A silent symphony of fallen pride and lost identity in Weimar Berlin. Through a revolutionary moving camera, the film captures the tragic descent of a man stripped of his uniform, blending Expressionist shadows with the harsh light of social reality.

The Last Laugh

Der letzte Mann

23 December 1924 Germany 90 min 7.8 (341)

Director: F. W. Murnau

Cast: Emil Jannings, Maly Delschaft, Max Hiller, Hans Unterkircher, Hermann Vallentin

Drama The Power of the Uniform The Cruelty of Schadenfreude Aging and Obsolescence Appearance vs. Reality

The Last Laugh — Movie Quotes

Memorable Quotes

Here our story should really end, for in actual life, the forlorn old man would have little to look forward to but death. The author took pity on him, however, and provided quite an improbable epilogue.

— Intertitle (The Narrator)

Context

Appears after the Doorman is shown slumped in despair in the washroom, just before the film cuts to the scene of him inheriting a fortune.

Meaning

This is the film's famous 'apology' for its happy ending. It breaks the fourth wall to admit that the realistic outcome is tragedy, thereby preserving the film's social critique even while delivering a crowd-pleasing finale.

(No spoken dialogue)

— N/A

Context

Throughout the entire film.

Meaning

The film is famous for having almost no intertitles (dialogue cards), relying entirely on visual storytelling.

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