PamelaShort Review of Tess of the Storm Country

Tess of the Storm Country (1914)

" Mary Pickford Soars To New Heights With Tess "

[8/10 · 19 August 2013]

Although cruder and rather primitive when compared to the 1922 version, this Tess from 1914 has it's share of enchantments. When watching this film one should view it through the eyes and mind of a 1914 audience. Feature films were in their beginnings and this was Mary Pickford's fifth feature. Movies themselves were now accepted and very popular among every class. There was something about watching Mary Pickford that moved silent-era movie goers and "Tess Of The Storm Country" elevated her to a new, higher star status. Audiences went wild over Tess and it broke records on four continents, setting Mary forever apart from other actors as the first modern celebrity created through moving pictures. The star's charisma starts right from the opening credits. A very ethereal Mary in delicate dress steps from behind a curtain, with an armload of roses she sets them into a nearby vase, then in the arranged bouquet, she buries her lovely face framed by those famous curls, the epitome of feminine beauty. Then enters Tess, a feisty and strong-willed girl in tattered dress. Mary's performance is brilliant, as it runs the gamut of her emotions, from a childish appeal and sprightly comedy to the finest of dramatic pathos. The film itself has some stunning exterior scenes, that were shot in what would now be called "deep focus". The locations were filmed suitably in Del Mar and at the Japanese fishing village in Santa Monica. With all of this, one can understand and appreciate the audiences feelings at the time, the magnetic grip Mary Pickford held, and why this was Mary's favourite character, to re-create again in 1922. Thankfully this film survives and is still a fascinating silent movie to watch.