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5.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Painted Desert remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Alright, so The Painted Desert. If you’re one of those folks who really digs early talkies, the ones where the sound sometimes feels like it’s coming through a tin can, you might actually find something here. It’s certainly not for everyone. If you need explosions or even just consistent pacing, *definitely* skip it. But if you’re a classic film history buff, or you just wanna see a very young, very rough-around-the-edges Clark Gable, then yeah, it’s worth a peek. Anyone else? Probably gonna be a snooze fest, I’m being honest. 😴
The whole setup is pretty straightforward: two guys, getting by in the desert, find a baby. A *baby*! Suddenly, this little human is the center of their world, and not in a good, collaborative way. Instead, it sparks this bitter, decades-long feud between them. One of them is Bill (William Boyd), the other is Cash (J. Farrell MacDonald). They fight over this kid, the story jumps ahead, and the rivalry just festers. It’s kinda wild how one tiny thing can just mess up two lives for so long.
There are these moments early on where you see the sheer isolation of the desert. It feels… vast. Like, really empty. And that emptiness sort of reflects in the characters, too. When they find the baby, it’s this huge event because there’s just *nothing* else around. You can almost feel the dust in your throat watching it.
The acting style, you know, it’s 1931. So, sometimes it’s big and theatrical. Other times, it’s a bit stiff, like they’re not quite sure what to do with the newfangled sound equipment. The dialogue can be clunky, like they’re trying too hard to make sure every word is heard. It’s a learning curve for everyone involved.
Clark Gable is in this, playing a character called Brad. He’s not the main rival, but he’s definitely got that undeniable screen presence, even back then. You can see the glimmer of what he’d become. He doesn't have a ton of lines, but when he does, you lean in a little. It’s like, *oh, that’s him*. Even in this dusty, low-budget thing, he kinda pops. ✨
The rivalry itself, between Bill and Cash, gets a bit repetitive after a while. They argue, they glare, the years pass, and they’re still arguing. It’s like, guys, can we move on? The baby grows up, becomes a young man, and he’s caught right in the middle. It makes you wonder how much of their anger is even about the kid anymore, or just the stubbornness of being right.
There’s a scene where one of them tries to sabotage the other’s mining claim. It feels pretty low-stakes, given the lifelong animosity. You’d expect something… bigger. More dramatic. But it’s just a shovel and a bit of sand. Maybe that's the point? The small, petty things that drag on forever. 🤷♀️
Helen Twelvetrees plays Mary, the young woman who eventually gets involved. She’s kind of the calm in the storm, trying to make sense of these two old men and their endless squabble. Her presence injects a little bit of needed warmth, but it’s still overshadowed by the male drama.
One thing that kept sticking out to me was the wide shots of the desert. They’re actually pretty striking. For a black and white film from this era, the landscapes have a stark beauty. It’s a good reminder that even when the story drags, there’s often something visually interesting to latch onto, if you look close enough.
The ending, without giving it away, tries to tie things up neatly. But after all that simmering hatred, it feels a little too convenient. Like, did they *really* just let go of all that? It’s hard to buy completely. The movie wants a happy-ish ending, but the weight of the past just feels too heavy for it to truly lift.
It's not a masterpiece, by any stretch. But it’s a curious piece of film history. And seeing Clark Gable before he was a *star* is a treat. If you’re digging deep into early cinema, this one’s a footnote worth checking out. If you're not, then maybe just watch Applause from the same year instead; it's a very different vibe. Or even The American Beauty for a completely different kind of old school drama. Just a thought!
IMDb 5.8
1927
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