Jim and Mary are two lonely people living in the same apartment complex in New City, though they've never actually met. Jim works in a metal-producing factory, while Mary runs a switchboard for the telephone company. While both seem to make a decent living, they are both lonely, missing that special someone in their lives. One afternoon, Jim heads to Coney Island in an effort to enjoy himself, quickly spotting Mary on the bus. Jim is a relatively shy guy but he eventually sparks up the courage to introduce himself while on the beach. The two instantly hit it off, sharing undeniable chemistry as they spend the course of the day together falling in love. However, after a roller coaster malfunction at the amusement park, the two find themselves separated, desperately trying to find one and other. What was the start of a beautiful relationship is instantly threatened, with Jim and Mary both fearing their inability to find each other will push them back into their lonely state of isolation. Paul Fejos' Lonesome is without a doubt one of the most impressive films of the silent era. Featuring a poetic love story, Lonesome is a film that captures urban isolation and the loneliness of adulthood like few films can. From the onset of Lonesome, Paul Fejos captures the fast-paced hustle of New York City, juxtaposing the busy streets of Manhattan with the quiet, loneliness of both Mary and Jim. Even though they are surrounded by this fast-paced, kinetic world, both Jim and Mary can't help but feel all alone. These are characters that feel alienated and the way Lonesome's story unfolds is one of the most poetic and beautiful stories of fate and love ever committed to celluloid. Lonesome is a film that personifies many of the strengths of silent film, using lots of overlaying images and visceral editing that encapsulate the vitality of the era. I particularly loved the scene early in the film which chronicles the work days of our two main protagonist. Fejos overlays the numbers of a clock over our two protagonists as they work away, capturing in a very visual way, how time itself is passing them by. Full of energy, sadness, love, and life itself, Paul Fejos' Lonesome is an incredibly simple story with profound implications, making it a love story that stands along side other masterpieces like F.W. Murnau's Sunrise.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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