Greed

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Simon T @MovieTart Sep 25, 2026 This is a review of the truncated 130-minute cut. Even making allowances for its age and the occasional longuers, this is a very well-acted and increasingly dramatic exploration of greed, avarice and the violent consequences of both. Zasu Pitts is a manipulative waif (and Lillian Gish lookalike), whose partner Marcus wins $5000 on the lottery and is then usurped by the lumpen dentist McTeague. The greatest mystery here is why Gibson Gowland (McTeague) went on to a career of often uncredited bit parts. His is one of the greatest screen performances in cinema: subtle, heartfelt, violent. He should have been a major star, but this will be a fantastic enduring showcase. See more Emma F @MovieFan97 Mar 14, 2025 A chilling tale about the consequences of greed. See more DanTheMan 2 @DanTheMan2150AD May 29, 2024 Silent films really do hit differently... Powerful even in its incomplete form, about 7 hours worth of material is missing, Erich von Stroheim's Greed is a spoil of cinematic riches and a harrowing dissertation on the corrupting allure of money. Even now its relentlessly cynical portrait of physical and moral squalor retains the ability to shock, while Stroheim's obsessive attention to realist detail is never mundane; delving into deep the human soul, bringing out the worst, but also the best, of people. Von Stroheim conveys a fierce realism to the production process with his usual megalomaniacal personality, especially during the film's climax; shot in Death Valley, in 51°C heat, for months on end, resulted in most of the production becoming ill and even one member of the crew dying! It's a film that utilises extensive location shooting, deep-focus cinematography and use of extreme close-ups, all of which feel incredibly ahead of its time. While we may never see Greed as von Stroheim intended, the film remains an incredible feat for not only the silent period but in the history of cinema as a whole. See more Thomas V @TomVee Feb 8, 2024 It's a shame how much of this masterpiece is missing, but it's been reconstructed surprisingly well using production stills, some of which are as beautifully composed as those famous photos of the Okies taken decades later by Eisenstadt and Dorothea Lange. In fact, the stills help highlight Von Stroheim's eye for composition, which was exceptional. The story is a pretty grim morality play that ends badly for nearly everyone involved, except for a kindly old couple. The performances, however, are quite good and pretty naturalistic, complementing the realism the picture achieved through shooting so much on location. It's no wonder that critics and audiences didn't quite know what to make of it at the time, and only later did it acquire it's reputation as a true classic. See more John E @EggmanATL Aug 27, 2023 I loved this film and am so very impressed by its engaging story and brilliant storytelling through the skills of director van Stroheim. This is a must see for any true film buff. For its day, it should have been a masterpiece. For our day it certainly was turned into one. See more Alexander B @RT91585287 Feb 9, 2023 There are a few scenes that were influential and shocking for the time it was made. Sadly it suffered from slow pace and boring moments. See more Read all reviews

Greed

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