NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Flicker Alley Blu-ray (September 2025): Flicker Alley have transferred Victor Sjöström's He Who Gets Slapped to Blu-ray. It presents a stunning restoration by Blackhawk Films, completed in 2024, that revitalizes Victor Sjöström’s silent masterpiece. Sourced from a first-generation 35mm safety print and a 16mm dupe negative from the Blackhawk Films collection, deposited at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Hollywood), the high-definition transfer delivers exceptional clarity and detail. Although the surviving elements are in black and white, the restoration meticulously reproduces the original tinting according to the film’s cutting continuity, enhancing the visual mood of the circus scenes and intimate moments alike. The result is a pristine viewing experience that preserves the texture of Milton Moore’s cinematography, with only minor, age-related imperfections like occasional scratches, warping etc. - making this a definitive showcase of the film’s artistic legacy.

NOTE: We have added 78 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

The Flicker Alley Blu-ray of He Who Gets Slapped offer DTS-HD Master tracks featuring a captivating auditory experiences tailored to the silent film era, with two distinct musical scores that enhance its emotional narrative. The piano score, composed and performed by Antonio Coppola, offers an intimate and evocative accompaniment, perfectly suiting the film’s quieter, introspective moments. Additionally, the orchestral score, crafted and performed by Alloy Orchestra - featuring Ken Winokur, Terry Donahue, and Roger C. Miller - recorded live at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee, brings a rich, dynamic energy to the circus scenes and dramatic peaks. Presented in clear, lossless audio, both scores complement Lon Chaney’s performance and Sjöström’s direction, creating a seamless and immersive soundscape that honors the film’s historical context. There are original English intertitles. Flicker Alley offer optional English subtitles for the commentary on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

Flicker Alley's Blu-ray extras will be appreciated by fans of silent cinema and Lon Chaney. The audio commentary by Emmy award-winning makeup artist and Chaney expert Michael F. Blake (A Thousand Faces: Lon Chaney's Unique Artistry in Motion Pictures) is a highlight, offering deep insights into Chaney’s performance techniques and the film’s production context. The 1925 comedic short He Who Gets Smacked running 25 minutes, directed by Lloyd Bacon and produced by Mack Sennett, stars Ralph Graves as a hapless department store worker turned boxer; it was digitized by Blackhawk Films in 2016 from a 35mm safety sound print in the Lobster Films collection, deposited at La Cinémathèque de Toulouse (France), with the print’s left image area adjusted to include optical sound. The animated short Koko at the Circus (1926, 8:19), directed by Dave Fleischer, was provided by Eye Filmmuseum in the Netherlands and scanned from a 35mm nitrate print in their collection, with restoration by Thad Komorowski and Samantha Davis of Cineaste Restoration, featuring intertitle translations and recreations by Komorowski and Megan Montague Cash. The new (2025) featurette Leo: The Truth and the Lion running over 6 minutes explores the early days of MGM’s beloved 'Leo the Lion', adding historical depth. Image galleries with production stills and promotional materials, along with a booklet insert featuring an article by Thomas Gladysz (The Street of Forgotten Men: From Story to Screen and Beyond) on Victor Sjöström’s life and the film’s production, complete a rich and informative package.

Victor Sjöström's He Who Gets Slapped is a cornerstone of silent cinema, a film that masterfully blends melodrama, psychological depth, and social commentary into a visually and emotionally compelling narrative. Adapted from Leonid Andreyev’s 1914 Russian play Tot, kto poluchayet poshchechiny, the film was one of the first features produced by the newly formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and showcases the directorial prowess of Sjöström, a Swedish filmmaker renowned for his contributions to early cinema, alongside the unforgettable performance of Lon Chaney, the "Man of a Thousand Faces." This analysis explores the film’s thematic depth, character development, visual style, cultural significance, and its place within the silent film era, drawing on its narrative structure, performances, and technical achievements. The film opens with a striking image of a spinning globe, symbolizing the relentless turning of fate, and transitions into a circus ring where HE’s act mirrors his internal torment. At its core, He Who Gets Slapped is a meditation on the human condition, particularly the interplay between suffering and performance. The film examines how individuals cope with betrayal and loss, with HE’s transformation into a clown symbolizing the masks people wear to conceal pain. His act, where he endures physical slaps for laughter, externalizes his internal wounds, making the circus a metaphor for society’s indifference to individual suffering. The film’s title, derived from Andreyev’s play, emphasizes this masochistic role, positioning HE as a Christ-like figure who absorbs pain for others, culminating in his sacrificial act to save Consuelo. The theme of unrequited love is central, portrayed through HE’s hopeless devotion to Consuelo. This love is not merely romantic but redemptive, offering HE a glimmer of purpose in his degraded existence. He Who Gets Slapped is a profound achievement in silent cinema, blending Victor Sjöström’s directorial finesse with Lon Chaney’s transformative performance to create a timeless exploration of pain, love, and redemption. Its thematic richness, from the critique of societal cruelty to the portrayal of personal sacrifice, elevates it beyond typical melodrama. As a meditation on the masks we wear and the wounds we bear, He Who Gets Slapped remains a testament to the enduring power of cinema. Flicker Alley’s Blu-ray release is a must-have for silent film aficionados, delivering a meticulously restored presentation of Victor Sjöström’s 1924 masterpiece. The stellar video quality showcases the film’s visual artistry, while the evocative musical score enhances its emotional impact. With its thoughtful packaging, this deluxe edition sets a high standard for classic film preservation, offering a definitive way to experience this poignant and influential work. 

Gary Tooze