A Modern Hero: Ambition is a messy business

Is it worth your time?

If you like movies that track a guy’s life from rags to riches, you might dig A Modern Hero. But honestly, if you need a protagonist you can actually root for, look elsewhere. Pierre is the kind of guy who climbs the ladder by stepping on everyone’s fingers. It’s frustrating in a way that feels intentional, but that doesn’t make it any less of a headache.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of A Modern Hero (1934) through its definitive frames.

The first act is all circus life, which is colorful and kind of fun. Pierre is this handsome, slightly vapid rider, and his mother—who is clearly done with his nonsense—drops the bomb about his father. Just like that. It’s a bit soap opera-y, but it moves fast.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of A Modern Hero (1934) through its definitive frames.

Ambition as a personality trait

Once he finds out he has money in his blood, Pierre just goes for it. It is actually kind of wild how quickly he pivots from riding horses to making cars. One day he’s in the ring, the next he’s a mogul. I wish the movie spent a little more time showing us how he actually pulled that off, but it just skips over the boring business stuff to get to the next relationship he can ruin.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of A Modern Hero (1934) through its definitive frames.

There is a scene in the second act where he looks at a blueprint, and you can just see his eyes light up with dollar signs. It’s a nice bit of acting, but it makes you realize he doesn’t really love anything except the climb. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Young Sinners, just with more suits and fewer horses.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of A Modern Hero (1934) through its definitive frames.

• The circus scenes look surprisingly authentic, even if the sets are clearly studio stages.
• The transition to munitions dealer is abrupt and feels a bit tacked on, honestly.
• Pierre’s mother steals every scene she is in; she is the only person here with any common sense.

The weight of the ending

The movie gets darker as it goes. By the time he’s selling weapons during the war, you’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s not a subtle movie. It hammers home the point that money doesn't buy happiness, which is a classic trope, but watching it unfold is like watching a car crash in slow motion. You want to look away, but you can’t.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of A Modern Hero (1934) through its definitive frames.

It’s not perfect. The pacing in the middle drags like a broken wagon, and there are side characters who show up just to get ignored by Pierre. Still, it has this weird, grounded quality to it. It doesn't try to be a grand epic. It just shows you a guy who loses his soul because he was too busy looking at his own reflection in a polished car hood.