In the days before World War I, Atoline France (Carol Dempster) is engaged to Count de Brissac. Atoline is visited by an old friend from the United States, who brings Ralph Grey (Richard Barthelmess). Ralph falls for Atoline, but she reminds him she is promised to Brissac. When the United States enters the war, Ralph tells his father he is going to enlist, but his father objects. Ralph's brother James (Robert Harron) pretends he is also interested in enlisting, but in reality, he is pretty much a wastrel. Ralph goes off to train for the conflict, while James spends his time with a little fireball named Cutie Beautiful (Clarine Seymour). Eventually James is drafted, despite his father trying to use his connections to block it. The brothers meet on the battlefield. Count de Brissac is killed in action, and the Germans attempt to commandeer Atoline's home. The Grey brothers and the American troops show up in the nick of time.
This is an entertaining film, never dull, with some especially poignant scenes from the lesser players. In the beginning, we learn that Atoline's grandfather (Adolf Lestina) was a Civil War Veteran who refuses to admit the Confederacy has been defeated. He has moved to France, and keeps the Confederate flag on his wall. In the final act, as the Americans march by holding the stars and stripes, we see he has finally let go of the past, wiping his hands on the Confederate flag, now little more than a rag.
Director Griffith wired his brother in Kentucky, and had him send the flag that their father, Colonel Jacob Wark Griffith, had rescued on a battlefield during the Civil War. This was the flag used in the initial scenes.
Another emotional scene occurs when a German soldier named Kant (David Butler) says goodbye to his mother, and she gives him some keepsakes to take to the front. At the climax, Kant is severely wounded and attended to by Atoline. As he is dying, he saves Atoline from attack by a fellow German, then makes her promise to return the keepsakes to his mother.
Harron clearly has the better role over Barthelmess, and runs with it. When first we see Harron, he sports a pencil-thin mustache, slick hair, and slouches.
The Army makes a man of him, and when he encounters a German soldier in the trenches, he recognizes him as someone who once bullied him back in the States. So Harron evens the score. Barthelmess is adequate, but his better days were to come. Dempster is attractive, and it's easy to see why Griffith took a "fancy" to her. Clarine Seymour is cute and spunky; her comedic background probably helped here.
This is an entertaining film, never dull, with some especially poignant scenes from the lesser players. In the beginning, we learn that Atoline's grandfather (Adolf Lestina) was a Civil War Veteran who refuses to admit the Confederacy has been defeated. He has moved to France, and keeps the Confederate flag on his wall. In the final act, as the Americans march by holding the stars and stripes, we see he has finally let go of the past, wiping his hands on the Confederate flag, now little more than a rag.
Director Griffith wired his brother in Kentucky, and had him send the flag that their father, Colonel Jacob Wark Griffith, had rescued on a battlefield during the Civil War. This was the flag used in the initial scenes.
Another emotional scene occurs when a German soldier named Kant (David Butler) says goodbye to his mother, and she gives him some keepsakes to take to the front. At the climax, Kant is severely wounded and attended to by Atoline. As he is dying, he saves Atoline from attack by a fellow German, then makes her promise to return the keepsakes to his mother.
Harron clearly has the better role over Barthelmess, and runs with it. When first we see Harron, he sports a pencil-thin mustache, slick hair, and slouches.
The Army makes a man of him, and when he encounters a German soldier in the trenches, he recognizes him as someone who once bullied him back in the States. So Harron evens the score. Barthelmess is adequate, but his better days were to come. Dempster is attractive, and it's easy to see why Griffith took a "fancy" to her. Clarine Seymour is cute and spunky; her comedic background probably helped here.