A couple of things struck my mind while watching Paul Fejos's "Lonesome". One is of course that it's mostly silent with a few sound scenes. Another is that some of the scenes are tinted, one of the early instances of color in cinema.
But probably the most important thing is what the movie says about relationships. The repetitive jobs held by the protagonists reminded me of the mind-numbing job held by Charlie Chaplin's character at the beginning of "Modern Times". The characters later introduce themselves to each other but pretend to be rich, feeling too ashamed of themselves to admit they're stuck in dead-end jobs.
At the end of this day (the movie takes place over the course of less than twenty-four hours), these two will provide each other with the warmth and satisfaction that neither their employment nor the uncaring people around them will give. A bit like "The Shape of Water" in that sense. I recommend it.
But probably the most important thing is what the movie says about relationships. The repetitive jobs held by the protagonists reminded me of the mind-numbing job held by Charlie Chaplin's character at the beginning of "Modern Times". The characters later introduce themselves to each other but pretend to be rich, feeling too ashamed of themselves to admit they're stuck in dead-end jobs.
At the end of this day (the movie takes place over the course of less than twenty-four hours), these two will provide each other with the warmth and satisfaction that neither their employment nor the uncaring people around them will give. A bit like "The Shape of Water" in that sense. I recommend it.