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This has just about everything you could ask for in a silent screen version of the classic story "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". John Barrymore was a fine choice to play the dual role, and the detailed production is capped off by special visual effects that are very good for 1920. The mood is built up slowly and effectively from the beginning, and a good supporting cast helps out, especially Martha Mansfield and Nita Naldi as the two very different women who are affected by the doctor's bizarre experiment.
One of the challenges involved in filming the story at the time would have been the difficulty of communicating Stevenson's very interesting thoughts and themes about the two contrasting sides of human nature. Although of necessity much of this is communicated here with the use of inter-titles, Barrymore's performance (particularly as the doctor) and the visual effects are also often used to emphasize the key ideas.
Barrymore must have enjoyed playing the role, especially the part of Hyde, and the detailed makeup job on Hyde makes him look hideously sinister. But the part of Jekyll, though less flamboyant and less eye-grabbing, probably demanded even more skill, in order to depict his descent into temptation and his torment afterward.
This version also has a period look and feel to it that fit in very well with the story. There have been many other movie versions of the popular story, and there are several good ones to choose from, but this one can still stand with just about any of them.
score /10
Snow Leopard 20 January 2006
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1270285/ |
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25-2-2021 05:01:34