The Last Laugh

I'm relatively fond of the German Expressionist of the 1920s, The Last Laugh is a more traditional-looking film though. Didn't really know what to expect, especially since I've been having rather different reactions to other Murnau films I'd seen so far. The Last Laugh ended up somewhere in between.

The film follows a proud hotel doorman who loves his job. He goes out of the way to help the guests, but when one day he helps a client with a particularly heavy suitcase he is caught resting and gets demoted to toilet cleaner. His pride melts away when friends and neighbors make fun of his situation.

Performances are needlessly over the top, the story is a bit basic and repetitive and the ending is a real head scratcher. Apparently commissioned by the studio that way, but it's a real dud. I never really cared for the fate of the doorman, but for a film this old it does feel remarkable well put together.