The Rat

This is a strange film. It has some notable strong points but they can't save the film from painful mediocrity.

I guess I should mention that the version i saw was in pretty bad shape but clocking in at around 70 min, i don't think there were any significant footage missing. Still, the print left a lot to be desired in terms of quality, as did the plot. The major events are disconnected, the character's actions make no sense and i couldn't understand anyone's motivation. Also, no amount of suspension of disbelief could make the fake tough guy act of The Rat (Ivor Novello) less annoying for me. The Rat is an early example of boy characters written way too obviously for girl viewers on the silver screen.

The editing is also so inconsistent that at times i couldn't tell whether the editing is really that bad or some frames are missing.

On a positive note, there were some well directed scenes here. I particularly liked the first encounter of the rat with Zelie. And the gangster elements in the film could be considered novel in 1925 (13 years after The Musketeers of Pig Alley and 2 years before Underworld).

The performances are fine but overall, I wouldn't recommend the film to anyone. Thanks for reading.