The Crowd (1928)
Released by MGM
Director: King Vidor
Screenwriters: Harry Behn, John V. A. Weaver
Historical/Industry context
The Crowd was not a financial success in its own time, nor was it meant to be. Irving Thalberg, head of production at MGM at the time, believed that it was good business to occasionally produce and release high quality “art pictures” without the expectation of generating a return at the box office. Doing so, he reasoned, would help establish MGM as a purveyor of quality entertainment. This reputation for quality, he believed, would lend a competitive edge to the box office performance of the studio’s more entertainment-oriented films. King Vidor was the ideal director for such a project. He was known as one of Hollywood’s most inventive storytellers. In another time, he would almost certainly have been an independent filmmaker. As it was, he achieved a remarkable degree of innovation working within the studio system.
Narrative context
What is the central conflict of this film?
Is the crowd the antagonist of the narrative?
Is John Sims a heroic character?
How does John’s image of himself differ from other people’s image of him?
In what way(s) does Mary conform to early 20th century female stereotypes? In what way(s) does she differ from those stereotypes?
How does the character of Bert help to advance the narrative?
What is the significance of the man juggling balls who is seen by John and Mary on their first date?
How does the film draw specific contrasts between their early, happy married life and their later, quarrelsome married life?
In what sense does the ending of the film represent a resolution?
Rhetorical context
What is the film’s message about the price one pays for being out of step with the crowd?
Is the crowd presented as a good thing or a bad thing?
What is the film’s attitude toward “the American dream?”
What aspects of John’s attitude toward life does the film seem to endorse? What aspects of John’s attitude toward life does the film seem to criticize?
Aesthetic context – Mise en scene
In what ways does Vidor’s camera reinforce the theme of “the crowd?” How is John depicted as distinct from the crowd? How is he depicted as a part of the crowd?
How many different crowd images can you recall from the film?
