The Penalty

I first saw this as a kid. I had vague memories of this film. Revisited it recently on a dvd. The plot - A surgeon mistakenly amputates both the legs of a young lad. The young lad overhears the conversation between the surgeon n his mentor about the negligence n the cover up. Fast forward n this boy has turned into a monster known as Blizzard, the criminal mastermind who wants revenge but has a penchant for music. The highlight - Lon Chaney gave a terrifying performance. The astonishing physical get up of a man who had lost both of his legs just above the knee, the transformation by walking with the aid of two crutches, using his arms alone, his menacing grin n sorrowful face, all these were top notch. Another good aspect is the direction by Wallace Worsley. He managed to create a true villain outta Chaney, gave the film a gritty look and above all, the villain's lair - so innovative n secretive, much before all the bond n comic book villains.

This was the first starring role for Lon Chaney, and he's terrific playing a double amputee whose legs were both needlessly cut off as a boy by a young doctor who felt it was required to save the child's life after a serious accident. The boy eventually grows up to be an embittered underworld leader, looking to settle the score. Chaney gives a great performance and he is still amazing to watch today, even 86 years later, while painfully contorting his body to produce the needed effect, utilizing only his talent and ingenuity in place of today's CGI effects. Sure, Hollywood would have used CG back then if they had the luxury, but I still find it more mesmerizing this way. Lon had to pull his legs up behind his back and have them strapped tightly underneath a long overcoat, hobbling about on his knees. The direction is solid and the story is consistently interesting and multi-layered. It's very easy to sympathize with Chaney's character through his strong performance, but I felt that the way his criminal behavior was explained for the conclusion was a tad of a letdown. Still, quite a worthwhile film. *** out of ****

Combining a creative, atmospheric story with a fine performance by Lon Chaney makes "The Penalty" an effective and memorable suspense classic. In one of his earliest leading roles, Chaney is a complete success, both in defining an unusual character and in bringing out everything inside the mind of the sinister "Blizzard". You can already see his determination to make his character visually convincing and flawless, even at the cost of great discomfort. Chaney also shows, as he would so many times, his rare skill in using facial expressions and gestures to show just the right amount of emotion and intensity.

The story is quite interesting in itself, and though it slightly stretches plausibility at times, it is by no means predictable. The brief opening scene of the childhood accident efficiently sets up the background for the strange world dominated by Chaney's vengeful character when he becomes an adult. From there, the well-crafted story keeps you interested and keeps you guessing. The settings are well-chosen, creating an interesting and appropriate atmosphere, with Blizzard's strange hideout and the sculptress's cluttered studio both standing in contrast with the respectable-looking Dr. Ferris and the other characters.

A mere account of the events in the story would not convey the success of the movie in creating a distinctive world in which the characters come to life. This is also a case in which a silent film is probably more effective than a sound film would have been. One of the main flaws in many movies of this type is the vapid dialogue that dissipates the tension through unintentional humor. Here, the title cards need only convey some basic ideas - the rest of it is handled without sound by Chaney, by the rest of the cast, and by the production crew who put everything together so well.

A master criminal pays THE PENALTY for a life full of evil.

Lon Chaney became a major movie star with his role in this shocker. Already regarded as a fine actor for his performances in lesser films, he now proved he was quite willing to go far beyond mere makeup for the enhancement of his screen persona. His dedication to his craft, coupled with an outsized talent, were to make Chaney one of the foremost film actors of the 1920's.

Here Chaney plays a legless mobster who plots terrible revenge upon the doctor who maimed him (his plan to sack San Francisco of its wealth is almost incidental.) In order to create the illusion of being a paraplegic, Chaney bound his legs back and encased them in stumps. He is able to hop about with great alacrity using crutches, but he suffered intense pain during the filming and could only abide the prosthetics for short periods of time.

As remarkable as what he's able to achieve on his knees might be, it is the face of Chaney which is equally memorable here. The fact that he's able to model for a bust of Satan as part of the plot is no accident. His features take on the visage of pure unadulterated evil. The blood chills to look at him. Chaney the Actor has wordlessly spoken.

The film itself is a pleasantly florid potboiler, with plenty of menace, mayhem and damsels in distress. But it is Chaney who lingers longest in memory's darkest recess...

I saw this film on the big screen. From the beginning, one may get the impression that this could be one of the "been there...seen this" plots. Not true. The storyline is full of twists and turns throughout. Even the title has a twist at the end of the movie. While watching the plot unfold, I thought that it referred to the penalty the doctor and his family had to pay for the operation performed on Blizzard as a boy (Lon Chaney's character), making him handicaped...not so! Another twist is the female detective's turning from her investigation to admiration of Blizzard; the twist in the operation procedure performed on Blizzard to restore his legs; and then, the final twist at the end of the movie. Not what you would have expected...however, the final "penalty" is paid.

To sum it up...great actor and great story. Worth a repeat viewing. Rating: 9/10