Description
Released in 1924, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau’s *The Last Man* tells a simple yet deeply moving story: that of an ordinary man who staked everything on a coat.
A respected doorman at a grand hotel, he derives his pride and dignity from the way others regard him. The day he is relegated to the toilets, he loses not only his job but his place amongst his peers. In this dialogue-free film, Murnau creates a cinema of the body and the gaze that is strikingly modern. Inspired by Gogol’s ‘The Overcoat’, the story questions, with bitter irony, our need for recognition and the fragility of social status. Presented as a film concert, the film takes on a new sonic dimension.
Upon its release, The Last of Men had no official soundtrack. Composer Alexis Savelief has created an original and previously unpublished score, known for engaging with the images, accompanying the gestures and highlighting the inner turmoil, striking a balance between fidelity to the spirit of silent cinema and a contemporary perspective.
Jean Deroyer - direction
Le Dernier des Hommes (1924)
Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau réalisation
Alexis Savelief musique
