THE LAST LAUGH (1924) w/ Pipe Organ Music by Jeff Rapsis!
Fri, May 10
|Epsilon Spires
With groundbreaking cinematography, F.W. Murnau’s THE LAST LAUGH (1924) is one of the crowning achievements of the German expressionist movement. A beautifully conceived fable about a working-class man whose illusions of power and prestige within the hierarchical system become shattered.
Time & Location
May 10, 2024, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Epsilon Spires, 190 Main St, Brattleboro, VT 05301, USA
About the event
A stylized dramatization of the frustration and anguish of the working class, F.W. Murnau’s silent film The Last Laugh (1924) uses pioneering cinematic techniques to tell the poignant story of an aging hotel porter, brilliantly portrayed by Emil Jannings, who loses his sense of identity and pride within the hierarchical system once he is demoted.
The story encompasses class consciousness and more—an awareness that the Great War marked the beginning of the end of an era. Specifically, how the war exposed the nepotism, privilege, and backward incompetence of the officer class, and the unfairness of a system that rewarded ancestry rather than accomplishment. The public (in Germany, England, and elsewhere) finally figured out that the officer’s uniform, in and of itself, did not denote or bequeath character. Dispensing with the customary intertitles and filming while moving the camera in extraordinarily inventive ways, Murnau and his cinematographer, Karl Freund, transformed…
Tickets
THE LAST LAUGH
Admission for one to THE LAST LAUGH (1924) w/ Pipe Organ Music by Jeff Rapsis. Popcorn and refreshments are included! Doors open at 7:45pm, the film begins at 8pm. Please let us know if you require special arrangements. Enjoy the program!
$20.00
Sale endedSliding-Scale Ticket
Ticket for one to THE LAST LAUGH (1924) w/ Pipe Organ Music by Jeff Rapsis. General admission is $20. Thanks to a generous grant from the Ben and Jerry’s Foundation, subsidized sliding-scale tickets are available for those who self-identify as experiencing financial hardship. In order to make this program accessible for all, we are offering tickets by sliding scale. Taking equity and inclusion into account, please pay what you can to help support the venue.
Pay what you want
Sale endedSUPPORT FUTURE EVENTS!
Would you like to see more programming like THE LAST LAUGH (1924) w/ Pipe Organ Music by Jeff Rapsis? Please add a donation to your ticket to express your support and appreciation of the adventurous and intellectually-engaging programs at Epsilon Spires. Thank you & keep up the good work! Admission for one to THE LAST LAUGH, popcorn and refreshments will be provided! Bring cash for the bar. Please let us know if you require special arrangements. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Pay what you want
Sale ended