The Last Laugh
The Last Laugh is a 1924 German Nazi film directed by F. W. Murnau and written by Carl
Mayer. In German, Der letzte Mann, meant “the man who formerly had his job” (Bade).
This film was centered on a doorman for a famous hotel who took pride in his job, but was
later demoted from his position because his image no longer met the standards of the hotel.
He was shamed by his family and friends because of this, but eventually overcomes it all
by inheriting a fortune by a millionaire who died in his arms while he was working his
demoted job. Though the story captured the attention of many, it was Murnau’s use of
advancements in lighting, expressionism, camera movement techniques and the acceptance
of Nazi symbolism that created a turning point in film making history.
Up until this point in filmmaking, the use of the dolly was well suited for many filmmakers
in order to get a decent moving shots, however, for Murnau, the use of a dolly was not
enough. Murnau had it tied to the cameraman’s chest and made him follow the lead actor
step by step for every camera angle in order to shoot the best visuals and satisfying
expressionism (Eisner). You can especially notice this during the scenes of the lead actor
and the night watchman and how the cameraman plays with the beams of the night
watchman’s torch which moved to and from the torch in a way that the director’s
preference for light are definitely shown. Murnau would also use narrow focus on the
