Retribution (1924) Review: Henry B. Walthall's Staring Contest

Is it worth the watch?

If you like those old silent movies where you can basically see the greasepaint on the actors' faces, then yeah, give it a go.

It is definitely for people who enjoy slow-burning melodrama and don't mind a lack of sound.

If you hate movies where people just stand around in suits looking worried, you will probably be bored out of your mind. 😴

I sat down with Retribution last night and honestly, the title is the most exciting thing about it for the first twenty minutes.

The whole thing stars Henry B. Walthall, who you might know from the bigger stuff he did, but here he just looks incredibly tired.

He has these haunted eyes that look like they've seen too many bad things, or maybe he just stayed up too late before filming.

Tom McGuire is also in this, playing a guy who seems like he’s trying to hide a secret but isn't very good at it.

The plot is pretty much what it says on the tin.

Someone does something bad, and then they have to pay for it later on.

It’s not exactly a new idea, even for 1924.

But the way it’s shot is actually kind of interesting if you pay attention to the shadows.

There is this one scene where a character is sitting in a dark room and the light only hits half his face.

It feels very creepy and much more modern than the rest of the movie.

I noticed that the sets feel a little bit flimsy, like the walls might shake if someone closed a door too hard.

It reminds me a bit of the look in The Gulf Between, but maybe a bit less colorful, obviously.

Eddie Kane shows up too, but he doesn't have much to do other than look important in the background.

The writer is F. Hugh Herbert, and you can tell he was still figuring out how to make these stories flow.

The pacing is all over the place.

One minute it’s moving fast and then suddenly we are watching a guy read a letter for two minutes straight.

I actually started checking my phone during the letter scene, which is bad, I know.

There’s a weird bit where a character walks into a room and just stops and looks at a vase for no reason.

I think they were trying to show he was thinking, but it just looks like he forgot why he walked in there.

We’ve all been there, right? 😂

The music in the print I watched was this tinkly piano stuff that didn't really match the mood.

It was playing this happy tune while a guy was basically having a nervous breakdown.

If you’ve seen The Woman Above Reproach, you know how these moral dramas usually go.

They want to make sure you know that sinning is bad and you will definitely get caught.

It’s very heavy-handed, like being hit over the head with a Bible.

But Walthall is just so good at looking miserable that you kind of feel for him anyway.

I liked the ending more than I thought I would.

It doesn't wrap everything up in a neat little bow like a lot of movies from that time.

It leaves you feeling a bit cold, which I think was the point.

I wonder if people back then thought it was as depressing as I did.

It’s definitely better than The Soda Water Cowboy, which is just a totally different vibe anyway.

But it’s not something I’d watch twice.

The costumes are cool, though.

Everyone had such high collars back then, I don't know how they could even turn their heads.

Tom McGuire’s hat is also way too small for his head in one shot.

I couldn't stop looking at it.

Anyway, Retribution is a decent enough way to spend an hour if you want to see some old-school acting.

Just don't expect any explosions or big chase scenes.

It’s just a lot of guilt and staring. 👁️

I think I liked it? Maybe.

It’s one of those films that stays in your head for a few hours and then just sort of evaporates.

Worth it for Walthall’s face alone, honestly.

If you're looking for something else from the era, maybe check out Under Fire instead for a bit more energy.

But for a quiet night, this is fine.

It’s fine! Not great, just fine.