Somehow I missed that The Docks of New York was a silent movie when I rented it. It's probably one of the better silent movies I've seen though, directed by Josef Von Sternberg. The movie is visually well shot even for what they were using at the time, but most impressive of all is how the setting of this movie captures the 20's so well. You aren't watching a movie about the 20's, you're watching a movie shot in that time, and in that time. It makes it that much more interesting, especially with leads like Betty Compson.
Summary: Bill Roberts is a worker on the docks who finds a woman, Mae, trying to commit suicide. He rushes in to save her from drowning, but not only does he save a woman, but he also finds that his life is about to change. It makes it that much harder to go back to work when he knows that he now has Mae, but when circumstances threaten to take her away from him again he might be willing to give it all up to be with her.
