“The Last Laugh” (1924)

The Last Laugh

Grade: A

The Last Laugh is a terrific example of German expressionism, a film that depicts the horrors of modern humanity without necessarily being a “horror film.” A few more notes on The Last Laugh:

Directing:

F.W. Murnau, one of the founders of expressionism, uses all the hallmarks of the movement (e.g., distorted camera angles; magnified sets; exaggerated actors; unusual depth of focus; etc.) to depict the raw emotional angst of our main character. And despite the total lack of title cards (save for one), the story is easy to follow on a literal, emotional and psychological level 100 years after its release — truly pushing the boundaries of cinematic storytelling in an era when the artform was still in its infancy.

Acting:

The great Emil Jannings gives a larger-than-life performance as the unnamed hotel doorman. Typical of expressionism, he amplifies his actions to show his character’s inner fears and turmoil. We share in the doorman’s depression, and we relish in his eventual triumph, all thanks to Jannings’ vivid emotions.

Writing:

The Last Laugh boldly tells its story without title cards, instead preferring to let Murnau’s dreamlike imagery do the talking. Then again, the lone title card — in which an alternate ending is presented — is a stroke of genius from Austrian screenwriter Carl Mayer (who pulled off a similar feat in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari). The film admits that its doom and gloom is too much for the audience, and so a more optimistic conclusion is manufactured.

Music:

The Last Laugh is a silent film, but that doesn’t mean sound is insignificant. Giuseppe Becce’s orchestral score — which contains shades of the great Alban Berg — works hand in hand with Murnau’s visuals to tell the story without dialogue, giving us a dreamlike experience that is quite unique in cinematic history.

Ending (SPOILERS):

Our once-proud doorman has been demoted and disgraced, and the film’s lone title card implies that, in “actual life,” suicide is his only option. But in the life of the film, the author takes pity on him (and the viewers) and provides an improbable epilogue in which the doorman receives a large inheritance and becomes a well-to-do guest of the hotel he once served. Even though the film acknowledges its own fictionality (another nice modernist touch from Murnau/Mayer), seeing Jannings’ doorman receive a happy ending is acceptably uplifting and well-deserved and a touching reminder that German expressionism doesn’t always have to be bleak.

“Here our story should end, for in actual life the forlorn old man would have little to look forward to but death.”

Why The Last Laugh gets an A:

The Last Laugh uses experimental Expressionist techniques to tell a harrowing story of working-class heroism — one of the best German films of the silent era.

Accolades

Colin’s Review Best Films of the 1920s

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