”Everywhere….in every town….in every
street….we pass, unknowing, human souls made great through love and adversity.”
One of Allan Fish's greatest gifts was sharing his passion for films
long forgotten or never fully appreciated. In keeping with that theme, my
review highlights a film never before posted to
Wonders in the Dark. Certainly not made
for cynical audiences, Borzage represents a style of filmmaking that has mostly
fallen out of favor. Here we have a director who pulls together themes of love
and hardship, complete with expressive use of atmosphere: streets, apartments,
rooftops filmed with scintillating panache. Then, throw all this together with
heavy doses of melodramatic plot twists that are simply too crazy to believe. Melodrama,
in the hands of Sirk or Fassbinder, tends to be something that modern audiences
have welcomed. Their use of color and symbolism adds a layer of
subversive commentary that Borzage lacks. But, Borzage excels at a certain kind
of irony-free, old-fashioned story-telling that to my mind is worth championing
for its propellant emotional energy.
Although 7th Heaven gets most of the attention, and Lucky Star is a hidden gem, Street Angel is my favorite Borzage film and is a
romantic masterpiece of the highest order, provided you’re willing to suspend
disbelief. It is the story of Angela (Janet Gaynor), who in need of money
to purchase medicine for her mother attempts to prostitute herself on the
street. She winds up getting arrested for robbery and sentenced to a year in a
work house. She runs off before being imprisoned and escapes to find her
mother dead at home. She avoids the cops and runs off to join the circus, where
she meets a painter named Gino. They strike up an awkward friendship, but soon
bond and fall in love. Their blossoming love, and impending marriage is
threatened when the police find her again. She is taken to prison while Gino is
unaware. He thinks she is lost forever and things get really interesting when
she is released from prison a year later.
Janet Gaynor won the first Academy Award for Best Actress for her
portrayals in three films: Sunrise (1927), 7th Heaven (1927), and Street Angel (1928). AMPAS first designed these
awards to be based upon an actor’s body of work for that entire year. Her
performances in the Borzage films are tops, and Street Angel is the best of the three for me. She’s
simply magic here. Sunrise doesn’t
quite capitalize on her sincere and varied emotional qualities as well
as the Borzage films, and in fact Borzage makes far greater use of her range
than Murnau’s film. She also has great chemistry with her leading man, Charles
Ferrell, whom she appeared with in a total of 12 films together! His
performance here is solid, and much more understated than in 7th Heaven.
Borzage’s use of wildly ridiculous melodramatic elements is to my
mind, highly entertaining and emotionally satisfying, and a significant draw to
his appeal. In the Borzage universe, the obstacles thrown in love’s way forces
one to sacrifice, make tough choices, and is a true test of how devoted one’s
love is. Love is not proven true until it perseveres beyond adversity, and this
is most apparent in Street Angel. His
emphasis on depth of field, layered set design, and shadowed lighting are also
impeccable. Street Angel includes some fantastic tracking shots
and pans, use of silhouette, and of particular note, there is an intensely
crafted scene among thick fog along the docks at the end of the film. This is a
memorable set-piece, filled with suspense and romantic desperation that then
culminates in a perversely emotional climax that finishes in a church. Although
I don’t know how Allan felt about this film (he doesn’t list it in his 5,000
important works so I suppose that says something), I hope viewers find ways to
appreciate this one.
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