The Last Laugh
We slide down in the elevator, slip past the opening doors and glide towards the front of the hotel and the revolving doors. Looking out, we see the doorman coordinating guests and luggage, managing arrivals and departures. It is with this incredible camera movement that Murnau opens The Last Laugh.
The camera movement doesn’t sound so amazing you say? Well, consider that the movie was shot in 1924. The opening shot had me saying – “He came up with such brilliant and fitting camera movement more than EIGHTY-FIVE years ago??!”
The Last Laugh is about a hotel doorman who defines himself by his job. He is treated with deference at the hotel and at home in the apartment complex – his grand uniform and his well-brushed, giant moustache lending an air of unmistakable gravitas. When the hotel manager decides he’s too old for the job, he’s replaced with a younger version of himself and is suddenly demoted to the washroom attendant – the lowest job on the totem pole. His world shatters.
The completely silent film doesn’t even use title/dialog cards to explain what’s going on. The acting would be considered over the top today, but considering that it had to convey all the emotion without a single word, it is understandable. Emil Jannings as the doorman is exceptional. His desolation and humiliation are painful to watch.
With a very straightforward story line, the movie is about emotions. The camera is used to excellent effect to highlight his mental state. Initially the camera idolizes him, shooting him from below or straight on. After his demotion, he shrinks – not only in comport, but the camera also moves higher, making him smaller. The hotel, is shown as a towering edifice, with revolving doors extending skywards – his perception of his workplace when he returns in fear. Murnau also used the camera to depict Jannings’ inebriatedly-depressed state. The camera swings around Jannings capturing the surreal, discombobulated state he’s in very nicely. And then there’s the dream sequence where Jannings imagines himself back in his role, easily hoisting large trunks of luggage with one hand – the camera flies through the air towards and around Jannings, emphasizing the removal from reality. When his secret is discovered, the laughing faces of his nosy neighbors are super-imposed onto each other – all leering at him. The movie illustrates how the camera, in concert with the actors, can communicate so much without a single spoken word.
The only incongrous part of the movie is the ending. After an utterly crushing emotional attack, it would be most fitting if the doorman collapsed and gave-in to the circumstances. Apparently the studio wanted a happy ending – and so the movie’s first title card apologies for what lies ahead – the doorman unexpected inherits a fortune from a patron who dies in his arms. He’s shown eating and drinking heartily in the hotel and being benevolent to all those who work there before he rides off into the sunset.
That aside, The Last Laugh is an excellent movie. A movie I enjoyed much more than I expected to and one that gets better with repeat viewings. Murnau did things with the camera in 1924 which many directors today are too conservative to try. Bravo!
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Murnau is the baap of everyone. I rate him higher than Griffith.
Have you seen Sunrise or Nosferatu yet ? Sunrise is an epochal moment in cinematic history.
I liked the way u described the camera angles. Will watch it ASAP.
Also regarding the mention of “Over the Top” acting, i generally feel that Brit actors try so hard to underplay a character, that sometimes it looks “over the top”
Shripriya, great writeup. Your description reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Soy Cuba. Although it was made in the 1960s, it’s still incredible how the filmmakers moved a heavy camera seamlessly from hotel elevator to swimming pool, but this time for more poetic effect than emotional.
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How does one get to see Last Laugh? Is it only at University libaries?
Bobby had Anthony Hopkins playing a retired door man… The post reminded me of that character.
@Evelyn
I love Soy Cuba. It’s one of the most breathtaking films ever. Have u seen the sequel ? It’s called Tofu Havana.
@ Mitch – Sunrise is sitting on my desk, waiting to be watched.
@ SKS – The actors here are German, just FYI… but I understand your point.
@ Evelyn – The Last Laugh is available on Netflix! Need to watch Soy Cuba.
Mitch: very funny. For you, I recommend Garlic is as Good as 10 Mothers, instead.
@shipriya….
just got intrigued by your post about the number of “Silent” films made till now. Am only talking about those films, where the director intenionally made a silent film, even when the resources where available. Can someone make a list of “Must-Watch Films” in this niche category?