The Docks of New York (1928)
(Josef von Sternberg, US 1928, 76 min., 35mm)
One of the first films preserved at the Eastman House (in 1950), original director of the Film Department James Card considered this to be “the film where director Josef von Sternberg reaches the apotheosis of his mysterious handling of the close-up. . . . The sustained rhythm of the film supports its dreamlike quality . . . the characters . . . undulate with surreal grace.” George Bancroft and the luminous Betty Compson, one of the most delicately intriguing faces of silent films, star in this beautifully stylized masterpiece, directed by one of film’s lavishly unique visual geniuses. A 35mm acetate print made from a nitrate negative that is now completely lost.
Live piano accompaniment by Dr. Philip Carli.