Last Moment

• 1928
• 0 hr 54 mins

• Watchlist

On a meager budget of $5000, European director Paul Fejos tried to crack the American film market with an experimental effort titled The Last Moment. With a cast of unknown volunteers, an inexperienced production staff, and several reels of donated film stock, Fejos came up with a visually stunning "subjective-time" drama focusing upon the final thoughts of a suicide victim (Otto Matiesen). Despite a 54-minute running time, this Freudian exercise never lagged or became repetitious -- and though the production values left a great deal to be desired, Fejos handled his subject matter with clarity and precision. Highly praised by such notables as Charlie Chaplin, The Last Moment at long last opened the professional doors that had previously been closed to the Hungarian expatriate director. This humble project enabled Paul Fejos to secure a contract with Universal Pictures, resulting in such well-received films as Lonesome(1928) and Broadway(1929).