It remains true that some of the best films ever made hail from the silent era; in my opinion King Vidor's own 1928 drama 'The crowd' is one of them - a simple story, beautifully told. It's also true that there are no few titles of the time that are less outwardly impressive, and their chief lasting value might be for the ardent cinephile who appreciates the place they hold in the history of cinema. This is hardly to discount the hard work of those involved, but I don't think it's unreasonable to look at Vidor's 1921 work 'Love never dies' as a reflection of the notion of "simpler entertainment for a simpler time." All the component parts are here for a motion picture, and it's suitably enjoyable on its level, with some bits more admirable than others. All the component parts are also here to broadly characterize it as rather common, or arguably middling, and unlikely to change the minds of anyone who isn't already enamored of the silent era. For better and for worse, the viewing experience in this case is a very mixed bag.
It's no one's fault that the image quality of the surviving print was diminished before it was digitally preserved. Concerns of greater substance include the very direct, somewhat unsophisticated storytelling, imparting a tale with some facets that exceed our suspension of belief, and with melodrama fit for a Lifetime original movie. There are additional elements of considerable, ham-handed kitsch, and expression of old-fashioned, dated values, which only add layers to the nature of the storytelling. Such aspects also inform the acting. Some performers come off better than others, including Madge Bellamy with tinges of meaningful nuance and emotional range. On the other hand, there's also Frank Brownlee with a laughable, stark bluntness that would be ripe for parody, and in general 'Love never dies' counts among fare with the more exaggerated facial expressions and body language that defined the earliest years of the medium.
In fairness, in a short runtime of just over one hour, the flick leaves a better mark in fits and starts, and maybe more so as it goes along. As the melodrama kicks up around halfway through Vidor latches onto some more shrewd moments, and guides his cast and cinematographer Max Dupont into some small shots that are low-key brilliant. The sets, costume design, hair, and makeup may not make us altogether bat our eyes, but are lovely all the same, not to mention the filming locations. And if nothing else is true about this film, the major sequences of stunts and effects to come in the second half are outstanding, almost certainly the top highlights here and about on par with some of the best of contemporary cinema. In fact, while there are rough spots and a prevailing, decided lack of tact and subtlety, there is also a welcome earnestness to the narrative at its core. For as solid as 'Love never dies' is when notable care is taken in its craftsmanship, one just wishes that the writing, direction, and acting were so thoughtfully considered throughout the whole length. Heavily accentuating the issue, there comes a point in the last ten to fifteen minutes when the plot development suddenly becomes emphatically muddled, garbled, rushed, and downright sloppy. It's an abrupt change so severe that if one didn't know any better one would assume that an entire reel or two had been lost to the ravages of time.
For as splendid as the picture is when it's "firing on all cylinders," it deserves more recognition and remembrance; for as so-so or even outright troubled as this is at its weakest points, maybe I'm being too kind in my assessment. It turns out that the impression the feature makes so early on is all too accurate - it's passably entertaining such as it is, but likely something that only a silent devotee will get the most out of, and definitely not an exemplar of the timeframe. I'm glad for those who get more from it than I do, and I repeat that there is a lot to like. In its root form the story is swell, and it's just regrettable that in execution the result is quite flawed. If you're receptive to older movies then 'Love never dies' is still worth checking out if you have the opportunity; just don't go out of your way for it, and save it for a lazy day.
