Harald Lloyd created the world's most famous film clock in "Skyscraper" in 1923

Sometimes reality writes the most incredible stories if you just keep your eyes and ears open. When comedian Harold Lloyd was out for a walk and saw Bill Strother climb the twelve-story Brockman Building in Los Angeles while a crowd marveled at the death-defying undertaking, the idea for his fourth film was born.

Lloyd reportedly offered Strother a role in Skyscraper! on the spot, which he immediately accepted. The result is a masterpiece whose images will forever be etched in the annals of the medium, one that speaks not only of the pros and cons of ambition and ambition, but also of the human mill of capitalism.

Similar to the works of his colleagues Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton , Skyscraper! is a film of grand metaphors. In addition to the famous scene in which Harold hangs from the hands of a clock, staring down into the depths, it is also the act of climbing a facade itself that embodies the idea of upward mobility, deeply ingrained in people like Harold.

The more than obvious allusion to the concept of the "ladder of success", according to which certain characteristics bring a person wealth and happiness, is, in relation to the department store located in the building, more a reflection of the corporate hierarchy that the death-defying Harold now climbs, risking his life to the amusement of the crowd and the enthusiasm of his superior.

It is the strength of a character like the one Lloyd created in his films, a middle-class young man, to reveal the flaws of this model, which requires special contortions or appropriate relationships in order to fulfill his modest dream of success.

Time is money

Even more than individual dedication and hard work, factors like time and money are crucial in a world like the one depicted in Skyscrapers! In addition to the aforementioned image of Harold at the minute hand of the clock, there are many allusions to the tyranny of time scattered throughout the plot, from the time clock in the department store to a breakneck drive through the streets of the big city to avoid being late for work.

Combined with those still turbulent camera movements and Lloyd's full physical commitment, it quickly becomes clear why this comedian and his films are used as a model for action films such as John Wick Much like the killer played by Keanu Reeves, a character like Harold is a slave to time, forever fighting against it, risking his life in the process.