Todd Browning - The Unknown After the phenomenally psychologically brutal The Inhospitable Trinity, Todd Browning and Lon Cheney took on an even more intense picture. Before the viewer slowly but frankly unfolds the story of a lonely man forced to hide from the world. A talented loser or a brilliant sublimator, he, realizing that society will reject his external vice, recognizing it as diabolical, is forced to fight for a place in the sun. Like all talent, he quickly achieves social success. However, having calmed down a little and rested, he turns his attention to the woman. That's where the trouble begins.
Lon Cheney plays a professional knife thrower who has achieved much in the circus art and hides a secret. It is obvious that in a given paradigm, anyone who learns about the body defect of the hero risks becoming a victim. And then a completely inappropriate love (and when is it appropriate?) flares up with the heroine Joan Crawford. All this ties the heroes into their own circles of hell, twisting everything with a whirlpool of passions and not even giving the opportunity for revenge. I do not think that Cheney or Browning read Dostoevsky’s Karamazovs, rather Hugo was the source of inspiration in this case, but the humanism of Fyodor Mikhailovich can be traced in relation to atrocities. For all the unequivocal condemnation of the murderer and the villain, Cheney and Browning complement his portrait with such positive nuances that, without in any way justifying the crime, allow you to see in the person exposed something good, worthy of approval.
Traditionally for Browning, the production of scenes is at the highest level. For example, the apotheosis of the picture - the use of a horse as a weapon for crime turned out completely unexpected. The mighty, hoof-waving horse is nothing but an allegorical metaphor for the compressed spring held back by the many limitations of the protagonist’s sexuality. A passionate man is forced to live someone else’s life knowing that society will reject him, repeating a scenario that probably happened to him earlier – as a child. It is no coincidence that the catalyst for all the events of the film is the bright heroine Crawford. In fact, she doesn’t have to do anything – just “be nice and keep quiet.” Everything else will make the sea personal for Cheney Thanatos' hero. Only now, Browning anticipates “Marnie” giving the heroine a fear of male touch. Where's Freud's textbook lying? Boring. But Crawford is quite understandable.
By the way, in some ways his character is great resembles the main character from the film Scorsese “Casino”. Like the hero of Robert de Niro, Lon Cheney turns out to be an impeccable professional in his field, striving not to reveal himself and achieving recognition. Both of these problems begin when a woman arrives. All the trouble, destruction and aggression come from themselves. However, if Scorsese allows his character a chance to correct, then the reality of Browning is much more fatal.
So, before us one of the standards of “pre-Hitchcock” suspense, reinforced by one of the best roles in the career of Lon Cheney.
9 out of 10