Blind Husbands reviews
Review by on 22 Sep 2008
It’s usually only film buffs who pursue the opportunity to see a silent film with live musical accompaniment. This is a shame because when it’s done well, it’s better than THX.
This is the case with Erich von Stroheim’s debut BLIND HUSBANDS with live piano courtesy of the exceptional Neil Brand. The music never volleys for the spotlight yet is as crucial to the story as the pictures on screen. The story centres on lonely wife Margaret Armstrong, desperate for her husband’s attention, or at least acknowledgement. The couple travels to the mountains so that Dr Armstrong can relax and rejuvenate, but it’s painfully clear that his focus is on books or conversations that do not include his wife. An ‘impostor’ dressed in uniform, played by von Stroheim, immediately sets his sights on the vulnerable Mrs Armstrong.
The camera work is highly conservative although the final scenes of the film are daringly staged. Silent cinema melodrama often translates as over-the-top to a 21st century audience, but Von Stroheim coaxes convincing performances from his actors that stand the test of time surprisingly well. The main action occurs in the Dolomites with a tension-filled climax that takes full advantage of the extreme location.
Replete with an almost Dali-esque dream sequence, mountain climbing in a skirt, and a preposterously cheeky Casanova who has the moon’s blessing, there’s something for everyone in BLIND HUSBANDS.
Jennifer Oey, Festival Daily
It’s usually only film buffs who pursue the opportunity to see a silent film with live musical accompaniment. This is a shame because when it’s done well, it’s better than THX. This is the case with Erich von Stroheim’s debut BLIND HUSBANDS with live piano courtesy of the exceptional Neil Brand. The music never volleys for the spotlight yet is as crucial to the story as the pictures on screen. The story centres on lonely wife Margaret Armstrong, desperate for her husband’s attention, or at least acknowledgement. The couple travels to the mountains so that Dr Armstrong can relax and rejuvenate, but it’s painfully clear that his focus is on books or conversations that do not include his wife. An ‘impostor’ dressed in uniform, played by von Stroheim, immediately sets his sights on the vulnerable Mrs Armstrong.
The camera work is highly conservative although the final scenes of the film are daringly staged. Silent cinema melodrama often translates as over-the-top to a 21st century audience, but Von Stroheim coaxes convincing performances from his actors that stand the test of time surprisingly well. The main action occurs in the Dolomites with a tension-filled climax that takes full advantage of the extreme location.
Replete with an almost Dali-esque dream sequence, mountain climbing in a skirt, and a preposterously cheeky Casanova who has the moon’s blessing, there’s something for everyone in BLIND HUSBANDS.
Jennifer Oey, Festival Daily
Film details
Blind Husbands
MUSIC AT THE MOVIES
Director: Erich von Stroheim
Actor: Erich von Stroheim
Actor: Sam de Grasse
Actor: Francella Billington
Actor: Erich von Stroheim
Actor: Sam de Grasse
Actor: Francella Billington
USA, 1919.
98 mins. Silent.
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