#133: The Docks of New York
Part of the Top 150 Films series
The Docks of New York is possibly the most gorgeous film made in the silent era, and definitely the peak of von Stenberg’s illustrious career. Fog and mist and smoke pervade every frame; even indoor scenes come alive despite an atmosphere of intense obfuscation created by the cinematography and the characters’ actions. The combination of Harold Rosson’s cinematography and Hans Dreier’s expressionist set design results in a brilliant examination of life on the waterfront 25 years before Brando, Kazan et al would stake their own cinematic claim on the territory. Bancroft and Compson are extraordinary, imbuing such complicated and multi-faceted characters with bravado, tenderness, anger and resignation that they elevate their material to the highest of highs. Docks combines social realism with avant-garde aesthetics, deliciously long tracking shots and dynamic performances to create a wonderful juxtaposition of melodrama and the crushing reality of the times in which it was made.
