Customer Rating:  
Summary: 40s expressionistic Americana
Comment: This movie is two parts good ol' slice of Americana and one part gripping ghost story, as a man named Jabez (his name is but one of the many comparisons this movie will make to Job) Stone, in a fit of rage, attracts the devil with the curse "I'd sell my soul to the devil for two pennies!" He's lucky enough that the conversation goes further than that and he gets to trade his soul ("merely a small thing") for seven years good luck and a pile of gold up front. Of course these narratives are always very bizarre to me: doesn't the devil appearing in anthropomorphic form basically immediately alert the character, who exists obviously in a Christian world with access to the texts, that the devil's own very existence proves the existence of an anthropomorphic God who will hold true to the promises written in the Bible? But never mind all that. Quickly Mr. Stone meets Mr. Webster, burgeoning politician as he is in 1840, and the movie becomes about pride, greed, and the blindness to American values such as the beauty of the countryside, the kindness of neighbors, and all sorts of speeches about freedom--speeches so powerful, they may just save Jabez from hell.
Now the performances here are great. Walter Huston is more than just a great presence, he burns away the film like the parlor trick when he's introduced. Whether sneaking ideas into the ears of simple-minded men or commanding ghosts to rise from the door, his physical presence and grinning flamboyance makes the whole movie a delight to watch. He doesn't necessarily shadow Edward Arnold as Daniel Webster, however, as Arnold stands sturdy as a good American politician (the inside joke of the film and viewers being that he'll never gain that Presidency if he won't side with Mr. Scratch) who, despite some quirks like the taste for rum, is willing to give everyone their fair share of justice.
Now, of course, the movie itself is a true example of 50s American nationalism. Some of the roles and dialog can be taken as pure bigotry by today's standards, and of course you have the usual in separate beds and almost immaculate conception. But that kind of stuff is more than overshadowed by some real expressionistic handiwork. Demons, hellbound souls, gilded rich people, poor farmers mix together in settings that somehow fit all of them. A spider-woman appears in the form of "Belle", a demonic foil to Jabez's wife Mary, a triangle reminiscent of the beginning of Murnau's "Sunrise". A creepy ball is held, followed by an equally phantasmagoric trail which predates the surreality of "Carnival of Souls". And the movie isn't above including the audience with such considerations of "This could happen to anyone, anywhere" in the opening credits and a wonderful closing shot of Huston pointing at the camera, giving a memorable evil laugh as enticing as any of the better Jokers.
Still, a lot of the patriotic overtones of the movie have definitely not aged well with contemporary values. This movie has every mark and feel of a pre-60s, pre-Watergate, pre-9/11, post-WWII blind optimism which at heart is made of faith and true values but which modern people can't help but ignore such phrases as, "Oh Daniel, that'd be so white of you" and the now rather ridiculous naivety to which the character of Mary is prone. In fact, at the time of the movie's production, pre-bedeviled Jabez is supposed to be a great ol' guy, the kind of character anyone could appreciate and depend on, but now he's something of a jerk that goes even further with his greed and callousness. Can't blame the movie, itself, though. If anything, this movie can also stand as yet another example of the type of faith America has been desperately trying to regain after the past half-century, the type that is aware of the flaws of the 50s but eager to regain that sense of hope. That's what the character of Daniel Webster in this movie stands for, and that hasn't aged at all.
--PolarisDiB
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Devil and Daniel Webster
Comment: I went through 3 different DVD players that play DVD-2 as well as DVD -1. It would not play. After a couple of visits with computer experts and still being unable to view it I gave up and shredded it. It was a waste of money!
Customer Rating:
Summary: This Version Is The One To See
Comment: First off, let me state that after viewing both versions of this film: the 85-minute and the 106-minute ones, both have their merits. For VHS, I recommend the shorter version. If you have the Criterion DVD with a 106-minute one, however, you have the best. I had seen both on tape but when I saw the longer version with a great DVD transfer, it convinced me the longer one is the version you want to see. It also seemed to improve the whole movie.
The Criterion DVD helped me appreciate the underrated black-and-white cinematography in this movie. It simply looks super, and even the special-effects are still pretty darned good considering the year this was made.
Character-wise, as so often is the case, the bad-guys are the most interesting in the movie. The best was Walter Huston playing "Scratch" (the Devil) and Simone Simon playing a female helper of his. Simon has the allure in this story to drive leading character "Jabez Stone" away from his sweet wife "Mary" (Anne Shirley).
Overall, this is a different story than anything you've seen. It's interesting, nicely directed by William Dieterle and photographed by Joseph August. Sadly, the latter died later in the 1940s with a heart attack. His last picture was another visual wonder: "Portrait Of Jennie."
Customer Rating:
Summary: 4 Star Movie 2 Star Presentation 0 Star Price
Comment: 37 bucks for a poorly restored pretty good movie. Who is fooling who? The audio is a travesty and the print barely acceptable. This isn't a 90 year old foreign silent movie where there's only so much that even state of the art restoration can do. This is a WW2 era major American studio release. No excuses. One wonders if they simply copied an old vhs tape onto a dvd and called it a day. The price is simply absurd, even by Criterion's usual hold-the-good-films-hostage-for-high-ransoms business practices. Extras are cool but they don't justify highway robbery. One would think they would see the wisdom in long term gains to be had from a reasonably priced product. I would love to own many Criterion movies but the prices force me to be extremely picky. Lower the prices and I'll buy at least twice as many as I already have. Do the math. Would you rather sell 20 products at $30 or 40 at $20? The movie itself is an interesting, if somewhat unimaginative, Faustian morality tale with an American slant, a great performance by Walter Huston as the devil and a few neat camera tricks. Basically, an above average product of Hollywood's contract era movie studios. Hardly Seven Samurai, Wild Strawberries or Citizen Kane level of excellence here in the first place and the nonexistant restoration and outrageous price assure I will never own it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Old New England Wisdom stirs the spirits.
Comment: Ah! Here is a journey back in time to the values that built the nation. A blend of history, folklore, humor, and morals entertains us a curious way. This is one the whole family will want to see more than once.
|
