23: Greed

USA  160m  Dir: Erich von Sroheim

Based on: McTeague by Frank Norris (Novel)

Greed is regarded as the first film shot entirely on location and it's creation is worthy of a film of it's own. Director Erich von Stroheim  spent two years shooting the film and rented an apartment in San Francisco which would serve as the film's main setting. He insisted that the actors should live in the apartment to help them get into character. The film's climax is set in Death Valley, a lifeless place that you'd have thought could have been created in a studio fairly easily. But no, Stroheim took his whole crew out there in temperatures of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, so hot that the cameras had to be wrapped with iced towels. 

The film was commissioned by the Goldwyn Company  but during the production it became MGM. The studio wanted a commercial film whilst Stroheim wanted an experiment in cinematic realism. The film originally ran for nine hours but Stroheim reluctantly cut it down to four but even that was too long for the studio who cut it to a little over two hours which Stroheim considered a 'mutilation'. As much as I do like to see people be given artistic freedom some people do need reigning in and the final film, the combination of Stroheim's direction and the studio's low-ranking editor who did a superb job. 

The film focuses on John 'Mac' McTeague who manages to escape the poor mining town he grew up in and becomes a dentist in San Francisco. His best friend Marcus introduces McTeague to a woman called Trina who McTeague quickly falls in love with. Seeing his friend's feelings, Marcus gives permission for McTeague to marry Trina despite his own feelings for her but quickly comes to regret the decision when Trina wins a large sum of money in the lottery shortly after marrying McTeague. Marcus informs the authorities that McTeague is working without a license leaving him and Trina without any income. 

It takes a while to get going but once McTeague stops being a dentist the film becomes really powerful. He becomes a drunk and starts abusing his wife, first verbally and then full-on beating her up. Despite their poor financial position Trina refuses to spend her lottery winnings and becomes obsessed with her prize money, even rolling around in bed with it. Eventually McTeague ends up murdering her and stealing the money- Marcus then sets out to hunt the wanted criminal down. 

It's a fascinating story about what money can do to people. Without that lottery win it would seem likely that Marcus would be happy for his friend, McTeague would have a long successful career as a dentist and he and Trina would have a happy marriage. The tragic ending is inevitable from the second Trina is told she has won the lottery which acts like a switch that turns on the dark side of human nature. 

There's no doubt that Stroheim was a superb director. There are so many scenes that are superbly powerful from the first wife-beating to the rolling in bed with money to the murder and the Death Valley finale, all of it is so well shot. Throughout the film we cut to two pet birds McTeague has that are a metaphor for him and Trina and that's just one example of the details that a lesser director would have not thought to include. 

To be honest, I'm glad I didn’t see Stroheim's original nine-hour vision because this is far more accessible than that would have been and despite the director's misgivings turned out to be a hugely impressive film.