This silent film tells the tragic story of a self-confident hotel doorman, who is demoted to the position of toilet attendant. The character of the Doorman is brilliantly played by Emil Jannings The entire identity of the doorman is based on his position and especially his uniform, which symbolizes power and respectability among his community of lower middle class family and friends. , there is only one intertitle, and it does not represent dialogue Therefore, we can definitely say that cinematography plays a crucial role here. The film illustrates how the camera, in concert with the actors, can. communicate so much without a single word, FW Murnau's use of camera angles, contrasting lighting and contrast The absence of title cards was a very innovative development for the time The sound and intertitles being. absent in this film, Murnau had to push the capabilities of the camera to the extreme and use them with extraordinary skill in order to show the feelings with exceptional dynamism. The Last Laugh succeeds in combining expressionistic elements, such as extreme camera angles, distorted dream images and disturbing light and shadow effects, with a complex psychological study of the main character in his fall from privilege. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The innovations regarding camera movement are surprisingly visible from the beginning of the film. The camera is inside the hotel elevator and follows its movement. Then, a cart moves until it reaches the main entrance where we meet the main character: the hotel doorman. The camera almost never stops throughout the film. Murnau uses a probe camera that draws us into the thoughts and feelings of the doorman. The camera is used to good effect to highlight his mental state. At the beginning, low-angle shots are used to emphasize the prestige of the doorman. But when humiliation comes, high angles are used to make the old man look small. The hotel is depicted as an imposing edifice, with revolving doors extending into the sky – his perception of his workplace when he returns in fear. Murnau also used the camera to depict Jannings' state of intoxication and depression. The camera circles around Jannings, capturing very well the surreal and disconcerted state he finds himself in. And then there's the dream sequence where Jannings imagines himself back in his role, easily lifting large trunks of luggage with one hand – the camera flies through the air towards and around Jannings, emphasizing the remoteness of reality. When his secret is discovered, the laughing faces of his curious neighbors are superimposed on each other – all staring at him. We are introduced to neighbors with a fixed camera hung in the street, observing the community as night turns to day. Later, the camera also hangs outside an apartment door and pans left to see a nosy neighbor coming out of her apartment to hear the news that Jannings has been demoted. While this woman breaks the news to her neighbors, Murnau goes from one balcony to another, weaving a tapestry of petty gossip. This camera movement from person to person is repeated in the film's epilogue, where upperclassmen read about a lucky man who has just won the lottery. Here, Murnau's camera drifts across a dining room, moving from person to person, from table to table, until finally settling on a single table,.