The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1923)

A great disc for silent film buffs and Lon Chaney fans

The picture quality on the disc is the best I've seen the film looking on any video or broadcast I've seen in the past (though it is an 80-plus year old silent film and this is never going to look like a Criterion Collection title). The extras are plentiful, fun (especially the 3-d stills) and informative. This is well worth shelling out the extra money for if you are a lover of silent film, classic horror, or if you're a Lon Chaney fan (the commentary is especially recommended if you fit in the last category, as is the excerpt from the "lost" Chaney film included as an extra). I rate it four back humps! September 18, 2008

A masterwork all the way through!

The acclaimed and renowned actor of the silent era - Lon Chaney - shows us why he was named "Man of thousand faces" . This performance may be not labelled but extraordinary and outstanding.

The first version of Victor Hugo's novel about the tortured hunchback who dwells within the sanctuary of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Ridiculed, exploited he is the freak of Paris, finds his bliss ringing louder the bells of the church to manifest his feelings. When she meets Esmeralda an alluring gypsy, he makes the best he can to rescue from her devil guardian.

The employment of special effects (notice we are in 1923) and the singular make up, the memorable stages, the perfect script in which we are aware about every insight of each personage, is undertaken with admirable execution.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to you. Among the most extraordinary films of the silent era, this film must be included in any list.

August 4, 2008

Good But Not The Ultimate Edition

I had not seen The Hunchback of Notre Dame for some time prior to the purchase of this DVD. Despite its age the film is beautifully acted and the set decoration is magnificent. The music for this release is by Robert Israel who scored Harold Lloyd's silent films. The score is nicely conceived and well performed. The only reservation I have is that when Lon Chaney rings the large bell the sound is that of a tubular bell: higher pitched and not a deafening as the real bell would be. I was wondering why a more suitable large bell sound was not substituted in the soundtrack.

The print is not bad. The print is of an uneven quality with some scratching but no serious damage that ruins the image altogether. Sometimes the print has a gray cast to it. One hopes that at some point there will be a way to repair these damaged prints so we can enjoy clean images. The night tinting looks a bit light and not the deep blue that I have seen in other prints; but the color is effective in handling the transition to night. Of the extras, the remains of Alas and Alack are interesting as an early performance by Lon Chaney, who we see in the roll of a hunchback and a fisherman. We do not see Chaney in close-up, unfortunately, before the available film cuts off. There is also a silent short of Chaney on the Hunchback set wearing a suit and paying no attention to the camera that is recording his short climb up the cathedral facade. There are a large number of stills, many of which can be view with the enclosed 3-D glasses.

I enjoyed the reproduction of the souvenir booklet that was enclosed with the many still photographs and sort biographies of the stars. The only think missing is a documentary on the making of the Hunchback that would go into the creation of the magnificent sets and Lon Chaney's make-up. While this may not truly be the "ultimate" Hunchback it will fill the bill for now.

January 14, 2008

A Classic for all movie-buffs

This new Ultimate Edition of the 1923 silent version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is a very nice set with various interesting bonus material such as a reproduction of the original theatre program booklet and other information generally aimed at the serious movie aficionado. And as every good movie fan would know, "The Hunchback" is one of those enduring and immortal classic tales which never loses its appeal through the ages, and like many high quality silent films of the 1920s, this version also has special features of interest to modern-day audiences. The most striking aspect for most people would surely be the extraordinary character actor, Lon Chaney, whose unique talents make the Hunchback come to life and take over the story, just as his other famous role in "The Phantom of the Opera". An expert in make-up and disguise, Chaney also excelled in body language and could make his characters ooze emotions in silent films merely with gestures, posture and movements. This expressive acting conveys the feeling of the real human being underneath the obvious heavy make-up of the Hunchback, as this despised monstrosity who finds shelter in the Notre Dame cathedral becomes involved in medieval intrigues between the rich aristocracy and the poor beggars. A love story and a tragic tale of a mother who lost her small child are also cleverly woven into this classic Victor Hugo novel, which Chaney and Universal Studios strove to reproduce as best as possible. Much of that effort is visible in the sets which were built at Universal at great cost, making "Hunchback" Universal's first big-budget spectacle picture in an attempt to keep up with other studios that were producing grand scale historic costume epics at that time. Getting background information like this from both the enclosed notes and the audio commentary on the DVD helps the modern viewer to appreciate the importance of this film at the time, its part in the development of the Hollywood studios and grand costume dramas with sets and effects no longer viable today, but nevertheless still impressive today. Those looking for `horror' by today's standards in this film will be disappointed, but as a classic story with realistic historical sets and characters dealing with issues that never go out-of-date, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is an important milestone in cinema's history. It has a fitting standard classic orchestral score, and the picture quality is very good overall, with only several scenes appearing scratchy or worn, but no doubt this is a better quality production than many previous public domain issues without the in-depth bonus features.
January 2, 2008

Improved Video But Only Slightly

This is by far the best image quality yet that I have seen of this wonderful film. However, considering that this is the exact same print that has been in circulation for many years, and the print is full of scratches, artifacts, and shakes, jumps and jitters along the way, the beginning statement is not a endorsement. Now, to be fair there is some slight improvement in quality. There is much more sharpness and detail than the previous version. It doesnt look as washed out as the other version did. It has also been speed corrected to have a more natural and smoother flow to it. Also a new stereo surround music accompaniment has been added. It is a much more enjoyable experience to view than before. Lon Chaney gives a superb performance as the hunchback Quasimodo. His makeup is nothing short of astounding. With this set you also get a short collection of 3D stills that may be viewed (3D glasses are included), a collection of flat 2D stills and publicity items, a few minutes of silent footage of Chaney on the set of the picture (out of costume and makeup), and also a few minutes of a very early film appearance of Chaney called Alas And Alak made in 1913. He also appeared as a hunchback in this film. This is for the present time the best version available. Unless a better print is discovered in the vaults somewhere this is it! Recommended. November 28, 2007

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