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The Big Parade 1925 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by King Vidor
NR, 141 min. (war violence) |
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Starring: John Gilbert, Renée Adorée, Hobart Bosworth, Claire McDowell, Claire Adams, Robert Ober, Tom O'Brien, Karl Dane
Producers: Irving Thalberg
Screenplay: Harry Behn
Cinematography: John Arnold, Charles Van Enger
Distributor: MGM
Released: 11.05.25 |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
Director King Vidor's silent classic, The Big Parade, quickly became the measuring stick for all films after its release in 1925.
At the time, no silent movie remained at a theater for more than seven days, and one of Vidor's goals was to make a film
that would last for several weeks because of its popularity. Well, it not only lasted several weeks, but went on to play at a
major theater in New York City for 90 consecutive weeks - an astonishing feat. The film cost around $250,000 to make, but grossed over $5 million
before its run ended. The financial success of the film boosted MGM to major player status and also became the benchmark
for all films (silent or talkie) until Gone with the Wind in 1939. Vidor's wonderful mix of comedy, romance, and
the brutal, realistic scenes of trench warfare during World War I earned him rave reviews and certainly would have
won almost every award if the Academy Awards existed in 1926. For the film's stars, John Gilbert and Renée Adorée, it
propelled them to superstar status. Gilbert was the film industry's biggest star at the time, and this was his greatest role.
The Big Parade's success is due to the impact that it made on viewers whose memories of the war were still fresh in their
minds. Here, the film only drove home the point that war is futile.
Vidor divided Harry Behn's screenplay, based on experiences from soldiers during the war, into three parts. The first, which
introduces us to Jim (Gilbert) and his war buddies, Slim (Karl Dane) and Bull (Tom O'Brien), follows the men to wartime
France in 1917. There, Jim meets Melisande (Adorée), a girl who lived in the village where his company was stationed.
They fall in love, but it's not long until they are called up to the front. Part two involves the horrific nature of war in a way
that had never been seen on the screen before. Trench warfare and hopeless battles drive the men to the brink of insanity,
while Jim loses his friends in battle. The final act involves Jim's return home and his longing to return to France to find
Melisande.
Comparisons with another war classic only five years later, All Quiet on the Western Front, are inevitable.
But while The Big Parade intermingled humor with the grim reality of war, All Quiet on the Western Front was clearly a dark,
anti-war film aimed at making a social statement at the time. And, while Parade was silent, Western Front was the first
talkie film dealing with war. Some viewers preferred the lighter Parade to the depressing Western Front, but the debate about
silent vs. talkie films had a lot to do with where one sided between the films. The impact of both films were unmatched until the late 30s.
There are several scenes that became instant classics in the world of cinema, including the unforgettable parting of
Jim and Melisande (where Melisande is seen being dragged by the departing truck full of soldiers) and of course the
satisfying final scene of the film. Audiences were so enthralled with the film that it's hard to believe that this film was left
off of AFI's top 100 (a much debated list) released several years ago. There's no question this film is a landmark film in cinematic history, and
with its breadth of storytelling, is one of the best films of the silent era.
© 2002 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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