Safety Last! (1923) Reviews

Since I really loved ‘The Kid Brother’, I was really eager to see this other classic starring Harold Lloyd. First of all, I was really surprised to discover that this movie was not included in some major movie lists such as ‘1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die’ or ‘They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They?’ (Roger Ebert did include it in his ‘Great Movies’ list though). Indeed, it is rather weird since this movie does include arguably the most iconic scene displayed in a silent comedy which was obviously when Harold Lloyd was dangling from a clock on a top of a building. This scene was and still is the stuff of legends, even if it was debunked years later by a stuntman. Indeed, there were actually some security measures, for example, they used a fake building front filmed in a way to capture the street below. Even so, Lloyd was still probably risking his life anyway and that’s the kind of stuff you don’t see anytime nowadays (even though you could say that Tom Cruise does indulge in some really hazardous stunts with his ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise). Instead, nowadays, everything is done with some really fake CGI but should performers actually risk their life to entertain us? The weird thing is that I was never scared when Lloyd was doing his stunt which is a tribute to his mighty skills. Eventually, this scene was obviously amazing and quite unforgettable but, even though it tends to overshadow the rest of the movie, the whole thing was actually quite fun. Sure, the concept was pretty basic but Lloyd definitely made the most of it and most of the jokes were actually quite hilarious to behold. Anyway, to conclude, it was another really solid silent comedy from Harold Lloyd, it is definitely worth a look and it is even pretty much a must-see for any decent movie buff. 

(YT) A feat of strenght, vertigo and humour, a literally ascension t the height of slapstick kind of abstracction (the clock makes wonders)...keatonesque

Harold Lloyd's building climbing stunt is one of the most awe-inspiring spectacles I've ever seen in a movie, done with a dogged dexterity and lovable enthusiasm worthy of comparison to Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin at their best. This masterpiece of physical and slapstick comedy made me laugh at inspired gags and gasp at startlingly convincing danger in equal measure.

speachless - the stunts - all his breathe taking - and believe it or not - he only had a few fingers left - timeless classic - deserves to be watched nearly 100 years later!