The Docks of New York Reviews

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since it was included in the ‘1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die’ list, I was really eager to check it out. It’s only when I started to watch this movie that I discovered that it was actually directed by Josef von Sternberg and I’m pretty sure it was the first movie I saw from the famous director. It is interesting to note that, even though this movie is nowadays highly regarded, it was actually barely noticed when it was released because was it was one of the last films of the silent era and, at the time, everybody was obsessed about the first talkies coming out, even if they were not really that good. Concerning George Bancroft, he was some kind of combination of Jean Gabin with John C. Reilly and I wonder if I have ever saw him before. Anyway, I thought he was pretty good. Concerning the movie itself, it turned out to be an interesting combination of dark and grim realism with an almost fairy-tale like romance. The best example would be the wedding which is often considered as the most famous scene in this movie. Indeed, on one hand, it might seem pretty sordid and it was rather obvious that Bill Roberts wouldn’t keep his vows and, and yet, Mae actually believed in this ceremony while the crowd around them was not exactly sweet and gentle and these strong contrasts were really interesting. It’s too bad they didn’t develop more the characters though but, on the other, the fact that we knew so very little about them automatically made them more mysterious and intriguing. Anyway, to conclude, even if it didn’t really blow me away, it was still a decent watch and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.