be a good double feature with Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times with the images of the working masses being nothing more than sheep. By the end, things become a little happier and the family members enjoy themselves in a night out at the theater which reminded me of the great scene of kids watching a film in The 400 Blows.

I'm looking forward to seeing the sequel to this film, Our Daily Bread.

Directed by King Vidor
1928
Film Forum