MovieChat Forums > Lonesome (1928) Discussion > Any other fans?

Any other fans?

posted 10 years ago by FranLovesBetteD
6 replies | jump to latest

It always surprises me how little praise and recognition this masterpiece gets. It's even seldom mentioned among classic film fans! It's such a beautiful movie, and the starring couple is really cute and likeable.

Barbara Kent was so beautiful and charming, and so was her co-star. They should have been much bigger stars and better known nowadays.

I first saw it about ten years ago on cable, very late at night, and got so thrilled once I learned it would be released on both DVD and Blu-ray. I purchased a copy past last year and re-watched it last night and loved it once more.

Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop

[–] fuzzbear1 10 years ago

I bought the Criterion DVD after reading about the film. Charming and so inventive for its time. It's a wonderful work.

-"fuzzy"

[–] FranLovesBetteD 10 years ago

Thanks a lot for the kind comment! So glad to notice somebody else enjoys it as much as I do!

Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop

[–] mlenriquez24 9 years ago

Just finished watching it and what I saw was not what I was expecting! Truly a magical film, playful and charming in every way, sad that most have not yet seen this one but without a doubt one of the greatest and most important films of all time, the beach scene reminded me of Jonze's Her.

[–] FranLovesBetteD 9 years ago

Yeah! It certainly is something else, very unique and different from anything else! Such a minimal and yet fascinating, captivating movie! Too bad that most people never watched or even never heard of it. Honestly, I even prefer it over better known "masterpieces" such as "Sunrise". Love Janet Gaynor and George O'Brien, but -IMHO- Barbara Kent and the leading man surpassed them when it comes to charm and chemistry. I mean, not that I want to compare, but given the similaritie between the two movies, I guess it's unavoidable.

Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop

[–] mjneu59 9 years ago

I was lucky to see Lonesome on the big screen, at the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, California, sometime in the late 1980's...it might have been during one of William K. Everson's annual visits, but don't quote me on that. It seemed at the time to be a slight but charming curiosity from that uncertain transition between the silent and sound eras...

Fast forward almost thirty years, to where I just re-visited the film tonight on DVD (thank you, Criterion Collection). This time I was struck by the fairy tale aspects of such a simple story, and the almost avant-garde touches of cinematic style: the color effects, the miniatures, the art deco city skylines...even the clunky dialogue scenes added a touch of the surreal to it. It made a fabulous contrast to the otherwise very natural depiction of the usual boy-meets girl scenario.

A unique accomplishment, and a valuable bit of film history...I'm glad it's been preserved after all these years: both the artifact itself and my memory of it!

"Sacred cows make the best hamburger." Mark Twain

[–] FranLovesBetteD 9 years ago

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experiences regarding this lovely, unique movie! Let me tell you that if I had to choose ONE classic to watch on the big screen, I have no doubts that it would be Lonesome!

Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop