History Film / Greed

''Greed'' is remembered as much (if not more) for what it isn't as for what it is. Von Stroheim's original cut was '''forty-two reels''', or nearly ''eight hours''. It is often considered the most "literal" [[TheMovie film adaptation]] of a novel ever (the runtime is only two hours shy of that of the novel's unabridged audiobook). von Stroheim tried to talk the producers into showing the film in multiple parts, but eventually edited down to a four-hour cut. Creator/{{MGM}} eventually took the film out of von Stroheim's hands and released it with a running time of about two and a half hours. The shortened film was a flop, panned by critics and [[CreatorBacklash disowned by its director]]. It has, however, been VindicatedByHistory, and is commonly considered one of the masterpieces of silent cinema. The four-hour DirectorsCut of ''Greed'' is sometimes called the "Holy Grail" of film archivists. No copy of [[MissingEpisode the deleted footage]] has ever been found, but the twelve people who ''did'' see the full eight-hour version have deemed it one of the greatest films ever made.

A 1924 [[SilentMovie silent]] psychological drama film directed by Creator/ErichVonStroheim, based on the 1899 novel ''Literature/McTeague'' by Frank Norris. John [=McTeague=] (Gibson Gowland) is a miner in the California gold country. A visiting dentist inspires him to try something new, and the dentist takes him on as an apprentice. [=McTeague=] eventually settles down as a dentist in San Francisco. His friend Marcus (Jean Hersholt) brings his girlfriend Trina ([=ZaSu=] Pitts) to [=McTeague=] as a patient. Marcus nobly steps aside when [=McTeague=] falls in love with Trina. [=McTeague=] and Trina are married.

A 1924 [[SilentMovie silent]] psychological drama film directed by Creator/ErichVonStroheim, based on the novel ''Literature/McTeague'' by Frank Norris. John [=McTeague=] (Gibson Gowland) is a miner in the California gold country. A visiting dentist inspires him to try something new, and the dentist takes him on as an apprentice. [=McTeague=] eventually settles down as a dentist in San Francisco. His friend Marcus (Jean Hersholt) brings his girlfriend Trina ([=ZaSu=] Pitts) to [=McTeague=] as a patient. Marcus nobly steps aside when [=McTeague=] falls in love with Trina. [=McTeague=] and Trina are married.

* TheFilmOfTheBook: ''[=McTeague=]'' by Frank Norris.

* RapunzelHair: Trina’s hair is so long she covers herself with it while naked.

* NamedByTheAdaptation: In the original book, the lead character was simply known as McTeague and sometimes "Mac" to his closest friends. Here in the film adaptation, it's revealed his name is John.

%% * TheFilmOfTheBook

* WeddingEpisode: A pretty ominous one--see {{Foreshadowing}} above.

* WeddingDay: A pretty ominous one--see {{Foreshadowing}} above.

* DownerEnding: [=McTeague=] beats Trina to death, and the film ends with him stuck in Death Valley, chained to a Marcus' corpse. He frees the canary, so that ''something'' would live -- but the bird immediately dies too.

A 1924 silent psychological drama film directed by Creator/ErichVonStroheim, based on the novel ''Literature/McTeague'' by Frank Norris. John [=McTeague=] (Gibson Gowland) is a miner in the California gold country. A visiting dentist inspires him to try something new, and the dentist takes him on as an apprentice. [=McTeague=] eventually settles down as a dentist in San Francisco. His friend Marcus (Jean Hersholt) brings his girlfriend Trina ([=ZaSu=] Pitts) to [=McTeague=] as a patient. Marcus nobly steps aside when [=McTeague=] falls in love with Trina. [=McTeague=] and Trina are married.

In the meantime, Trina has bought a lottery ticket. Said ticket hits for five thousand dollars. Marcus becomes bitter at missing out on the money and has a falling out with [=McTeague=]. Trina for her part zealously guards the $5000, refusing to spend a dime. She still won't spend any of it after Marcus rats out [=McTeague=] for practicing dentistry without a license, leaving the couple destitute. The [=McTeagues=]' formerly intimate marriage dissolves in hatred. Eventually [=McTeague=] murders Trina and takes off with the $5000, fleeing to Death Valley, but Marcus is determined to track him down.

''Greed'' is remembered as much (if not more) for what it isn't as for what it is. Von Stroheim's original cut was '''forty-two reels''', or nearly eight hours. It is often considered the most "literal" film adaptation of a novel ever (the run-time is only two hours shy of that of the unabridged audiobook of the novel). Von Stroheim tried to talk the producers into showing the film in multiple parts, but eventually turned in a four-hour cut. Creator/{{MGM}} eventually took the film out of von Stroheim's hands and released it with a running time of about two and a half hours. The shortened film was a flop, panned by critics and [[CreatorBacklash disowned by its director]]. It has, however, been VindicatedByHistory, and is commonly considered one of the masterpieces of silent cinema. The four-hour DirectorsCut of ''Greed'' is sometimes called the "Holy Grail" of film archivists. No copy of [[MissingEpisode the deleted footage]] has ever been found, but the twelve people who ''did'' see the full eight hour version have deemed it one of the greatest films ever made.

* AnimalMotifs: [=McTeague=] and his wife are represented as birds, caged together in a dysfunctional relationship, while Marcus is the cat watching from below and waiting to pounce. At the end of the film, [=McTeague=], desperate for someone to survive, releases his last bird from its cage. [[DownerEnding It immediately dies.]]

* WantedPoster: This is pretty much all the segue there is from Trina's murder to the last sequence of [=McTeague=] fleeing into the desert. This is one of the biggest cuts in von Stroheim's film--a long section where [=McTeague=] goes back home to see his parents again was taken out of the movie.

* TheSevenDeadlySins: Most of the characters' actions are driven by greed, but [=McTeague=] shows lust as he kisses an unconscious Trina, and Marcus is overcome with envy, before that envy turns to wrath in the final confrontation. Gluttony is also on display at the wedding feast.

* EpicMovie: Certainly in its original form. Even the surviving cut has an epic feel, with location shooting in San Francisco and Death Valley that was very unusual for TheTwenties.

* TheFilmOfTheBook

* DownerEnding: [=McTeague=] beats Trina to death, and the film ends with him stuck in Death Valley, chained to a Marcus' corpse.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/95c140e9fbd0e58adf298a920535f0cc.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:It's called Death Valley for a reason.]]

--> "Oh how I saved and slaved for you. Nobody will ever have you."

''Greed'' is remembered as much for what it isn't as for what it is. Von Stroheim's original cut was '''forty-two reels''', or nearly eight hours. It is often considered the most "literal" film adaptation of a novel ever (the run-time is only two hours shy of that of the unabridged audiobook of the novel). Von Stroheim tried to talk the producers into showing the film in multiple parts, but eventually turned in a four-hour cut. Creator/{{MGM}} eventually took the film out of von Stroheim's hands and released it with a running time of about two and a half hours. The shortened film was a flop, panned by critics and [[CreatorBacklash disowned by its director]]. It has, however, been VindicatedByHistory, and is commonly considered one of the masterpieces of silent cinema. The four-hour DirectorsCut of ''Greed'' is sometimes called the "Holy Grail" of film archivists. No copy of [[MissingEpisode the deleted footage]] has ever been found, but the twelve people who ''did'' see the full eight hour version have deemed it one of the greatest films ever made.

* DownerEnding: [=McTeague=] beats Trina to death, and the film ends with him stuck in Death Valley, chained to a corpse.