GREED

US, 1924, 130 minutes, Black and White.
Gibson Gowland, Jean Hersholt, Zasu Pitts, Chester Conklin.
Directed by Erich Von Stroheim.

Greed is a classic silent film directed by Erich von Stroheim. Originally an ambitious work running for nine hours, the film was edited down to two hours. Set in the 20s in America, it shows ordinary people overcome by greed. Thus it is a moralising fable about American dream and ambitions. Showing a flair for silent film, von Stroheim creates many memorable images even though by later standards the sequences, seem contrived. Zasu Pitts, usually a comedienne, is effective in the central role. Greed is an interesting example of silent film-making as well as a good example of the moralising silent cinema.

1. The reputation of this film? Considered a classic? Reduced to two hours from a reputed ten hours. Is there evidence of such a reduction in the finished film? The reputation of Erik von Stroheim? His bitter style, extravagant style? The personal direction? The dedication to his mother?

2. The standard of silent films of 1924: quality of black and white photography? photographic styles and fixed camera, final panning in Death Valley? The titles and their style of English, the written presentation of American slang? Styles of acting, stage acting, melodramatic and contrived? Appropriate for communicating without sound and words?

3. The didactic tone of this kind of film and the entertainment value? How well did they combine? Were they at all in conflict? The titles and the moralizing tone? The patronizing of the audience, the patronizing of the characters by comments on their behaviour, words and attitudes, eg. Mack and his not thinking? The speculations and moralizing about greed?

4. A portrait of America, greed in America, the root of all evil? A reflection of America in the early decades of this century? As in a novel by an American, adapted by an Austrian resident in America? The emphasis on migrants? A migrant and outsider interpretation of America?

5. The initial caption about truth and its being hard-hitting. Was this film hard-hitting for the audience expectations of the time? How acceptable?

6. How well exemplified and explored was the them of greed? The initial presentation of the verses about gold, the mining of gold? Mack's origins in the gold-fields? The visual presenting of gold throughout the film, Trina's polishing the gold and sleeping with it? Money as the root of all evil?

7. Facets of the theme of greed: the fact of money, motivations for having money, money and the mania, miserliness? The role of chance and luck? Lotteries? (And the indication that they were against the law?) How much is man's destiny freely chosen, fated, how much under his own control? The role of choice? Power of one person over another?

8. The 1908 setting: McT at work, his gentleness with the bird, his pushing the man over the rail? The background of mining? His mother and her ambitions, her vision of him as a dentist, her pushing him into a different career? Her motivation, hope for bettering himself, money? Should she have pushed him?

9. The transition to San Francisco and the visual presentation of the city? Mack as a personality, genial, not so intelligent? His working as a dentist and his skill? Lack of qualification? His possibilities in life? A plain kind of man, not a thoughtful nun, prone to anger and mods, a capacity for love? The comments on his good and evil hereditary?

10. The introduction to Marcus and his man-about-town style, his work as a vet, his bringing Trina to the dentist? The bonds of friendship, the quality of friendship? His giving in to Mack about Trina, the nobility of his gesture? How much was it meant? But the deep resentment, triggered off by the greed? The drunken scene and his hostility and throwing the knife? How deeply felt was the hatred for Mack? The irony of his going off to the West? The image of the cat and the birds? His meanness, his writing the letter and ruining Mack and Trina? The importance of the build-up to his final confrontation with Mack? An ordinary man with good and evil deep down?

11. The film's focusing on Mack and presenting him as an ordinary man, weak, loving, overpowered - the significance of the encounter with Trina, the sequence in the dentist's chair after the administration of ether? His decline as she became meaner, lack of ambition, hatred and violence? Credible in an ordinary man?

12. The film's focusing on Trina: our first seeing her, her simplicity and attractive nature, hesitation in buying the lottery ticket, going to the dentist, the nun-like presentation as she sat unconscious in the dentist's chair, her innocence and her fears, her enjoyment of the outings, shyness? Their sitting near the sewer, the playing of the accordion, their singing, the rain? The build-up to the engagement, the theatre party, the party itself? The joy of the wedding, her sorrow at her family's going, her fear of the wedding night? The possibilities of her being a good wife, mother? Her place within her family? The detailed portrayal of the family when they were met for the picnic, at the wedding? (The greediness of the banquet scene?) Father as the migrant, kind mother, the children and their being disciplined? The unattractive sister and the organ playing? An ironic touch about the migrant family - too severe?

13. Trina and her interior meanness, the situation drawing out her hardness, the emphasis on her mean face, her gestures and her finger on her lips? Her lying, cheating, starving, being prepared to slave? Her fantasies and fondling the gold? Her cruelty, making Mack walk in the rain, turning him out, the long sequence of buying the chops at the Semite market? The significance of this?

14. Trina at how, counting her money, polishing it, working? Mack at home, and his dependency? Sense of failure, being fired, drinking with his friends? The significance of the stinking meat sequence? His leaving and her hypocrisy?

15. Marcus and the irony of their behaviour at his final visit, the cat and the birds symbolizing what was going on? The aftermath and the effect on Mack, Trina?

16. Her work, resentment against Mack and his leaving, the night and her lying with the money, turning him out and the consequences of his coming back and his killing of her?

17. The Death valley sequences and the change of atmosphere? The contrast with so much rain with the sun and the dryness of the valley? The posse, Marcus volunteering and going against warnings to go into Death Valley?

18. The final irony of the face-to-face confrontation, the lack of water, animals, the handcuffing?

19. The symbolism used of gold, rain, the cat and the birds, Mack letting the bird go free but it was dead? The cuffs?

20. Effective and enjoyable melodrama, the epic proportions intended by the director? A silent film classic?