George Arliss, Alice Joyce and Ivan F. Simpson reprised their roles in this colonialist clunker, "The Green Goddess," whereby a white woman's purity is threatened by a lascivious racial other who reigns over a fictional kingdom near the Himalayas, from the stage in this silent adaptation and in the 1930 talkie. This must be a rare instance where the early-talkie remake is better than a 1920s silent version. The appeal of the synchronized-sound film is thin as it is--entirely relying upon Arliss seemingly getting in on the joke of what rubbish the entire production is. This almost entirely comes from his line readings and the close-ups of his facial expressions. Both are absent in this 1923 film, though, as it's a silent film comprised mostly of distant long shots. Consequently, director Sidney Olcott and company reduce the picture to its basest colonialism and stage melodrama. It doesn't help, either, that the print of this film floating around is in poor shape, with those distant faces tending to be washed out.
Additionally, the screenplay wastes time on the backstory leading up to the colonialists traveling by biplane, which I couldn't care less about and the more time spent away from Arliss is the more time wasted. Some of the production values are superior, which isn't surprising given that mid-20s silents tend to look better than early talkies, including, unlike the talkie, a semblance of an actual kingdom beyond a villa, army and priests. The fondness for faraway framing here, however, doesn't help alleviate the appearance of this being a filmed play. Regardless, absent Arliss having a voice and his having hardly even a face, "The Green Goddess" is a miserable picture.
Additionally, the screenplay wastes time on the backstory leading up to the colonialists traveling by biplane, which I couldn't care less about and the more time spent away from Arliss is the more time wasted. Some of the production values are superior, which isn't surprising given that mid-20s silents tend to look better than early talkies, including, unlike the talkie, a semblance of an actual kingdom beyond a villa, army and priests. The fondness for faraway framing here, however, doesn't help alleviate the appearance of this being a filmed play. Regardless, absent Arliss having a voice and his having hardly even a face, "The Green Goddess" is a miserable picture.