Obviously D.W. Griffith didn't begin his directorial career as "the Master". With all the silent films I have seen, I have never seen one that encapsulates everything that people sneer at and remember about those "crazy, creaky old flickers" but now I have! Not one of the cast could be picked out as having any idea of what cinema acting is all about - arms flailing, gestures are huge and the make up is phoney - and Griffith can take his share of the blame. The thing that stands out though is the (for 1910) complicated narrative, the striving to tell a pretty complex story and almost succeeding. Sure the heroine generally behaves as though she has St. Vitus Dance but may well have been trying to emphasize her exuberance and courage. The worst acting honours definitely went to the mother who seemed to have a set pattern of gestures and really came into her own when she was laying down the law!!
By the first title I think Griffith was indicating that Walthall's character was cowardly, enjoyed drinking to duty and was only shamed into enlisting because of the glory his friends were receiving at the hands of his sister who was dancing around with the flag in patriotic fervour. The look on the faces of his friends when he is picked as the "hardiest man" for the top secret mission shows they know his character and that he is not up to the job.
When he finds himself in the midst of enemy soldiers he goes to pieces, gets drunk and returns home a blubbering mess. It is now up to sis to don his uniform and complete the mission which she does at the cost of her life. Amidst the high melodrama there is the symbolic use of the confederate flag as the daughter goes into enemy territory to retrieve the fallen flag, reminiscent of "the Little Colonel" putting the flag into the cannon in "The Birth of a Nation". The last few minutes did go a bit overboard as far as credibility goes - the cowardly son and his mother growing grey as the sister's suitors forever lay wreaths at the door but I don't agree with the reviewer about the sister's horsemanship. Living on a plantation she would have been completely at home on the back of a horse.
Interesting as well - in the sister's bedroom there was an AB on the wall. I had often heard of Biograph doing this in their films - it was their way of patenting their films to stop independent, fly by night companies from stealing their movies.
By the first title I think Griffith was indicating that Walthall's character was cowardly, enjoyed drinking to duty and was only shamed into enlisting because of the glory his friends were receiving at the hands of his sister who was dancing around with the flag in patriotic fervour. The look on the faces of his friends when he is picked as the "hardiest man" for the top secret mission shows they know his character and that he is not up to the job.
When he finds himself in the midst of enemy soldiers he goes to pieces, gets drunk and returns home a blubbering mess. It is now up to sis to don his uniform and complete the mission which she does at the cost of her life. Amidst the high melodrama there is the symbolic use of the confederate flag as the daughter goes into enemy territory to retrieve the fallen flag, reminiscent of "the Little Colonel" putting the flag into the cannon in "The Birth of a Nation". The last few minutes did go a bit overboard as far as credibility goes - the cowardly son and his mother growing grey as the sister's suitors forever lay wreaths at the door but I don't agree with the reviewer about the sister's horsemanship. Living on a plantation she would have been completely at home on the back of a horse.
Interesting as well - in the sister's bedroom there was an AB on the wall. I had often heard of Biograph doing this in their films - it was their way of patenting their films to stop independent, fly by night companies from stealing their movies.