D. W. GriffithRezensionen

“Her name is Louise. Save Her.”

This is one of film pioneer D.W. Griffith's most rich and beautiful silent films. Griffith transformed A. D'Ennery’s 19th century play into a mesmerizing and heartfelt epic which never lags, its stars and story holding the viewer’s attention with its beauty and drama. The contrast of excess and poverty which brought about the French Revolution is told through the moving story of a blind orphan girl and the “sister” who sacrifices all to care for her. The casting of real sisters Lillian and Dorothy Gish in the parts of Louise and Henriette proved a fortunate one, both giving a sterling account of their considerable talents.

Lushly photographed by Billy Bitzer, Griffith shows the ornate beauty of aristocratic life, and how much at odds it was with the tremendous poverty in the streets. His genius here, however, was using the giant canvas as a backdrop to the more intimate story of Henriette (Lillian Gish) and her blind sister, Louise (Dorothy Gish). It made for a fast-moving and incredibly entertaining film, rather than some cerebral historical epic which looks great but has difficulty holding your attention.

When the plague takes the lives of both their parents, Henriette vows to care for her blind sister Louise, abandoned on their doorstep as a baby. The two have grown up as sisters and it is that love which carries them through the storm about to engulf France. It is to Paris they travel in hopes of restoring Louise’s sight; a place where Henriette’s beauty does not go unnoticed. A crass aristocrat showing more concern for his horses than the poor young Parisian girl he runs over abducts Henriette, leaving the blind Louise on her own.

There is one aristocrat with a heart, however, and young Chevalier (Joseph Schildkraut) falls deeply in love with Henriette, offering a bethrothal ring. Though she loves the young man, she has promised not to marry without her sister's approval. While Chevalier tries to find Louise, Henriette befriends the voice of the downtrodden, Danton (Monte Blue), only to find herself imprisoned, leaving Louise is at the mercy of street people. Louise is not without her protector either, however, even though it comes in the form of a cowardly street urchin named Pierre (Frank Puglia).

But a shadow hangs over Henriette’s happiness, as there are twists and turns, a coming together and parting, and a possible execution during the Revolution that makes for great silent film excitement. Both Lillian and Dorothy Gish are wonderful here. Each have that dainty beauty which enabled them to play younger than they were in real-life. Those who doubt Lillian’s physical appeal, however, will no longer do so after viewing this romantic historical epic. One scene in particular, as an umbrella clad Henriette braces the rain, offers ample evidence that a beautiful woman lurked just beneath Gish’s child-like beauty.

Creighton Hale and Lucille La Verne lend support, but this film truly belongs to the Gish sisters. This Alpha version is surprisingly good, with a fitting classical score accompanying the action. The film itself is a dazzling spectacle, its mix of sentiment and heroics nearly unequaled in American cinema. A fantastic silent film which is as artistic as it is entertaining. A true American masterpiece.

Silent. Controversial 1915 film

Nice cast and fast cars, but film sort of peters out near the end with an unfortunate anti-climax. Interesting to see Mitchum's son playing his (much) younger brother. Some of the acting is pretty amateurish, but the leads are very good.½

The story follows a Polish professor and his family who have become refugees in the aftermath of World War I. They try to survive in Germany during the period of the Great Inflation. Carol Dempster is Inga, a Polish war orphan who struggles to provide for the family that has taken her in, while accumulating a meager dowry from the rubble of depression-stricken Berlin so that she can marry Paul. Returning to his family, weakened by the battlefront’s poisonous gases, Paul invests in his and Inga’s future by tending a secret garden which he hopes will provide the resources for them to live, and which serves as a symbol of optimism for the two young lovers. (fonte: imdb)

Two brothers, Phil and Ted Stoneman, visit their friends in Piedmont, South Carolina: the family Cameron. This friendship is affected by the Civil War, as the Stonemans and the Camerons must join up opposite armies. The consequences of the War in their lives are shown in connection to major historical events, like the development of the Civil War itself, Lincoln’s assassination, and the birth of the Ku Klux Klan. (fonte: imdb)

Un racconto che abbraccia circa 2500 anni di storia, dalla Babilonia e la sua caduta nel 539 a.C., alla Giudea con la crocifissione di Gesù, passando per la strage degli ugonotti in Francia e lo sciopero del 1914 negli Stati Uniti. (fonte: Wikipedia)

A girl is tricked into sex by a sham marriage.

2/4 (Indifferent).

An action sequence near the end is interesting. Most of the movie is boring melodrama.½

Two sisters are separated during the French revolution.

Indifferent. Long, slow, and with very little to recommend it.½

An abused girl is shown kindness by an immigrant.

Gish's performance is heartbreaking. It might have been a great movie, if it weren't for the racism. (Ironically, it's intended to have an anti-racist message, despite the "Yellow Man" being played as a caricature.)

Concept: D
Story: C
Characters: C
Dialog: B
Pacing: B
Cinematography: B
Special effects/design: C
Acting: B
Music: C

Enjoyment: C plus

GPA: 2.3/4

A gypsy puts the moves on some farm girls.

Yet another silent waste of time.

Concept: C
Story: D
Characters: D
Dialog: F
Pacing: D
Cinematography: C
Special effects/design: C
Acting: C
Music: B

Enjoyment: D

GPA: 1.5/4½

A telegraph operator is alone at a train station when it is robbed.

Surprisingly entertaining. I wouldn't quite go so far as to call it exciting, but it does pretty well.

Concept: C
Story: B
Characters: B
Dialog: C
Pacing: B
Cinematography: B
Special effects/design: B
Acting: B
Music: C

Enjoyment: C plus

GPA: 2.6/4

A white-supremacist perspective of the Civil War and Reconstruction.

The first 90 minutes are an okay movie. Hateful, yes, but not much more so than most films from the first half of the century that happen to touch on racial issues. And the big battle sequence is impressive even by today's standards. But then the second half starts, and suddenly the movie is nothing but racist propaganda. I couldn't take more than a half hour of it, and I feel sorry for everyone who's ever watched more than that.

Enjoyment: F

estimated GPA (I only watched the first two hours): 1.6/4½

Babylon is attacked by Persia, Jesus is crucified, the Huguenots are massacred, and the modern-day working class are oppressed.

It could have been a lot worse. It's clearly a very important movie. I didn't get anything out of it, though, other than historical appreciation.

Concept: D
Story: C
Characters: C
Dialog: C
Pacing: B
Cinematography: B
Special effects/design: A
Acting: C
Music: n/a (watched with the sound off)

Enjoyment: C

GPA: 2.3/4½

GREAT CONDITION!

This Souvenir Booklet available online from the Portal to Texas History:
http://texashistory.unt.edu/permalink/meta-pth-21924:1