The Branded Man (1928) - A weirdly sweaty silent boxing drama

If you're into those old silent movies where a guy loses everything and decides to start hitting people in a ring, you might actually like this one. It's definitely not for you if you need a high-speed plot or something with the budget of Avatar, because this is very much a small, gritty production.

Fred Colgate is the lead, played by Charles Delaney. He starts off as this wealthy guy, but his wife is a piece of work. Honestly, the way she treats him makes you want to reach into the screen and give him a hug.

When he finds out she's cheating, he just packs up and heads to Mexico. It feels a bit like a mid-life crisis, but with more dust. 🌵

There is this accident—it's shot kind of strangely—where everyone assumes he's kicked the bucket. The movie doesn't spend much time explaining the logistics of the 'death,' he's just gone.

Suddenly, he's a prizefighter. It's a big jump in logic, but the boxing scenes have a decent bit of energy to them. 🥊

Delaney actually looks like he knows how to hold his hands up. It’s better than the awkward fighting you see in All Wrong, that's for sure.

One thing that caught my eye was a specific shot of Fred's hands before a fight. They look so bruised and real compared to the rest of the polished set.

The middle of the film drags a little bit when he's just moping around. It reminded me of the slow parts in The Pursuing Vengeance, where you're just waiting for the next punch to be thrown.

Then he goes back to his home city. This is where it gets really weird.

Nobody recognizes him at first. I mean, he's a famous boxer now, but I guess a different haircut goes a long way in 1928.

The 'strange situation' mentioned in the plot is basically a lot of legal drama and people being greedy. It’s a bit of a letdown after the boxing stuff.

Andy Clyde shows up too. He’s usually the funny guy, but here he feels slightly out of place, like he wandered in from a different set.

The makeup on the wife in the later scenes is a bit much. She looks like she hasn't slept in three years, which I guess is the point, but it's distracting.

I liked the ending well enough, even if it felt a bit rushed. It’s like the director realized they only had five minutes of film left and had to wrap up a whole marriage.

It’s not a masterpiece like some of the big-name silents. But it has this rough charm that you don't see often anymore.

The way Fred stares at his own reflection toward the end is actually pretty moving. You can tell he doesn't even know who he is anymore.

If you're bored on a Sunday and want to see some old-school melodrama, give it a go. Just don't expect it to change your life or anything.