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In Reply to: D.W.Griffith's "Way Down East." posted by tinear on January 18, 2006 at 13:27:27:
Right you are, and the worst of the genre were probably as difficult to watch back then as they are today, or at least very nearly so. A sad fact about the limited appreciation of silent cinema is that most folks don't realize how many great silent films there actually were because the early sound films were often so much worse that it poisoned the well, so to speak. Add to that the number of silent features and serials that have disappeared through neglect, fire, decomposition, etc., and the fact that any have survived at all looks even more remarkable!FTR, I've studied silent films since my introduction to Chaplin and Von Stroheim in college; currently my silent film collection on DVD and LD runs to approximately 100, both domestic and European releases. The books and research materials on silent film in my personal library are equally extensive. I mention this as background for discussing Griffith's work in comparison with other classics of the genre.
As an aficionado of silent film my interests run the gamut, from serious drama (German impressionism from UFA, followed by Von Stroheim's achievements and the Garbo silents), to comedy (the Harold Lloyd Collection, followed by Keaton and Chaplin, with nods to Beatrice Lilly, Marion Davies and Mary Pickford) to action/adventure (Douglas Fairbanks Collection, some Valentino, and French serials such as Les Vampires and Judex). My apology for the digression, but it should provide the necessary background for both criticisms and appreciation of Griffith's work that follows.
>>> "If you've ever watched a snippet of the famous scene in which a heroine is passed out upon an ice floe as it rushes toward the falls... this is the film that showcases it in its climax." <<<
The ice floe scene is a grand accomplishment on any scale, and couldn't be filmed today without extensive CGI (a'la The Chronic Ills of Nurdia). That scene was TRULY dangerous and almost cost Griffith the lives of his stars! What you see on film in that ice floe sequence is quite literally the real deal.
While Ms. Gish had the greatest respect for Mr. Griffith's work, I seem to recall her quietly noting the severe pain she endured from exposure to the freezing water during the filming of this scene. Apparently, the hand she had dangling into the frozen river required medical attention, and resulted in an arthritic condition that would plague the actress for the remainder of her life.
>>> "Griffith was a master and he had all of his powers working perfectly in this effort: masterful casting, incredible cinematography, pacing, editing, etc." <<<
I admire Griffith's films, but I'm not nearly as moved by his work as I am that of other respected silent Directors even though Griffith's innovation has never been fully appreciated and his historical achievements rarely recognized, except anecdotally. I suspect that the reasons for this are timing, as his success as a Director came rather late in his life, and the fact that his greatest cinematic achievement and greatest innovation, the feature film, are the subject of great controversy!
The Klansman (aka Birth of a Nation) is credited with being the first feature length film which arguably isn't quite true, because several films which could be considered features were made in Europe (Italy) prior to this. However, that's NOT the reason that Birth of a Nation still sparks controversy today. For that you have to examine the cultural impact of the film.
In great part, this film was responsible for a populist resurgence of the KKK, not only in the deep South, but in the industrial North as well! And while the blame for this tragic emerging of racist attitudes can't be placed solely on Griffith's doorstep, his film set in motion the growth of the KKK, and regardless of his intent fueled racial tensions in this country for the better part of the 20th century.
Griffith's attitudes weren't necessarily racist mind you, but more likely the product of his age and growing up in the Old South after the Civil War; if anything the man was a nostalgist who was born in the wrong era and out of sync with the changing world around him. None of this should take away from his accomplishments as a filmmaker, but we should always strive to keep a historical perspective on both the achievement and the result when examining a Director's accomplishements.
Sorry about the long-winded response, but silent films are one of my areas of expertise, and unfortunately, discussed only rarely here.
Cheers,
AuPh
Follow Ups:
and not just one scene.
Are you sure you haven't let the controversy of B of a N color your view of this film?
I repeat, the tragedy of the heroine and the remarkably complex and moving performance elevate this film above melodrama to high art and, like Anna Karinina and Jane Eyre, make it one of the greatest portrayals of a woman ever created.
Considering Griffith's other masterworks, it's hard NOT to place him in the vanguard of greatness. In fact, this work alone would qualify him.
> > > "Are you sure you haven't let the controversy of B of a N color your view of this film?" < < <Yes, I'm sure, and BoaN is a great film in it's own right, as is Intolerance (You're apparently familiar with that one, too! -grin)
> > > "Considering Griffith's other masterworks, it's hard NOT to place him in the vanguard of greatness. In fact, this work alone would qualify him. " < < <
He is certainly among the greats, but I'm not sure that I'd place him in the vanguard, as in leader of the pack. As I've stated, the feature film which he's often credited with establishing as a viable alternative to short films and serials, pre-dates Birth of a Nation (check out Giovanni Pastrone's Cabiria from 1912 or Mario Caserini's The Last Days of Pompeii from 1913), and that's his primary claim to fame, outside of discovering Mary Pickford and Lillian Gish.
I'm not trying to take away anything from his greatness as a Director, because he was unquestionably a visionary (heck, he discovered Von Stroheim!), but by the time Way Down East came out his film techniques and dramatic directing style were already being challenged by younger more savvy directors like Rex Ingram (Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; 1921) and Eric Von Stroheim (Blind Husbands, 1919; Foolish Wives, 1921), not to mention European Directors of distinction such as Robert Wiene (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920) among others such as Lang & Murnau who started Germany's film renaissance at UFA.
If you want to discuss the film's poignance, that's fine, but it isn't "One of the best movies you will ever see," much less one of the best silent films, IMHO. At least not the best silent melodrama that I've ever seen, even though I do respect the film and it's performances. Please try to keep in mind the story was not that original when it was filmed.
Yes, Way Down East has a stellar performance by Gish, albeit very melodramatic and a bit too precious for my tastes, as were the performances in Broken Blossoms which preceeded it and Orphans of the Storm which followed. The Director's inclinations towards oversentimentality, shown through his actor's performances, underscore much of his work during this period.
I just think it's better to keep Griffith's work in it's proper perspective, assessing each film by when it was produced and what he was trying to achieve, without embellishment, applying appropriate tribute for what this great Director accomplished. BTW, if you want to see a dramatic silent film that is both moving and perhaps more worthy of the praise heaped on it, check out Carl Theodor Dreyer's La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (The Passion Of Joan of Arc, 1928) available from Criterion. It's simply stunning, and not easy to watch, but one of the greatest performances by an actress ever caught on film.
Also, for pure pleasure: The Harold Lloyd Collection (7 disc set comprising most of the great silent/sound comedian's output); this set has been restored and carefully mastered with all of the silent features accompanied with orchestral scores by Robert Israel and Carl Davis. Just released last November; highly recommended!
And for great drama, the Garbo Silents collection; fantastic restored collection, including Gilbert/Garbo collaborations such as Flesh and the Devil. Released last fall from TCM; also, highly recommended!
Cheers,
AuPh
- # Here is a listing of BEST silent films (Top 100) according to an on-going poll at the Silent Era site: (Open in New Window)
Total disagreement on Gish's performance, I think she actually underplayed several scenes of great hearbreak.
You don't appreciate Griffith's technique, I do. I greatly appreciate his "undertelling" of a story, of letting the images "speak" and allowing the viewer to fill in many of the gaps.
I'd compare this more to Pandora's Box, as a story of a woman's descent, though in Griffith's it's a bit more positive!
Of course the story isn't new... as Griffith himself points out in the prologue, it's an old story and extremely common--- more's the drama and tragedy.
The greatness of the film resides in Gish's performance, in her portrayal of indomitability and courage, and in the marvelously cast group of tangential performers. Incidentally, Richard Batehelmess is iconic, isn't he?
> > > "You don't appreciate Griffith's technique, I do. I greatly appreciate his "undertelling" of a story, of letting the images "speak" and allowing the viewer to fill in many of the gaps." < < <As I've said, I don't dislike Griffith's technique, but we're apparently getting different things from it. Yes, he does let his images speak, but at the same time he frequently lets them run on way too long; I'm not speaking specifically of Way Down East here, but making a general observation about his technique.
D. W. Griffith's films frequently don't pass the "wife" test, which is whether she falls asleep watching. Of course she isn't nearly as much of a fan of silent films as I am, but the ones that hold her attention without the snooz factor she appreciates and the ones where snores punctuate the orchestral cues don't cut it.
FYI, I like Gish's performances and respect her artistry; in fact, I have a number of her films in my collection, but as much as I admire Griffith's contributions to the cinema arts I can't bring myself to return to his films as often as I do the works of other great silent directors. Griffith may have pointed the way, but to paraphrase the title of a well known book on silent cinema, the parade passed him.
AuPh
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