Blu ray review: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)

My first encounter with The Hunchback of Notre Dame was a Super 8mm silent print from Blackhawk Films that I got from my public library when I was a teenager. So, I saw it without any soundtrack and still the visual imagery was so powerful and compelling, I was captivated. Thus, a new 4K restoration by Universal and released on blu ray by Kino Lorber is especially significant to me. The fact that its source material had to be taken from 16mm prints because no 35mm master has survived, makes the restoration something of a challenge, but this is the best the film has looked thus far.

While there have been other screen versions of the Victor Hugo story, even a full length animated feature from Disney, none have effectively matched director Wallace Worsley’s silent version with Lon Chaney in the title role.

Chaney gives the hunchback a depth and substance as presented in the Hugo novel and conveys it with both sympathy and humor. It is interesting that there is no buildup to the character’s entrance. He is first seen merely cavorting about, perhaps to convey that the people of Notre Dame are simply used to this bell ringer dancing about on the fringes. He is collectively dismissed, derisively mocked, and through the grotesque makeup that Chaney created, based on the descriptions in the Hugo novel, a strong element of sympathy is conveyed. The film is powerful and often heartbreaking, even nearly a century after is production.

Worsley shoots the film in mostly medium shots, with some closeups to emphasize the grotesqueness of the title character. It is said that Tod Browning was considered as director, and it is intriguing to imagine how he might have approached this material. Patsy Ruth Miller plays Esmerelda, the gypsy dancer with whom the Hunchback falls in love. Patsy lived until 1995 and in later years would recall that most of her direction came from Lon Chaney, not from credited director Worsley.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of the films of the silent era that holds up best as late as the 21st century. The performances, especially Chaney’s, effectively cross over all time and generations. The brilliantly recreated 15th century set is another one of the film’s many impressive elements. Despite it being a very expensive production for its time, it was also a massive hit and a big moneymaker. It is one of the chief reasons why Lon Chaney was not only one of the biggest stars of his time, he is still respected as an icon over 90 years after his death.

Kino Lorber’s blu ray benefits from a wealth of special features. One of these is Farran Smith Nehme’s astute and informative commentary track, in which she discusses the film’s history and background, its production, and performances. As one of the finest and most knowledgeable writers of film history, Farran's contribution to this blu ray is a true highlight. And there is nobody better than Lon Chaney biographer Michael Blake to provide the accompanying booklet, entitled The Making of an Epic, from which we continue to learn a great deal about this classic film’s genesis and continued impact. Other extras include some interesting home movie footage of Lon Chaney, a Life in Hollywood newsreel, and some production stills.

The blu ray is available at this link: HUNCHBACK