I can't help, but give this film a deserved 10. Not only does it go against the idea that silent films were a novelty and a really egregious piece of pantomime, but that it could be completely poignant, pungent, painful and heart aching. What I just mentioned in that list of sentiments really do impose upon this film. The idea that this could be a rudiment is easily debunked by the quantity of reviews that are all nearly consecutively impeccable.
Some of the praise for this film can be laid upon Sjostrom's masterful direction replete with the novel of Hawthorne's lyrical words and story. Of course, the films screen time and period is set in the 1800's and it illustrates the hypocrisies of the church, the relentless protest against heresy and that unbelievably taking place all because of a pointless hullabaloo of Hester Prynne not turning up to church. She becomes enamoured with the priest; then she gets pegged as an adulteress.
There are subtle moments when her denotation and symbol that is firmly on her are then drew by her Daughter, the most innocuous thing in her life that she couldn't just punish for not understanding. And when she holds her Baby in a plea for serenity - there's no copious intertitles - there's only a break in pure, unadulterated drama. The minister/priest's performance can be hyperbolised at times, but this was probably to posit an alternative state of ambivalence, so it's only a nitpick. Sjostrom's touch to the heart of his audience, infused with Gishes poised and tragedian performance shows that not only was the methodology of this film ahead of the curb, but the fact it's not been released on a legitimate copy is heinous.
Another thing that nearly moved me was when one of the onlookers say, when they see Hester's lover go for her, that "He must be the most compassionate Christian ever to go past such evil" (paraphrased). It's true that we get a complete anthropology of this town and it keeps your interest right into the 1hr 37mins running time.
When Gish was getting this film past the censors, it was on the list of "Banned Book Adaptations". Her complete regard for the novel allowed for one to push the envelope. She personally hired Sjostrom to direct the film, a novice to Hollywood at the time. He had came of his success on that amazingly suspenseful "Phantom Carriage" (1920). The elements in the film that may not seem very much into his style would be the narrative; it doesn't seem like something he'd tackle, but his craning of the world to show us it especially when an intertitle that inserts says "The day when they didn't take gaiety as an offence" is proof that I got deceived. It seemed as though they were just having merriment in the village, then after coming from a pure long shot, we see from close shot that it was somebody being accused of being a whistle blower.
When the character Robert came in the film I was entranced by both the sorrow of the situation and I couldn't turn it off, so much so, that it affected my sleep the next day. It had an insurmountable grip; I believe Sjostrom was one of the few legends of his time that can actually branch to a whole new set of novices. Without a doubt, he learned the craft of storytelling and he learned the tricks and artifices of enticing his audience. Verily, he's not dissimilar to any suspense masters that subsequently came.
In "Wild Strawberries" you can see how Sjostrom played his character so well. He understood the trade of acting.
Some of the praise for this film can be laid upon Sjostrom's masterful direction replete with the novel of Hawthorne's lyrical words and story. Of course, the films screen time and period is set in the 1800's and it illustrates the hypocrisies of the church, the relentless protest against heresy and that unbelievably taking place all because of a pointless hullabaloo of Hester Prynne not turning up to church. She becomes enamoured with the priest; then she gets pegged as an adulteress.
There are subtle moments when her denotation and symbol that is firmly on her are then drew by her Daughter, the most innocuous thing in her life that she couldn't just punish for not understanding. And when she holds her Baby in a plea for serenity - there's no copious intertitles - there's only a break in pure, unadulterated drama. The minister/priest's performance can be hyperbolised at times, but this was probably to posit an alternative state of ambivalence, so it's only a nitpick. Sjostrom's touch to the heart of his audience, infused with Gishes poised and tragedian performance shows that not only was the methodology of this film ahead of the curb, but the fact it's not been released on a legitimate copy is heinous.
Another thing that nearly moved me was when one of the onlookers say, when they see Hester's lover go for her, that "He must be the most compassionate Christian ever to go past such evil" (paraphrased). It's true that we get a complete anthropology of this town and it keeps your interest right into the 1hr 37mins running time.
When Gish was getting this film past the censors, it was on the list of "Banned Book Adaptations". Her complete regard for the novel allowed for one to push the envelope. She personally hired Sjostrom to direct the film, a novice to Hollywood at the time. He had came of his success on that amazingly suspenseful "Phantom Carriage" (1920). The elements in the film that may not seem very much into his style would be the narrative; it doesn't seem like something he'd tackle, but his craning of the world to show us it especially when an intertitle that inserts says "The day when they didn't take gaiety as an offence" is proof that I got deceived. It seemed as though they were just having merriment in the village, then after coming from a pure long shot, we see from close shot that it was somebody being accused of being a whistle blower.
When the character Robert came in the film I was entranced by both the sorrow of the situation and I couldn't turn it off, so much so, that it affected my sleep the next day. It had an insurmountable grip; I believe Sjostrom was one of the few legends of his time that can actually branch to a whole new set of novices. Without a doubt, he learned the craft of storytelling and he learned the tricks and artifices of enticing his audience. Verily, he's not dissimilar to any suspense masters that subsequently came.
In "Wild Strawberries" you can see how Sjostrom played his character so well. He understood the trade of acting.