The Lon Chaney show, featuring great direction from Sjöström and simple but incredibly effective tragic story. Shits back and forth from comedy to drama effortlessly and through that creates a uniquely twisted tone that elevates the film.

Another visually impressive, dramatically engaging melodrama from Sjostrom. One moment in the opening felt overdone, but in exchange it has a truly excellent ending.

this one is one of the best chaney movies i've seen thus by far, it surpasses all the others that have remained in the silent film goers vocabulary. there are still much better silent features out there, but you'll be hard pressed to find one with chaney starring.

Although I liked this movie in general, I'm less impressed than I have been by the other Sjostrom films I've seen. All the clown imagery seems like a sure influence on Bergman (in particular Sawdust and Tinsel and In the Presense of a Clown) some of it is quite freaky and avant-garde. Beyond that, this is pretty much Lon Chaney's show, and he does a fine job, leaving the rest of the cast in the dust. The story is loaded with pathos, though rather predictable. A good solid film.

This movie is insane. And Chaney's performance is inSANEly good. See what I did there? God I hate myself.

Humiliation. That's the topic, and Sjostrom wants to render the most supreme humiliations imaginable upon pliable superstar Lon Chaney. The result is, of course, over-the-top, but also modestly affecting thanks to Chaney really selling the performance. Also, clowns are scary. And right about the time that Chaney's character is laughing maniacally while feeding his would-be girlfriend's father to a lion, I'm thinking "this is one twisted movie."

Bookended by a ridiculously maudlin prologue and finale, the movie nevertheless delivers good scenes in between. Sjöström is always cinematographically skilled, but here, aided by Chaney's and Shearer's good acting, he achieves some powerful content as well.