Lillian Gish and fellow co-stars really bring home this great drama. It's interesting and exciting and wonderful to watch. Surely a legend of the 20th Century, Mr Griffith outdid himself with this successful film and Gish can only be praised for a great performance. Her pain and despair can be felt in the scene's where she realises she's been 'betrayed' and she nurses her child while he slips from this world. It's acting at it's finest for no words were necessary, it's all in 'the look'. Certainly 10 out of 10, but if I were to make one comment about this film in the negative, it would be it's length. Perhaps 15 to 20 minutes too long. Otherwise it's majestic.
63 Reviews
"Visions wide as the world"
Steffi_P1 January 2010
You can't keep a good story down. DW Griffith's film of Way Down East was an adaptation of a popular play of the late 19th century, but that play was itself a rather flagrant rip-off of the Robert Hardy novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles. True, the ending was substantially altered, and Way Down East's conclusions were fustily moralist compared with Hardy's bold progressiveness, but this in a way just goes to show how almost identical situations and characters can be adapted to suit a variety of means. Griffith keeps the moral sentiments of the play, but for this "elaboration" (the word used in the picture's publicity material at the time) he craftily sheers it of its staginess to produce a work of pure cinema.
Technically Griffith may by now have been overtaken by his peers, but he has lost none of his ability to show character and intention through meaningful staging and encouragement of naturalistic acting. For example, when Lillian Gish turns up at her rich relatives' home, no title card reveals her sense of being out of her depth, but Griffith often keeps her in long shot, emphasising the isolating vastness of the house, and this has an impact on how we view the scene. We then realise Mrs Tremont's embarrassment at having this poor cousin walk into her life by the distance the woman keeps from Gish and her awkward attempts to avoid eye contact. One of the most nicely done scenes is the one of Gish's wedding to Lowell Sherman. Unconventionally, he keeps the camera behind the pastor, obscuring the couple, and keeping a cold empty space in the foreground. This really gives us the impression that something is not right here, even though we haven't been explicitly told so yet.
What really impresses about Way Down East is its beauty, which suffuses almost every frame – exquisite countryside vistas, painterly shot compositions, not to mention many radiant close-ups of Ms Gish. Griffith always liked to make his pictures pleasing to the eye, but there is method in all this gorgeousness. Griffith uses natural beauty to emphasise the idyll of the Bartlett farm, and it's no coincidence that this is at its most striking in the shots when Gish first arrives there. And Griffith continually flatters Gish with the camera, framing her tenderly and often in soft focus, creating a visual metaphor for her delicacy and purity.
Gish's acting is of top standard, far better than the hysterical hamming she displayed in the previous year's Broken Blossoms. It's also nice to see her in a proper adult role rather than the disturbingly odd little girl figure she was in that earlier picture. Richard Barthelmess is also excellent, and like Gish he is capable of expressing a lot by doing very little. Together Gish and Barthelmess give what are probably the best lead performances of any of Griffith's features. No-one else in this cast makes an exceptional impact, but none of them is outstandingly bad either.
A fair few of those supporting players appear mainly for comic relief, and there are by Griffith's standards an unusually large number of comedic interludes in Way Down East. This unfortunately was one of Griffith's biggest weak spots. Some of these gags look like they might be fairly funny in themselves, but they don't look it because Griffith keeps hammering them home with close-ups, making them seem forced and predictable. He should have taken a leaf from his pal Chaplin's book, and shown a series of jokes in a continuous shot, giving them a more natural flow and getting more laughs as a result.
Watching Way Down East also makes me wish Griffith the writer had more confidence in Griffith the director, as well as in his cast and his audience. This picture has far more intertitles than it really needs. There are several which reveal Lennox to be a bounder, but these are superfluous because there are enough clues in the way he scenes are staged and the way Lowell Sherman plays him. It would be far more satisfying for the audience if they were allowed to figure out for themselves that he is up to no good. Still, this is a comparatively small blight on what is one of DW Griffith's most visually lovely, deeply engaging and marvellously acted pictures.
Technically Griffith may by now have been overtaken by his peers, but he has lost none of his ability to show character and intention through meaningful staging and encouragement of naturalistic acting. For example, when Lillian Gish turns up at her rich relatives' home, no title card reveals her sense of being out of her depth, but Griffith often keeps her in long shot, emphasising the isolating vastness of the house, and this has an impact on how we view the scene. We then realise Mrs Tremont's embarrassment at having this poor cousin walk into her life by the distance the woman keeps from Gish and her awkward attempts to avoid eye contact. One of the most nicely done scenes is the one of Gish's wedding to Lowell Sherman. Unconventionally, he keeps the camera behind the pastor, obscuring the couple, and keeping a cold empty space in the foreground. This really gives us the impression that something is not right here, even though we haven't been explicitly told so yet.
What really impresses about Way Down East is its beauty, which suffuses almost every frame – exquisite countryside vistas, painterly shot compositions, not to mention many radiant close-ups of Ms Gish. Griffith always liked to make his pictures pleasing to the eye, but there is method in all this gorgeousness. Griffith uses natural beauty to emphasise the idyll of the Bartlett farm, and it's no coincidence that this is at its most striking in the shots when Gish first arrives there. And Griffith continually flatters Gish with the camera, framing her tenderly and often in soft focus, creating a visual metaphor for her delicacy and purity.
Gish's acting is of top standard, far better than the hysterical hamming she displayed in the previous year's Broken Blossoms. It's also nice to see her in a proper adult role rather than the disturbingly odd little girl figure she was in that earlier picture. Richard Barthelmess is also excellent, and like Gish he is capable of expressing a lot by doing very little. Together Gish and Barthelmess give what are probably the best lead performances of any of Griffith's features. No-one else in this cast makes an exceptional impact, but none of them is outstandingly bad either.
A fair few of those supporting players appear mainly for comic relief, and there are by Griffith's standards an unusually large number of comedic interludes in Way Down East. This unfortunately was one of Griffith's biggest weak spots. Some of these gags look like they might be fairly funny in themselves, but they don't look it because Griffith keeps hammering them home with close-ups, making them seem forced and predictable. He should have taken a leaf from his pal Chaplin's book, and shown a series of jokes in a continuous shot, giving them a more natural flow and getting more laughs as a result.
Watching Way Down East also makes me wish Griffith the writer had more confidence in Griffith the director, as well as in his cast and his audience. This picture has far more intertitles than it really needs. There are several which reveal Lennox to be a bounder, but these are superfluous because there are enough clues in the way he scenes are staged and the way Lowell Sherman plays him. It would be far more satisfying for the audience if they were allowed to figure out for themselves that he is up to no good. Still, this is a comparatively small blight on what is one of DW Griffith's most visually lovely, deeply engaging and marvellously acted pictures.
Gish Suffers Nobly
evanston_dad3 January 2006
"Way Down East" will probably be a hard pill for many filmgoers to swallow, as it's a silent and very long, but I would recommend you give it a try, as it's also pretty entertaining.
Lillian Gish gets put through her melodramatic paces by the granddaddy of modern cinema, D.W. Griffith. Griffith was a master at building his movies up to intolerably exciting finales, and this film is no exception. A classic set piece puts Gish trying to escape across a frozen river, jumping from one drifting block of ice to the next. And consider that this was in the day before special effects, and it's even quite possible that Gish did all of the stunts herself.
A slice of early cinema that goes down easily if you give it the chance.
Grade: A-
Lillian Gish gets put through her melodramatic paces by the granddaddy of modern cinema, D.W. Griffith. Griffith was a master at building his movies up to intolerably exciting finales, and this film is no exception. A classic set piece puts Gish trying to escape across a frozen river, jumping from one drifting block of ice to the next. And consider that this was in the day before special effects, and it's even quite possible that Gish did all of the stunts herself.
A slice of early cinema that goes down easily if you give it the chance.
Grade: A-
Slow, Stately, and Magnificent
drednm2 January 2008
WAY DOWN EAST was an old-fashioned melodrama even in 1920 when D.W. Griffith decided to film it. It's the kind of story that leaves itself open for spoofing, but Griffith approaches the story of a "mock marriage" and its aftermath with earnestness and a great eye for detail.
Aiding Griffith in bringing this story to life are three great stars: Lillian Gish as Anna, Richard Barthelmess as David, and Lowell Sherman as caddish Lennox. The supporting cast includes New England "types" that almost parody Dickens. Kate Bruce is the staunch mother, Creighton Hale the ditzy professor, Vivia Ogden the town gossip, Burr McIntosh the intolerant squire, Emily Fitzroy runs the hotel, etc.
The story of love, betrayal, tolerance, and redemption is slow moving and has (as usual in a Griffith film) subplots, but like the very river, all the actions and events slowly come together for the finale that left 1920 audiences in a frenzy. Indeed the ending is among the most famous in all silent films.
Gish is quite beautiful here. In her opening scene she is in her parlor with her mother making a broom, holding up the straw so that we see only her white cap and large expressive eyes. She's stunning. As Anna she goes through the gamut of shy maiden, young lover, wronged woman, timid servant, and town jezebel. Barthelmess is solid as the young and innocent David who falls in love with the servant girl.
Their final scenes in the blizzard (filmed on Long Island in a real storm) on the icy river (filmed in White River Junction, VT) are totally amazing. And they did not use stunt doubles. As Gish lies exhausted on the piece of ice she may or may not know that it's heading for the falls. There are scenes were her hand and hair trail in the icy river. Just amazing. Barthelmess uses the breaking ice as a trail so that he can reach Gish before it's too late. There are several shots where he falls off the ice or the ice breaks under him and he plunges into that wintry river. The entire sequence is as thrilling today as it was in 1920.
Gish once wrote that her long hair froze solid from being in the river water and snapped off with the ice.
WAY DOWN EAST is a great film.
Aiding Griffith in bringing this story to life are three great stars: Lillian Gish as Anna, Richard Barthelmess as David, and Lowell Sherman as caddish Lennox. The supporting cast includes New England "types" that almost parody Dickens. Kate Bruce is the staunch mother, Creighton Hale the ditzy professor, Vivia Ogden the town gossip, Burr McIntosh the intolerant squire, Emily Fitzroy runs the hotel, etc.
The story of love, betrayal, tolerance, and redemption is slow moving and has (as usual in a Griffith film) subplots, but like the very river, all the actions and events slowly come together for the finale that left 1920 audiences in a frenzy. Indeed the ending is among the most famous in all silent films.
Gish is quite beautiful here. In her opening scene she is in her parlor with her mother making a broom, holding up the straw so that we see only her white cap and large expressive eyes. She's stunning. As Anna she goes through the gamut of shy maiden, young lover, wronged woman, timid servant, and town jezebel. Barthelmess is solid as the young and innocent David who falls in love with the servant girl.
Their final scenes in the blizzard (filmed on Long Island in a real storm) on the icy river (filmed in White River Junction, VT) are totally amazing. And they did not use stunt doubles. As Gish lies exhausted on the piece of ice she may or may not know that it's heading for the falls. There are scenes were her hand and hair trail in the icy river. Just amazing. Barthelmess uses the breaking ice as a trail so that he can reach Gish before it's too late. There are several shots where he falls off the ice or the ice breaks under him and he plunges into that wintry river. The entire sequence is as thrilling today as it was in 1920.
Gish once wrote that her long hair froze solid from being in the river water and snapped off with the ice.
WAY DOWN EAST is a great film.
Fabulous and Frustrating
randybigham17 January 2005
This enormously successful film lives up to its legendary reputation. But it's also disappointing.
The atmospheric splendor of the cinematography and the melancholy mood set by the original musical score (on the Kino Video release) lull the viewer into the sense of reverie essential to appreciating this charming representation of countrified America facing the encroachment of big city evils.
The story is well-told by director D.W. Griffith, and the moral message of Woman's spiritual virtuosity is exploited without the sermonizing of some of his other pictures. There is a sensitivity and naturalness exhibited in the unfolding narrative of Way Down East and a graceful style seen in none of his other epic-scale ventures. In bringing the sweetness of his famous one-reelers to a major feature film, Griffith captured an almost magical tone and ambiance that distinguishes Way Down East as a masterful piece of intimate storytelling, rivaling Broken Blossoms (1919) in its intensity and sheer beauty.
However, it must be said that Griffith's sideline excesses in plot development are many and varied, hindering the progression of the central tale of Anna Moore's struggle to escape her past and search out a new life. Annoying bits of slapstick humor, totally at odds with the romance and tragedy of the main story, are indulged in while overly sentimental touches, like long, wistful close-ups, are equally aggravating.
Though otherwise superbly acted by Lillian Gish (Anna), her role is marred by the fact that some of her more emotional scenes are unnecessarily drawn out by Griffith. This is particularly true in the sequence of the death of Anna's illegitimate newborn.
Richard Barthelmess, as David Bartlett, Anna's sweetheart and savior, is outstandingly effective, as is Lowell Sherman as the decadent cad Lennox Sanderson who deceives Anna. Not all of the supporting cast was as competent or convincing, due largely to out-of-place comedic impersonations.
One huge stand out is Mary Hay who leaps onto the screen with a refreshing vivacity. The wit she imparts to her small role is the only really clever humor in the movie.
Long-forgotten today, but much discussed at the time, was the cameo appearance in the movie's prologue of popular New York society girl Mrs. Morgan Belmont, who played Diana Tremont, one of Anna's snooty Boston cousins. To do justice to her part, as well as to form an exciting contrast to the pastoral images to follow, Griffith went all out in the costume department, hiring top fashion designer Lucile (Lady Duff Gordon) to design glitzy gowns for the garden party and ball scenes.
Despite some errors in continuity, Way Down East's celebrated climax of Anna's rescue from an ice-flow as it drifts toward a roaring waterfall, is perfectly paced and as thrilling as it must have been to audiences in 1920. Considering the limited special effects of the day, the scenes are amazingly realistic. Gish lying unconscious on an ice cake as it zooms to destruction, her arm trailing in the current, is one of the most familiar silent film shots, even to people who know next to nothing about the genre, and although it has become almost cliché, its power is undiminished.
As a story, Way Down East is both fabulous and frustrating but its photographic beauty and emotional resonance are almost unparalleled in the Griffith oeuvre.
The atmospheric splendor of the cinematography and the melancholy mood set by the original musical score (on the Kino Video release) lull the viewer into the sense of reverie essential to appreciating this charming representation of countrified America facing the encroachment of big city evils.
The story is well-told by director D.W. Griffith, and the moral message of Woman's spiritual virtuosity is exploited without the sermonizing of some of his other pictures. There is a sensitivity and naturalness exhibited in the unfolding narrative of Way Down East and a graceful style seen in none of his other epic-scale ventures. In bringing the sweetness of his famous one-reelers to a major feature film, Griffith captured an almost magical tone and ambiance that distinguishes Way Down East as a masterful piece of intimate storytelling, rivaling Broken Blossoms (1919) in its intensity and sheer beauty.
However, it must be said that Griffith's sideline excesses in plot development are many and varied, hindering the progression of the central tale of Anna Moore's struggle to escape her past and search out a new life. Annoying bits of slapstick humor, totally at odds with the romance and tragedy of the main story, are indulged in while overly sentimental touches, like long, wistful close-ups, are equally aggravating.
Though otherwise superbly acted by Lillian Gish (Anna), her role is marred by the fact that some of her more emotional scenes are unnecessarily drawn out by Griffith. This is particularly true in the sequence of the death of Anna's illegitimate newborn.
Richard Barthelmess, as David Bartlett, Anna's sweetheart and savior, is outstandingly effective, as is Lowell Sherman as the decadent cad Lennox Sanderson who deceives Anna. Not all of the supporting cast was as competent or convincing, due largely to out-of-place comedic impersonations.
One huge stand out is Mary Hay who leaps onto the screen with a refreshing vivacity. The wit she imparts to her small role is the only really clever humor in the movie.
Long-forgotten today, but much discussed at the time, was the cameo appearance in the movie's prologue of popular New York society girl Mrs. Morgan Belmont, who played Diana Tremont, one of Anna's snooty Boston cousins. To do justice to her part, as well as to form an exciting contrast to the pastoral images to follow, Griffith went all out in the costume department, hiring top fashion designer Lucile (Lady Duff Gordon) to design glitzy gowns for the garden party and ball scenes.
Despite some errors in continuity, Way Down East's celebrated climax of Anna's rescue from an ice-flow as it drifts toward a roaring waterfall, is perfectly paced and as thrilling as it must have been to audiences in 1920. Considering the limited special effects of the day, the scenes are amazingly realistic. Gish lying unconscious on an ice cake as it zooms to destruction, her arm trailing in the current, is one of the most familiar silent film shots, even to people who know next to nothing about the genre, and although it has become almost cliché, its power is undiminished.
As a story, Way Down East is both fabulous and frustrating but its photographic beauty and emotional resonance are almost unparalleled in the Griffith oeuvre.
A Simple Story Of Plain People
Ron Oliver28 September 2004
A young woman, after being lured into a false marriage, finds the chance for happiness on a friendly farm WAY DOWN EAST.
David Wark Griffith, the Father of American Cinema, had his last great financial blockbuster with this highly sentimentalized silent melodrama. Always anxious to promote decency & morality with his epic films, Griffith here exposes & castigates male brutality against the weaker female, making this a stark portrayal of Good versus Evil as he follows the fortunes and misfortunes of his long-suffering heroine.
Bird-like & fragile, Lillian Gish takes the brunt of the plot upon her young shoulders. To say that she performs magnificently is only to state the expected. The wealth of emotions stealing across her lovely face give expression to her every thought, as her character struggles to maintain her equilibrium against the onslaughts hurled against her.
Richard Barthelmess portrays the quietly heroic farm lad who becomes paladin for Miss Gish during her tribulations while abiding in his home. His stalwart decency is in strong contrast to the villainy of Lowell Sherman, the rich roué whose misdeeds nearly destroy Lillian.
Griffith's broad canvas allows for detailed portraits by a fine supporting cast: a pharisaical squire (Burr McIntosh), his saintly wife (Kate Bruce), a butterfly-chasing professor (Creighton Hale), a dour landlady (Emily Fitzroy), a lazy, good-natured constable (George Neville), a jolly, oafish farmhand (Edgar Nelson), and a gossiping spinster (Vivia Ogden).
The film climaxes with one of the most famous sequences in all of Silent Cinema: Barthelmess' rescue of Miss Gish as she lies unconscious on an ice floe, speeding towards a tremendous waterfall. Filmed on Long Island in the dead of Winter, the performers were in real peril. These scenes still pack a punch and are worthy testimony to Griffith's genius.
Special mention should be made of the cinematography of G. W. Bitzer, Griffith's invaluable cameraman. His beautiful photography softly illumines both the tender scenes and the bucolic vistas, giving them the quality of aged snapshots in a cherished family album.
David Wark Griffith, the Father of American Cinema, had his last great financial blockbuster with this highly sentimentalized silent melodrama. Always anxious to promote decency & morality with his epic films, Griffith here exposes & castigates male brutality against the weaker female, making this a stark portrayal of Good versus Evil as he follows the fortunes and misfortunes of his long-suffering heroine.
Bird-like & fragile, Lillian Gish takes the brunt of the plot upon her young shoulders. To say that she performs magnificently is only to state the expected. The wealth of emotions stealing across her lovely face give expression to her every thought, as her character struggles to maintain her equilibrium against the onslaughts hurled against her.
Richard Barthelmess portrays the quietly heroic farm lad who becomes paladin for Miss Gish during her tribulations while abiding in his home. His stalwart decency is in strong contrast to the villainy of Lowell Sherman, the rich roué whose misdeeds nearly destroy Lillian.
Griffith's broad canvas allows for detailed portraits by a fine supporting cast: a pharisaical squire (Burr McIntosh), his saintly wife (Kate Bruce), a butterfly-chasing professor (Creighton Hale), a dour landlady (Emily Fitzroy), a lazy, good-natured constable (George Neville), a jolly, oafish farmhand (Edgar Nelson), and a gossiping spinster (Vivia Ogden).
The film climaxes with one of the most famous sequences in all of Silent Cinema: Barthelmess' rescue of Miss Gish as she lies unconscious on an ice floe, speeding towards a tremendous waterfall. Filmed on Long Island in the dead of Winter, the performers were in real peril. These scenes still pack a punch and are worthy testimony to Griffith's genius.
Special mention should be made of the cinematography of G. W. Bitzer, Griffith's invaluable cameraman. His beautiful photography softly illumines both the tender scenes and the bucolic vistas, giving them the quality of aged snapshots in a cherished family album.
Another Griffith Epic
gavin69429 August 2016
A naive country girl (Lillian Gish) is tricked into a sham marriage by a wealthy womanizer, then must rebuild her life despite the taint of having borne a child out of wedlock.
Although it was Griffith's most expensive film to date, it was also one of his most commercially successful. "Way Down East" is the fourth highest grossing silent film in cinema history, taking in more than $4.5 million at the box office in 1920. That is an astounding number, and to be ranked fourth... it would probably today not be considered Griffith's best, and to think it easily out-performed Chaplin and Keaton...
Similar to other Griffith productions, "Way Down East" was subjected to censorship by some American state film censor boards. For example, the Pennsylvania film board required over 60 cuts in the film, removing the mock marriage and honeymoon between Lennox and Anna as well as any hints of her pregnancy, effectively destroying the film's integral conflict. Exactly how the film could make any sense without the core of its plot is beyond me.
Although it was Griffith's most expensive film to date, it was also one of his most commercially successful. "Way Down East" is the fourth highest grossing silent film in cinema history, taking in more than $4.5 million at the box office in 1920. That is an astounding number, and to be ranked fourth... it would probably today not be considered Griffith's best, and to think it easily out-performed Chaplin and Keaton...
Similar to other Griffith productions, "Way Down East" was subjected to censorship by some American state film censor boards. For example, the Pennsylvania film board required over 60 cuts in the film, removing the mock marriage and honeymoon between Lennox and Anna as well as any hints of her pregnancy, effectively destroying the film's integral conflict. Exactly how the film could make any sense without the core of its plot is beyond me.
Still a Gripping, Absorbingly Real Drama After 80 Plus Years
lawprof28 March 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Today's films dissect with the latest pseudotheories and experimental science every aspect of human relationships. Technology run wild turns the screen into an advertisement for a future we ought to be wary about. How refreshing it is to stop the clock and enjoy D.W. Griffith's "Way Down East." A friend who loves silent film lent me her tape last night and I've seen it twice, putting aside for four hours everything from nonsense at work to the grim reality of war in Iraq.
D. W. Griffith's name comes to the fore most frequently, and not necessarily in a complimentary light, with often polarized discussions of America's history as depicted in movies, especially with regard to race. "Way Down East" doesn't touch on historical themes but he does candidly and openly explore moral issues that in his time were either evaded or resolved with harsh condemnation of those who strayed from the path of religious dogma-inspired righteousness.
The wonderful Lillian Gish is Anna Moore, who loses her mother and seeks, being bereft of money, shelter from rich relatives. A very familiar story (most recently brought to the screen in the latest adaptation of Dickens's "Nicholas Nickleby"). Taken in, albeit grudgingly, by a rich aunt and treated with lighthearted contempt by two sisters, she meets Lennox Sanderson, played by Lowell Sherman. Sanderson is a cad, a seducer of innocent virgins. Rather than the sneering evildoer so familiar to devotees of silent films, Sherman invests his role with a mixture of cruel cunning and stupid incomprehension of the harm he causes to Anna. He stages a mock wedding to get her into bed and subsequently abandons the pregnant Anna. The depth of his acting starkly brings the shallowness of his character to life.
After losing her baby, Anna is taken in as a house servant by a sanctimonious farmer who blindly adheres to the literal letter of biblical law. Of course his wife is a near saint. What next? A love interest for Anna which she spurns, believing herself unworthy of a good man's attention. Richard Barthelmess, who brings a manly but compassionate character to life, chases Anna demurely and respectfully from parlor room to - ice flow adrift in a raging torrent of water approaching (music increases in tempo) a waterfall.
Anna's peril on the ice is one of the most famous silent film scenes and almost eighty-five years later it still works. Largely that's because no one - no one - could film a scene like that as did D.W. Griffith.
Incidentally, in a barnyard dance scene is a very young Norma Shearer.
A remarkable film that holds a viewer's rapt attention (mine, at least) and which proves both the sometimes superfluity of words to tell a story and the lasting legacy D.W. Griffith gave us.
10/10.
D. W. Griffith's name comes to the fore most frequently, and not necessarily in a complimentary light, with often polarized discussions of America's history as depicted in movies, especially with regard to race. "Way Down East" doesn't touch on historical themes but he does candidly and openly explore moral issues that in his time were either evaded or resolved with harsh condemnation of those who strayed from the path of religious dogma-inspired righteousness.
The wonderful Lillian Gish is Anna Moore, who loses her mother and seeks, being bereft of money, shelter from rich relatives. A very familiar story (most recently brought to the screen in the latest adaptation of Dickens's "Nicholas Nickleby"). Taken in, albeit grudgingly, by a rich aunt and treated with lighthearted contempt by two sisters, she meets Lennox Sanderson, played by Lowell Sherman. Sanderson is a cad, a seducer of innocent virgins. Rather than the sneering evildoer so familiar to devotees of silent films, Sherman invests his role with a mixture of cruel cunning and stupid incomprehension of the harm he causes to Anna. He stages a mock wedding to get her into bed and subsequently abandons the pregnant Anna. The depth of his acting starkly brings the shallowness of his character to life.
After losing her baby, Anna is taken in as a house servant by a sanctimonious farmer who blindly adheres to the literal letter of biblical law. Of course his wife is a near saint. What next? A love interest for Anna which she spurns, believing herself unworthy of a good man's attention. Richard Barthelmess, who brings a manly but compassionate character to life, chases Anna demurely and respectfully from parlor room to - ice flow adrift in a raging torrent of water approaching (music increases in tempo) a waterfall.
Anna's peril on the ice is one of the most famous silent film scenes and almost eighty-five years later it still works. Largely that's because no one - no one - could film a scene like that as did D.W. Griffith.
Incidentally, in a barnyard dance scene is a very young Norma Shearer.
A remarkable film that holds a viewer's rapt attention (mine, at least) and which proves both the sometimes superfluity of words to tell a story and the lasting legacy D.W. Griffith gave us.
10/10.
Flashes of Brilliance
Cineanalyst3 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Despite the major box-office success of "Way Down East", Griffith, reportedly, continued to have financial difficulties. His lack of sound money management is probably the major reason for his eventual failure in the movie industry he helped create, and it likely is much of the cause of his artistic decline, as well, which I think was beginning around this time. "The Birth of a Nation" and "Intolerance" revolutionized motion pictures severalfold--an enormous peak for a career, doubtless, but henceforth he made some lousy, derivative and prosaic films--only flashes of brilliance, like those in this film, make the remainder of his filmography worth investigating.
The $182,000 he paid for the rights to Brady, Parker and Grismer's horse-and-buggy play seemed absurd, and the melodrama itself is overly sensational and ridiculous; yet, it's impressive how Griffith's inspired direction and Lillian Gish's performance somehow manage to make that not always seem the case. Many problems remain in the film. The message of monogamy (regardless of one's standpoint on the issue), the staginess and especially the comic relief add to the already inherent disadvantages of the genre. The comic relief is unnecessary, ill placed and unfunny; it undermines much of the picture, which is overlong as a result.
As for Gish, this has to be some of her best acting. Aside from the competent and (this time) careful film-making, she is the saving grace of the picture. She is pitiful and beautiful--composing Griffith's ideal woman. She rises above the story-lines that require her to faint four times.
There's a particularly picturesque scene where Richard Berthelmess's character first admits his attraction to Gish. And, I always like when Griffith rallies against busybody gossipers. The most acclaimed sequence, however, is, of course, the film's climax, including the great ice-break scene, which has Richard Barthelmess saving Gish from death (thankfully not rape this time). It is an exceptionally well-edited and photographed dénouement--one of the more memorable and exciting moments in film history. Too bad it and the other virtues of "Way Down East" lie beside their conversely negative parts.
The $182,000 he paid for the rights to Brady, Parker and Grismer's horse-and-buggy play seemed absurd, and the melodrama itself is overly sensational and ridiculous; yet, it's impressive how Griffith's inspired direction and Lillian Gish's performance somehow manage to make that not always seem the case. Many problems remain in the film. The message of monogamy (regardless of one's standpoint on the issue), the staginess and especially the comic relief add to the already inherent disadvantages of the genre. The comic relief is unnecessary, ill placed and unfunny; it undermines much of the picture, which is overlong as a result.
As for Gish, this has to be some of her best acting. Aside from the competent and (this time) careful film-making, she is the saving grace of the picture. She is pitiful and beautiful--composing Griffith's ideal woman. She rises above the story-lines that require her to faint four times.
There's a particularly picturesque scene where Richard Berthelmess's character first admits his attraction to Gish. And, I always like when Griffith rallies against busybody gossipers. The most acclaimed sequence, however, is, of course, the film's climax, including the great ice-break scene, which has Richard Barthelmess saving Gish from death (thankfully not rape this time). It is an exceptionally well-edited and photographed dénouement--one of the more memorable and exciting moments in film history. Too bad it and the other virtues of "Way Down East" lie beside their conversely negative parts.
"And then the storm."
utgard1424 July 2017
D.W. Griffith's lengthy silent melodrama about a naive young woman from the country who is taken advantage of by a cad. Later she finds love with a nice, sweet boy but her past comes back to haunt her. Never one to shy away from expressing his personal beliefs in his films, Griffith uses this simple story to sermonize about the moral character of men (basically they're all either doe-eyed innocents or total bastards) while also finding time to criticize the idle rich and prop up women as madonna figures. The opening title cards inform us men were never meant to be monogamous but we should try to be because Jesus said so...or something like that. Show that to your grandma's church group.
Star Lillian Gish is terrific at expressing emotions with her face and body. Few actresses, silent era or since, have been able to convey so much without words. Then we have her performance in the climax. Watching Gish fling herself about in the ice and snow, knowing it caused permanent physical damage to her hand...well it's a disturbingly impressive dedication to one's craft. She really is one of the all-time greats. Babyfaced Richard Barthelmess and the rest of the cast are also good.
On the negative side it is slow-going, particularly in the first half, with a lot of drawing room stuff and side visits through the local corn. As the film goes along, it becomes darker and more interesting, culminating in the justifiably famous snow storm finale with special effects provided by Mother Nature. Definitely worth a look for anyone who wants to see the best of the silent era, but I would advise against starting here. This is the type of film you need to be used to the silent movie pros & cons before attempting to watch it. That first hour or so is likely to drive away impatient viewers.
Star Lillian Gish is terrific at expressing emotions with her face and body. Few actresses, silent era or since, have been able to convey so much without words. Then we have her performance in the climax. Watching Gish fling herself about in the ice and snow, knowing it caused permanent physical damage to her hand...well it's a disturbingly impressive dedication to one's craft. She really is one of the all-time greats. Babyfaced Richard Barthelmess and the rest of the cast are also good.
On the negative side it is slow-going, particularly in the first half, with a lot of drawing room stuff and side visits through the local corn. As the film goes along, it becomes darker and more interesting, culminating in the justifiably famous snow storm finale with special effects provided by Mother Nature. Definitely worth a look for anyone who wants to see the best of the silent era, but I would advise against starting here. This is the type of film you need to be used to the silent movie pros & cons before attempting to watch it. That first hour or so is likely to drive away impatient viewers.
Griffith the moralist
mmmuconn3 January 2003
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS BELOW
D.W. Griffith's major theme is the plight of women. In `Broken Blossoms', a title card notes that women have only two courses, marriage and prostitution, neither of which is enticing. Griffith's women, usually played by Lillian Gish, are almost entirely powerless; at any moment they can fall victim to the violent, sexual appetites of men. In `The Birth Of A Nation', a woman is chased off a cliff by a would-be rapist. In `Intolerance', only an unexpected gunshot prevents a man's wife from being sexually attacked by his boss. Griffith, despite frequently being labeled a racist, is at heart a moralist, and he intends for his films to help men sympathize with women so that they can better protect them. `Way Down East' may be the strongest case in point. It opens with the director's explicit plea for men to properly treat the opposite gender. It then introduces an unusually powerful Griffith female character, a woman with sex appeal, only to spend the next two hours demonstrating how easily even this woman can be victimized. Griffith, with the help of an extraordinary performance by Gish, succeeds in building sympathy for the girl, but by requiring that her naivete, frailty, and dependence be such a large part of her appeal, Griffith renders woman all the more powerless.
Rating: 7.5
D.W. Griffith's major theme is the plight of women. In `Broken Blossoms', a title card notes that women have only two courses, marriage and prostitution, neither of which is enticing. Griffith's women, usually played by Lillian Gish, are almost entirely powerless; at any moment they can fall victim to the violent, sexual appetites of men. In `The Birth Of A Nation', a woman is chased off a cliff by a would-be rapist. In `Intolerance', only an unexpected gunshot prevents a man's wife from being sexually attacked by his boss. Griffith, despite frequently being labeled a racist, is at heart a moralist, and he intends for his films to help men sympathize with women so that they can better protect them. `Way Down East' may be the strongest case in point. It opens with the director's explicit plea for men to properly treat the opposite gender. It then introduces an unusually powerful Griffith female character, a woman with sex appeal, only to spend the next two hours demonstrating how easily even this woman can be victimized. Griffith, with the help of an extraordinary performance by Gish, succeeds in building sympathy for the girl, but by requiring that her naivete, frailty, and dependence be such a large part of her appeal, Griffith renders woman all the more powerless.
Rating: 7.5
Classic D.W Griffith Melodrama With Gish
jem13225 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
D.W Griffith's outstanding 'Way Down East' is one of the best films produced by America in the silent era. It is a monument to epic film-making, and the talents of it's director, Griffith, and it's star, the great Lillian Gish.
In a plot very similar to that of Thomas Hardy's famous novel 'Tess Of The D'Urbervilles', Gish portrays Anna Moore, a poor farm girl who must leave her relatives in search of assistance from her rich city cousins. Upon arrival it is obvious that she is in an unfamiliar, dangerous world with these wealthy, pleasure-seeking people- just look at the juxtaposition of Anna's costume at the party, and the over-sized door that both greets and dwarfs her. Anna meets the cad Lennox Sanderson at said party given by her relatives, and the villain seduces the innocent girl. Lennox tricks her into a fake wedding in order to bed her. Anna is shocked to find out later the wickedness of his deeds. She returns home to her family a disgraced, pregnant single woman. She is cast aside by her relatives and her weakling baby dies. Finally, she must take to the road in search of help. On the Bartlett family farm she finds salvation, and a man that could be true to her, the idealistic dreamer son David (Richard Barthelmess). But escaping the past will prove difficult for if she is to achieve happiness in the end.
Gish is absolutely brilliant in the role of the poor, simple farm girl. She was the first truly 'modern' actress of the cinema, and she shows her talent here, running through the gamut of emotions and looking achingly torn in every beautiful close-up. No posturing like we saw from silent exotics Pola Negri or Theda Bara, Gish is truly natural. Their was no one better than her at the playing the suffering, betrayed girl in the D.W Griffith Victorian melodramas. Perhaps her position as a symbolic of Victorian purity and virtue is the reason her film career in the talkies was largely reduced. Gish still had a successful film and television career in character parts for many, many years after the induction of sound, but her silent work will always be her lasting contribution.
Richard Barthelmess, who Gish regarded as the best-looking man ever to grace the screen, gives an equally fine performance as David. He is the sweet lover we all would like to have, honest and true. The love scenes between David and Anna are tender and believable, Lillian and Richard certainly shared remarkable chemistry.
I love how D.W made this film; the filmic devices he employed. Wonderful symbolism with David stroking a white dove, another image of purity. The pastoral images bathed in natural light contrasted with the darkness of Anna's 'seduction'. The juxtaposition of the rich and poor. The light comic relief in the midst of drama. Oh, and that 'iceflow' scene.
That scene is one of the most remarkable you will find in the cinema, and it was shot entirely on location. Yes, that IS Miss Gish's freezing hand dragging in the ice, and Barthelmess WAS the one who rescued Gish from certain peril. Remember, these were the days where actors did their own stunts, so kudos all round.
This film is a true example of Victorianism. I actually studied it in-depth in school last year as a Victorian-influenced film, and it's not hard to see it's place as one. The treatment of women (unmarried mothers) is revelatory, the image of the 'seducer' figure is prominent, and the divide between the rich and poor is clearly evident. Yes, it's almost like picking up one of those hefty Victorian novels, a viewing of WDE.
It is not without it's faults, however. It's gloriously over-long and melodramatic, such was Griffith's style. Also, the moralizing can get really tedious at times. You have to appreciate the context Griffith made in this in, and Griffith's unique reputation as a film-maker to properly enjoy WDE.
It is a marvelous experience.
9/10.
In a plot very similar to that of Thomas Hardy's famous novel 'Tess Of The D'Urbervilles', Gish portrays Anna Moore, a poor farm girl who must leave her relatives in search of assistance from her rich city cousins. Upon arrival it is obvious that she is in an unfamiliar, dangerous world with these wealthy, pleasure-seeking people- just look at the juxtaposition of Anna's costume at the party, and the over-sized door that both greets and dwarfs her. Anna meets the cad Lennox Sanderson at said party given by her relatives, and the villain seduces the innocent girl. Lennox tricks her into a fake wedding in order to bed her. Anna is shocked to find out later the wickedness of his deeds. She returns home to her family a disgraced, pregnant single woman. She is cast aside by her relatives and her weakling baby dies. Finally, she must take to the road in search of help. On the Bartlett family farm she finds salvation, and a man that could be true to her, the idealistic dreamer son David (Richard Barthelmess). But escaping the past will prove difficult for if she is to achieve happiness in the end.
Gish is absolutely brilliant in the role of the poor, simple farm girl. She was the first truly 'modern' actress of the cinema, and she shows her talent here, running through the gamut of emotions and looking achingly torn in every beautiful close-up. No posturing like we saw from silent exotics Pola Negri or Theda Bara, Gish is truly natural. Their was no one better than her at the playing the suffering, betrayed girl in the D.W Griffith Victorian melodramas. Perhaps her position as a symbolic of Victorian purity and virtue is the reason her film career in the talkies was largely reduced. Gish still had a successful film and television career in character parts for many, many years after the induction of sound, but her silent work will always be her lasting contribution.
Richard Barthelmess, who Gish regarded as the best-looking man ever to grace the screen, gives an equally fine performance as David. He is the sweet lover we all would like to have, honest and true. The love scenes between David and Anna are tender and believable, Lillian and Richard certainly shared remarkable chemistry.
I love how D.W made this film; the filmic devices he employed. Wonderful symbolism with David stroking a white dove, another image of purity. The pastoral images bathed in natural light contrasted with the darkness of Anna's 'seduction'. The juxtaposition of the rich and poor. The light comic relief in the midst of drama. Oh, and that 'iceflow' scene.
That scene is one of the most remarkable you will find in the cinema, and it was shot entirely on location. Yes, that IS Miss Gish's freezing hand dragging in the ice, and Barthelmess WAS the one who rescued Gish from certain peril. Remember, these were the days where actors did their own stunts, so kudos all round.
This film is a true example of Victorianism. I actually studied it in-depth in school last year as a Victorian-influenced film, and it's not hard to see it's place as one. The treatment of women (unmarried mothers) is revelatory, the image of the 'seducer' figure is prominent, and the divide between the rich and poor is clearly evident. Yes, it's almost like picking up one of those hefty Victorian novels, a viewing of WDE.
It is not without it's faults, however. It's gloriously over-long and melodramatic, such was Griffith's style. Also, the moralizing can get really tedious at times. You have to appreciate the context Griffith made in this in, and Griffith's unique reputation as a film-maker to properly enjoy WDE.
It is a marvelous experience.
9/10.
Not Great as Film
hcoursen16 April 2006
Gish and Barthlemess are great, though the latter is probably not on screen often enough and the former might have been on too long. At moments it seemed that Griffith was overindulging in closeups of Gish's wonderfully expressive face. The title cards are typically moralistic and tend to force the story into Griffith's allegory. The main problem though is the introduction of "comic relief." The scenes are simply not funny and needlessly strain our attention span. And if one asks -- didn't people think they were funny then? -- maybe. But the Keystone Cops, Keyton, Chaplin, and Lloyd are still funny. I was intrigued by the Gish character's affinity with Ophelia. Both young women are wronged by their lovers (though the Hamlet-Ophelia relationship is never clear). And Gish, seeing the river, receives the title-card "Frenzied -- Tortured -- The calling river." Fortunately, she does not drown in that wonderfully crosscut and gripping sequence. The only Hamlet director I know of who puts Ophelia into a winter river is Branagh in his film. Kate Winslett finds a hole in the ice in which to drown herself -- assuming she does so intentionally. One reviewer has noted the relationship between the Gish character and the typical Hardy heroine. The reviewer cites Tess, but Eustacia in Return of the Native actually drowns in a river. I also note a parallel between the Gish character and the hapless Roberta Alden of Dreiser's An American Tragedy. Although that novel did not appear until 1925, poor Roberta also drowns, pregnant and in a lake. The music of the copy I watched on TCM was lugubrious but it was fun to hear some of the songs my grandfather sang -- the recurring theme "Believe me if all those endearing young charms," along with "In the Gloaming" and "Love's Old Sweet Song."
Silent film as its most stereotypically definitive.
theskulI4211 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
D.W. Griffith, quite possibly the man most associated with silent film as a dramatic artform, certainly the one that most comes to mind when limited to director-only (ruling out do-it-all auteurs like Chaplin and Keaton), and he is a creator of much of the universal language as well as the collective consciousness of silent film, the epic lengths, the recognizable intertitles, and of course, the glorious, copious melodrama, and there are few films that pack more melodrama into one over-the-top package than Way Down East.
Way Down East follows the exploits of naive country girl Anna (Lillian Gish), who, after falling in even harder times, decides to come into contact with distant associates of wealth. One of these, cynical womanizer playboy Lennox (Lowell Sherman) attempts to court her, in an attempt to know her biblically. She, being a respectable young woman, of course refuses to indulge until she is married, so Lennox stages a sham marriage, does his business, and leaves her. Oh, but of course, he has also left her with, you guessed it, a CHILD! Once he got his way, Lennox refuses to have anything to do with her, and she is forced to raise the child on her own. She moves into a slummy apartment and is forced to claim that her husband has died, but those inquisitive patricians cannot let it lie, and discovers she was never officially married! Then, right on cue, the baby dies (or as the titles so sensationally put it, "a cold hand on her breast"). Once she is finally outed as a hussy harlot tramp have-not wench by the 'have's, she is forced to admit to her new beau that she is not only a virgin, but a hussy harlot tramp have-not wench, and is thus obliged to out her baby's daddy, and then, all hell breaks lose.
Is there anyone else more perfect or practiced at this sort of histrionic theatricality than Lillian Gish? She had eyes to kill, a brittle delicacy that looks like you could shatter her with a sneeze, and the fact that everyone was always threatening to beat her up. Most of the rest of the cast are unremarkable silent veterans like Richard Barthelmess and Burr McIntosh, although Lowell Sherman plays affluent prick so well I'm convinced it was his own vocation.
At 145 minutes, the film is way too long, including far too many characters and a lot of plot strands that don't really go anywhere, but this is really all part of the bloated indulgence of pure, undiluted melodrama, and although the film isn't 'great' in the objective sense, there's certainly a lot to be entertained by here.
{Grade: 6/10 (C+) / #2 (of 2) of 1920}
Way Down East follows the exploits of naive country girl Anna (Lillian Gish), who, after falling in even harder times, decides to come into contact with distant associates of wealth. One of these, cynical womanizer playboy Lennox (Lowell Sherman) attempts to court her, in an attempt to know her biblically. She, being a respectable young woman, of course refuses to indulge until she is married, so Lennox stages a sham marriage, does his business, and leaves her. Oh, but of course, he has also left her with, you guessed it, a CHILD! Once he got his way, Lennox refuses to have anything to do with her, and she is forced to raise the child on her own. She moves into a slummy apartment and is forced to claim that her husband has died, but those inquisitive patricians cannot let it lie, and discovers she was never officially married! Then, right on cue, the baby dies (or as the titles so sensationally put it, "a cold hand on her breast"). Once she is finally outed as a hussy harlot tramp have-not wench by the 'have's, she is forced to admit to her new beau that she is not only a virgin, but a hussy harlot tramp have-not wench, and is thus obliged to out her baby's daddy, and then, all hell breaks lose.
Is there anyone else more perfect or practiced at this sort of histrionic theatricality than Lillian Gish? She had eyes to kill, a brittle delicacy that looks like you could shatter her with a sneeze, and the fact that everyone was always threatening to beat her up. Most of the rest of the cast are unremarkable silent veterans like Richard Barthelmess and Burr McIntosh, although Lowell Sherman plays affluent prick so well I'm convinced it was his own vocation.
At 145 minutes, the film is way too long, including far too many characters and a lot of plot strands that don't really go anywhere, but this is really all part of the bloated indulgence of pure, undiluted melodrama, and although the film isn't 'great' in the objective sense, there's certainly a lot to be entertained by here.
{Grade: 6/10 (C+) / #2 (of 2) of 1920}
Gish's Best
elchiludo-26 March 2005
As Gish once said, ".......Silent movies were well on their way to developing an entirely new art form. It was not just pantomime, but something wonderfully expressive." It is that expressive ability, which in Talking Movies and still today, more than any other characteristic, defines the success of an actor or actress. As it was back then referred to as "The Look", this ability was Gish's trademark, and has never been done better by anyone. In Way Down East, she set the benchmark for this ability. In my opinion, the best work of her career. If you haven't seen it, do, and you'll wonder who in screen history can rival "Her Look".
Griffith knew his stuff
rensamuels4 December 2006
I just finished watching Way Down East. It was extremely powerful and moving. Gish is at her best, and while she may take getting used to if you've never seen her before, because she is a bit twittery, she is also a unique beauty with enormously expressive eyes and nervous mannerisms that make her perfect in this role as the poor innocent done wrong by the sophisticated older man. Like they say, the story's as old as the hills, and I was surprised but pleased at the happy ending, considering she had a baby out of wedlock--usually women were punished in the old films, even if it wasn't their fault. Little things like Richard Barthelmess petting a pigeon on the head, blossoms bouncing gently in the breeze, the play of light at sunset through Gish's hair as she stands by the river.... There's an appreciation of the beauty of nature and the gentle aspects of the human soul that's not much seen anymore. Just watching the men haying in the fields, the old barn dance, a horse and sled heading down a long avenue of tall trees is a pleasure, a record of days gone by that we don't get much chance to see anywhere else. Of course Gish floating down the river on the ice in the denouement is a classic. I highly recommend this film to any sensitive movie-lover.
An old fashioned melodrama with a universal message
barhound7823 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
D.W. Griffith followed up the majestic Broken Blossoms with this epic melodrama.
The subtitle, "A Simple Story Of Plain People", tells only half the story. Way Down East is a parable with simple values told on a bravura scale. At the time of release the story Griffith offered seemed out of kilter with a society on the cusp of a decade of decadence. However, the Victorian messages of tolerance, charity, understanding and forgiveness seemed more pertinent than ever. And as much as the film is an affirmation of love, honest living and general goodness, it is also takes a swipe at the puritanical aspects of Christianity. It became one of the highest grossing films of the 1920's.
The story is one of hardship and of suffering. Anna Moore (Lillian Gish) is a naive country girl sent to stay as a "poor relation" with her cousins in the city where she falls under the influence of a cad Lennox Sanderson (deliciously played Lowell Shermann) who sets up a false wedding and tricks the infatuated Anna into sleeping with him. Inevitably, Anna quickly falls pregnant and Sanderson absconds leaving her to face her fate alone. And it is a terrible fate. She returns home but her mother soon dies and then, in one of the films most poignant scenes, the illegitimate newborn child that will be her curse dies in her arms in a boarding house. It is soon realised that Anna has no husband and she becomes a pariah; unable to find work and told to leave her board.
She is forced to wander to find work and, finally, she stumbles across a farm owned by the puritanical Squire Bartlett. At first he turns Anna away, but his wife speaks to him of Christian scripture and they take her in. She lives a blameless, hardworking life with the Bartletts and slowly finds herself falling in love with the Bartletts son David (Richard Barthelmess) but the cross she bears prevents her from giving in to her feelings. This is only amplified when she discovers that Sanderson owns an estate adjacent to the Bartletts and he puts pressure on her to leave. However, her secret is only eventually when she is recognised by her old landlady. She is cast out into the blizzard by the Squire but not before she exposes Sanderson (who is present) as the architect of her doom. Wandering into the freezing night she finally passes out on a drifting glacier leading to one of the most exciting and jaw-dropping climaxes of Silent cinema.
Way Down East was a labour of love for Griffith. The photography is some of the finest he was to ever produce whilst he waited for the seasons to change and for nature to flourish in order to capture and represent the changing moods and emotions of his characters. Similarly, the final moments on the ice floes of the Mamaroneck river is one of the great location sequences. Gish herself (who died in 1993 aged 99) never regained full feeling in her hand from having it draped in the icy water for so long.
This film is open to accusations of being old fashioned, but I feel anybody who levels such claims would be missing the point. This is melodrama of grand proportions and it carries within it messages and morals that are universal and timeless. And when these messages are carried by an actress as mesmerising and as dignified as Lillian Gish then, as Way Down East undoubtedly proves, no amount of generational drift can render them obsolete.
The subtitle, "A Simple Story Of Plain People", tells only half the story. Way Down East is a parable with simple values told on a bravura scale. At the time of release the story Griffith offered seemed out of kilter with a society on the cusp of a decade of decadence. However, the Victorian messages of tolerance, charity, understanding and forgiveness seemed more pertinent than ever. And as much as the film is an affirmation of love, honest living and general goodness, it is also takes a swipe at the puritanical aspects of Christianity. It became one of the highest grossing films of the 1920's.
The story is one of hardship and of suffering. Anna Moore (Lillian Gish) is a naive country girl sent to stay as a "poor relation" with her cousins in the city where she falls under the influence of a cad Lennox Sanderson (deliciously played Lowell Shermann) who sets up a false wedding and tricks the infatuated Anna into sleeping with him. Inevitably, Anna quickly falls pregnant and Sanderson absconds leaving her to face her fate alone. And it is a terrible fate. She returns home but her mother soon dies and then, in one of the films most poignant scenes, the illegitimate newborn child that will be her curse dies in her arms in a boarding house. It is soon realised that Anna has no husband and she becomes a pariah; unable to find work and told to leave her board.
She is forced to wander to find work and, finally, she stumbles across a farm owned by the puritanical Squire Bartlett. At first he turns Anna away, but his wife speaks to him of Christian scripture and they take her in. She lives a blameless, hardworking life with the Bartletts and slowly finds herself falling in love with the Bartletts son David (Richard Barthelmess) but the cross she bears prevents her from giving in to her feelings. This is only amplified when she discovers that Sanderson owns an estate adjacent to the Bartletts and he puts pressure on her to leave. However, her secret is only eventually when she is recognised by her old landlady. She is cast out into the blizzard by the Squire but not before she exposes Sanderson (who is present) as the architect of her doom. Wandering into the freezing night she finally passes out on a drifting glacier leading to one of the most exciting and jaw-dropping climaxes of Silent cinema.
Way Down East was a labour of love for Griffith. The photography is some of the finest he was to ever produce whilst he waited for the seasons to change and for nature to flourish in order to capture and represent the changing moods and emotions of his characters. Similarly, the final moments on the ice floes of the Mamaroneck river is one of the great location sequences. Gish herself (who died in 1993 aged 99) never regained full feeling in her hand from having it draped in the icy water for so long.
This film is open to accusations of being old fashioned, but I feel anybody who levels such claims would be missing the point. This is melodrama of grand proportions and it carries within it messages and morals that are universal and timeless. And when these messages are carried by an actress as mesmerising and as dignified as Lillian Gish then, as Way Down East undoubtedly proves, no amount of generational drift can render them obsolete.
Technically brilliant, but tedious and preachy
tomgillespie20029 June 2012
Anna (Lillian Gish), is a poor country girl who arrives at her rich auntie's mansion to ask for money. The spoiled, womanising Lennox Sanderson (Lowell Sherman), is bored with seducing upper-class girls and becomes infatuated by Anna. Seeing that she a moral, God-fearing woman, Lennox proposes to her and arranges a sham marriage. Anna becomes pregnant, only for Lennox to reveal his scheme and kick her out, and Anna's baby dies. Lost and emotionally damaged, Anna wanders to a nearby farm, ran by Squire Bartlett (Burr McIntosh) and his scripture-quoting wife Mother (Kate Bruce). Squire's son David (Richard Barthelmess) falls for Anna, only for Lennox to show up lusting after another girl.
It's hard for me to bring myself to criticise and evaluate a work of D.W. Griffith. As questionable as his political and racial views were, he is one of cinema's true innovators, and even here, back in 1920, he employs an early Technicolor process and an eye for epic cinema. Yet the film hasn't dated well at all, and the religious and moral preaching, and the over-use of title cards, makes the film ridiculously old- fashioned and tedious. This is Griffith's ode to the idea that God created one woman for every man, and states it is a story of women everywhere, who suffer at the hands of men's selfish womanising. It's quite hard to swallow morality lessons from the man that made The Birth of a Nation (1915), a film that glamorised the Ku Klux Klan, and made black people out to be nothing more than loutish animals.
Yet the film does display Griffith's film-making ability, especially in the famous climax that shows David rescuing an unconscious Anna from an ice flood. It even holds up today, with the lack of CGI effects or actors on wires making it even more impressive, and it's all captured beautifully by Billy Bitzer and Hendrik Sartov's cinematography. And Gish, one of the most successful and hard-working actresses in film history (and one of the few survivors of the death of the silent era) is exceptional. Her timid Anna is beaten down at every turn by the amoral upper classes, who, in Griffith's eyes, are defying God with their whoring and luxurious, indulgent lives. Yet overall, at 145 minutes, the film drags, especially when Griffith shifts his concentration on various supporting sub-plots, that play out like intrusive and uninteresting vignettes. Certainly worth seeing for some fine technical work and the captivating Gish, but not a film I can see myself needing to watch again.
www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com
It's hard for me to bring myself to criticise and evaluate a work of D.W. Griffith. As questionable as his political and racial views were, he is one of cinema's true innovators, and even here, back in 1920, he employs an early Technicolor process and an eye for epic cinema. Yet the film hasn't dated well at all, and the religious and moral preaching, and the over-use of title cards, makes the film ridiculously old- fashioned and tedious. This is Griffith's ode to the idea that God created one woman for every man, and states it is a story of women everywhere, who suffer at the hands of men's selfish womanising. It's quite hard to swallow morality lessons from the man that made The Birth of a Nation (1915), a film that glamorised the Ku Klux Klan, and made black people out to be nothing more than loutish animals.
Yet the film does display Griffith's film-making ability, especially in the famous climax that shows David rescuing an unconscious Anna from an ice flood. It even holds up today, with the lack of CGI effects or actors on wires making it even more impressive, and it's all captured beautifully by Billy Bitzer and Hendrik Sartov's cinematography. And Gish, one of the most successful and hard-working actresses in film history (and one of the few survivors of the death of the silent era) is exceptional. Her timid Anna is beaten down at every turn by the amoral upper classes, who, in Griffith's eyes, are defying God with their whoring and luxurious, indulgent lives. Yet overall, at 145 minutes, the film drags, especially when Griffith shifts his concentration on various supporting sub-plots, that play out like intrusive and uninteresting vignettes. Certainly worth seeing for some fine technical work and the captivating Gish, but not a film I can see myself needing to watch again.
www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com
One of the greatest silents
Nate-488 July 2020
One of the greatest movies ever - 1920 - was a big commercial success - one of Griffith's last and biggest hits - Lillian Gish is astounding - the score is powerful- Griffith and cinematographer Billy Bitzer put on a clinic - it was restored in its original tint by Museum of Modern Art
Not a classic, but pleasant viewing.
TheMovieCritic_8326 June 2007
Lillian Gish is regarded as probably the best actress of the silent era, and there's a good reason for that. As Elsie Stoneman in 'The Birth of a Nation', she appears as a reasonably serious and strong woman. As Anna Moore in 'Way Down East', she is a much more fragile and vulnerable character. This versatility is the mark of a good performer, and Lillian Gish has got it. It is mostly her presence that makes this a memorable film.
Anna Moore is a young naive girl who lives with her mother. When they begin to experience financial difficulties, Anna goes to visit some rich relatives, hoping to get assistance. During the visit, she meets the womanising Lennox Sanderson. To her, it's love. To him, it's just another adventure. Lennox deviously organises a mock marriage ceremony, and after Anna becomes pregnant, the truth comes out and he abandons her. Anna then leaves home and finds work on a farm. She doesn't know it, but Lennox lives close by and, inevitably, the two cross paths again.
'Way Down East' is not a classic, but is worth a look. The emotional elements in the film aren't given quite enough attention to leave any real impact, and the film does drag in certain spots and is about half an hour too long. The characters are well defined though, and D W Griffith punctuates the film with some amusing comical moments.
Anna Moore is a young naive girl who lives with her mother. When they begin to experience financial difficulties, Anna goes to visit some rich relatives, hoping to get assistance. During the visit, she meets the womanising Lennox Sanderson. To her, it's love. To him, it's just another adventure. Lennox deviously organises a mock marriage ceremony, and after Anna becomes pregnant, the truth comes out and he abandons her. Anna then leaves home and finds work on a farm. She doesn't know it, but Lennox lives close by and, inevitably, the two cross paths again.
'Way Down East' is not a classic, but is worth a look. The emotional elements in the film aren't given quite enough attention to leave any real impact, and the film does drag in certain spots and is about half an hour too long. The characters are well defined though, and D W Griffith punctuates the film with some amusing comical moments.
A Moving Central Story with Three Memorable Leads
CJBx722 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
WAY DOWN EAST (1920) is considered one of DW Griffith's best movies. The story revolves around Anna Moore (Lillian Gish), an innocent country girl who goes to the city when she and her mother need money. During her stay with her rich relations, she meets Lennox Sanderson (Lowell Sherman), an amoral cad who dupes her into a sham marriage and dumps her when he learns that she's pregnant. She gives birth, but the baby dies. Anna eventually winds up working on the Bartlett family's farm, hoping to make a new start. She falls in love with the son, David (Richard Barthelmess), but an unexpected development causes Anna's past to catch up with her
Following is my review.
SCRIPT: The story is complex and for the most part very involving. Griffith does succumb to his weakness for preachy and flowery intertitles once again, and I found some of them groan inducing. I wish that Griffith had used the visual means at his disposal rather than using his title cards to telegraph plot developments or the feelings of the characters. In spite of that, the story was enjoyable. The story attacks the sexual double standard that lets men play and makes women pay, as well as the emotional damage caused by self-righteousness without mercy and meddlesome gossip. Anna is a well-developed character, and the love that arises between her and David Bartlett is believable. There is also a love triangle that seems irrelevant at first, but helps to build up to the climax. However, the dated and corny country bumpkin humor that pops up every so often detracts from the story and slows the movie's momentum. SCORE: 7.5/10
ACTING: Without a doubt, this is Lillian Gish's vehicle, and she shows why she is so highly regarded. Her performance is dramatic without being exaggerated, and she conveys all of the Anna's many emotional states with a seeming minimum of effort. Gish looks like she was made to play this role. Richard Barthelmess was a dependably likable and naturalistic actor, and he complements Gish beautifully in his playing of the understanding, sensitive David Bartlett. Lowell Sherman was a revelation to me. I had never heard of him before, but he played the part of the suave ladies' man exceptionally well. Sherman acts in a realistic manner and occasionally gets us to feel a twinge of sympathy for Sanderson on the few occasions when the character feels his conscience affecting him. Also worth noting is Mary Hay, who plays the elder Bartlett's niece and is involved in the above love triangle; she is charming without being cloying or cutesy. Many of the numerous supporting players, though, provide rather broad performances for comic relief that contrast badly with the main protagonists. For me, the three leads and Mary Hay provided the bulk of the acting interest in this movie. ACTING: 7.5/10
CINEMATOGRAPHY/PRODUCTION: Griffith shows his considerable skills in this film. Billy Bitzer again shows why he is such an influential cinematographer with well-composed medium and long shots, intimate close-ups, and occasional use of tracking and panning. The scenery in the countryside is lush and beautiful, and is captured superbly by Bitzer's lens. Tinting is used to great expressive effect to convey time, place, and mood. The scene on the ice floes is justly regarded as one of the most dramatic and exciting sequences of silent cinema, and it is very well paced. Unfortunately, it's hard to completely assess the film in this regard because some sequences are lost now, and have been replaced on the Kino version by title cards and still photographs. Some of the editing is a little awkward, with actions being repeated in a few frames. SCORE: 9/10
SUMMARY: WAY DOWN EAST boasts fine performances and an involving story, centered around a heroine very well portrayed by Lillian Gish. The cinematography is first-rate, taking full advantage of the beautiful scenery. However, the "comic relief" elements are corny and broadly played, and add unnecessary padding to the running time. In spite of that, though, the central story is still moving and powerful. SCORE: 8/10
SCRIPT: The story is complex and for the most part very involving. Griffith does succumb to his weakness for preachy and flowery intertitles once again, and I found some of them groan inducing. I wish that Griffith had used the visual means at his disposal rather than using his title cards to telegraph plot developments or the feelings of the characters. In spite of that, the story was enjoyable. The story attacks the sexual double standard that lets men play and makes women pay, as well as the emotional damage caused by self-righteousness without mercy and meddlesome gossip. Anna is a well-developed character, and the love that arises between her and David Bartlett is believable. There is also a love triangle that seems irrelevant at first, but helps to build up to the climax. However, the dated and corny country bumpkin humor that pops up every so often detracts from the story and slows the movie's momentum. SCORE: 7.5/10
ACTING: Without a doubt, this is Lillian Gish's vehicle, and she shows why she is so highly regarded. Her performance is dramatic without being exaggerated, and she conveys all of the Anna's many emotional states with a seeming minimum of effort. Gish looks like she was made to play this role. Richard Barthelmess was a dependably likable and naturalistic actor, and he complements Gish beautifully in his playing of the understanding, sensitive David Bartlett. Lowell Sherman was a revelation to me. I had never heard of him before, but he played the part of the suave ladies' man exceptionally well. Sherman acts in a realistic manner and occasionally gets us to feel a twinge of sympathy for Sanderson on the few occasions when the character feels his conscience affecting him. Also worth noting is Mary Hay, who plays the elder Bartlett's niece and is involved in the above love triangle; she is charming without being cloying or cutesy. Many of the numerous supporting players, though, provide rather broad performances for comic relief that contrast badly with the main protagonists. For me, the three leads and Mary Hay provided the bulk of the acting interest in this movie. ACTING: 7.5/10
CINEMATOGRAPHY/PRODUCTION: Griffith shows his considerable skills in this film. Billy Bitzer again shows why he is such an influential cinematographer with well-composed medium and long shots, intimate close-ups, and occasional use of tracking and panning. The scenery in the countryside is lush and beautiful, and is captured superbly by Bitzer's lens. Tinting is used to great expressive effect to convey time, place, and mood. The scene on the ice floes is justly regarded as one of the most dramatic and exciting sequences of silent cinema, and it is very well paced. Unfortunately, it's hard to completely assess the film in this regard because some sequences are lost now, and have been replaced on the Kino version by title cards and still photographs. Some of the editing is a little awkward, with actions being repeated in a few frames. SCORE: 9/10
SUMMARY: WAY DOWN EAST boasts fine performances and an involving story, centered around a heroine very well portrayed by Lillian Gish. The cinematography is first-rate, taking full advantage of the beautiful scenery. However, the "comic relief" elements are corny and broadly played, and add unnecessary padding to the running time. In spite of that, though, the central story is still moving and powerful. SCORE: 8/10
Worth a watch, even today
JumpingCineFile6 January 2023
Way Down East, another silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith which tells the story of Anna Moore (Lillian Gish), a young woman who is tricked into a fake marriage, rendered destitute, and left alone by the man she thought she trusted. Surviving harsh conditions, she eventually finds true love with the affluent Lennox Sanderson (Lowell Sherman).
The movie is well-crafted and well acted for it's time, although from today's perspective it feels a little forced and unreal at times. It features one of the most iconic uses of cross-cutting in silent film, where it alternates between Anna being cruelly abandoned and then discovering her newfound love. It also features a pretty impressive recreation of a blizzard, and an exciting climax atop a large piece of ice.
The film also succeeds in conveying a powerful message about the prevalence of social class in early twentieth-century America. Throughout the movie, Anna is oppressed and isolated by her lower-class status. At the same time, Sanderson's wealth offers protection, allowing him to pay off the debts owed by Anna's mother and set her free from a dismal fate.
Overall, Way Down East is an excellent example of early Hollywood filmmaking that still resonates today. It has quality performances and a moving story, and one that illustrates the importance of social standing and the power of love.
The movie is well-crafted and well acted for it's time, although from today's perspective it feels a little forced and unreal at times. It features one of the most iconic uses of cross-cutting in silent film, where it alternates between Anna being cruelly abandoned and then discovering her newfound love. It also features a pretty impressive recreation of a blizzard, and an exciting climax atop a large piece of ice.
The film also succeeds in conveying a powerful message about the prevalence of social class in early twentieth-century America. Throughout the movie, Anna is oppressed and isolated by her lower-class status. At the same time, Sanderson's wealth offers protection, allowing him to pay off the debts owed by Anna's mother and set her free from a dismal fate.
Overall, Way Down East is an excellent example of early Hollywood filmmaking that still resonates today. It has quality performances and a moving story, and one that illustrates the importance of social standing and the power of love.
Melodramatic, but Gish makes it work
pocca5 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Lillian Gish once said that she got sick of playing "gaga-babies" for D.W. Griffith and longed to play women of the world rather than innocent naïfs. She then inadvertently paid herself a great compliment when she added that it was far harder to play this sort of role than a vamp because it was far harder to make such a character interesting. Through a combination of her talent and Grifftith's direction her gaga-babies, such as Anna Moore in "Way Down East" continue to compel audiences decades later, long after many of the great vamp roles (that, ironically, were once seen as a modern alternative to Griffith's good girl parts) have been forgotten.
In "Way Down East," Gish, in a story very reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" plays a naïve country girl who suffers, among offer things, the snobbery of rich cousins, a sham marriage, an illegitimate pregnancy and social ostracization. Such sagas of innocence abused are the sort of thing sophisticated audiences love to hate (forgetting perhaps in the real world there are plenty of cases of innocence abused), but Gish somehow makes the melodrama believable, from her joy on her wedding night (that even makes her caddish seducer feel momentarily guilty), to her grief over her dead baby and most famously her fleeing into a blizzard after a local gossip has revealed the truth of her past to the farm family that has employed her. This last part in particular could have become very contrived in the hands of a lesser actress (the ice flow scenes practically beg for snide comparisons with "Uncle Tom's Cabin"), but perhaps because Gish in general avoids over-emoting we don't get the feeling that our feelings are being milked for the sake of sensationalism but rather that we are seeing a woman whose circumstances have earned her the right to lose emotional control. Gish is also helped by a good supporting cast including Lowell Sherman as the cad and Richard Barthlemass as the decent farm boy who courts Anna ,but particularly memorable is the gossip whose open glee when she learns the truth about Anna is chilling (here as in "Intolerance" Griffith recognizes that the zeal of the righteous often has more to do with the pleasure of crucifying wrongdoers than anything else.)
"Way Down East" bears comparison with Gish's better known films, but avoid the cheap Alpha DVD whose score consists of a few mournful bars of music played over and over.
In "Way Down East," Gish, in a story very reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" plays a naïve country girl who suffers, among offer things, the snobbery of rich cousins, a sham marriage, an illegitimate pregnancy and social ostracization. Such sagas of innocence abused are the sort of thing sophisticated audiences love to hate (forgetting perhaps in the real world there are plenty of cases of innocence abused), but Gish somehow makes the melodrama believable, from her joy on her wedding night (that even makes her caddish seducer feel momentarily guilty), to her grief over her dead baby and most famously her fleeing into a blizzard after a local gossip has revealed the truth of her past to the farm family that has employed her. This last part in particular could have become very contrived in the hands of a lesser actress (the ice flow scenes practically beg for snide comparisons with "Uncle Tom's Cabin"), but perhaps because Gish in general avoids over-emoting we don't get the feeling that our feelings are being milked for the sake of sensationalism but rather that we are seeing a woman whose circumstances have earned her the right to lose emotional control. Gish is also helped by a good supporting cast including Lowell Sherman as the cad and Richard Barthlemass as the decent farm boy who courts Anna ,but particularly memorable is the gossip whose open glee when she learns the truth about Anna is chilling (here as in "Intolerance" Griffith recognizes that the zeal of the righteous often has more to do with the pleasure of crucifying wrongdoers than anything else.)
"Way Down East" bears comparison with Gish's better known films, but avoid the cheap Alpha DVD whose score consists of a few mournful bars of music played over and over.
Way Down East
jboothmillard24 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
From director D.W. Griffith (The Birth of a Nation, Orphans of the Storm), this is one of the first few silent films to be listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I am obviously keen to complete as much of it as possible, and it was easy to get the chance to see this title. Basically Lennox Sanderson (Lowell Sherman) is the rich, handsome man-about-town, but he is amongst those that are exceptionally selfish and think only of themselves and their own pleasure, and he has found himself a vulnerable victim to be part of his inconsiderate scheme. Anna Moore (Intolerance's Lillian Gish) is the innocent poor country girl who meets Lennox, who convinces her he has feelings, and she is tricked into believing a fake wedding, and he just he just uses her, has his way with her, and then he leaves her when he finds out she is pregnant with his baby. The child is born and named Trust Lennox, but she has no choice but to care for the baby herself, and after some time tragedy strikes when the baby dies, and in deep despair she wanders the streets trying to find work and ways to get by. Anna eventually finds a job working with Squire Bartlett (Burr McIntosh), and she meets his son David (Richard Barthelmess), he falls in love with her but she rejects any attempted advances towards her because her traumatic past, and worse comes when Lennox returns. He is seen lusting after local girl Kate Brewster - the Squire's Niece (Mary Hay), and when he sees his former wife he tries to convince her to leave, possibly with him, she refuses but does promise that she won't reveal anything to anyone about the past with him. Eventually though Squire Bartlett learns from Martha Perkins (Vivia Ogden), the town gossip, about Anna's past, and in anger he throws her out into a snow storm, but before leaving she does tell about Lennox, respected by all, about what he did to her and being the father to her dead baby. While she is getting lost in the storm which rages on, a search party is formed by leader David, she is unconscious and floating down the icy river towards the waterfall, but at the last moment she is rescued by David, and in the final scene Anna and him get married. Also starring Mrs. David Landau as Anna Moore's Mother, Josephine Bernard as Mrs. Emma Tremont, Mrs. Morgan Belmont as Diana Tremont and Norma Shearer as Barn Dancer. Gish gives an eloquent and engaging performance as the young woman who goes through trauma and heartache and you can feel a lot of sympathy for, the other cast members act very well also, the visual elements definitely make the film distinctive, I admit the story without any sound was a little hard to follow at times, and the film could have been shortened somewhat, nearly lasting three hours, but with memorably watchable moments it is a worthwhile silent melodrama. Very good!
Way, Way Down
thinbeach28 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Another slow and labourous Griffith melodrama about a lustful rich man who proposes to a country woman not out of love but desire. Griffith liked his morals applied with glue and heavy duty nails before being wrapped in tape, so I guess you ought to realise that this is a bad thing to do. Well, just in case it wasn't obvious enough through watching the film, he stuck some title cards at the front before the thing even begins to tell you so. If you like your education in the scripted costume of 1920's wealth and grandeur, this is the school for you.
Being a Griffith film the shots and cinematography - his strong point - are nice - although the constant vignetting bugged me almost as much as the story. Instead of focusing your gaze on the subject as intended, they distract you from it. The acting is also over-exaggerated.
Being a Griffith film the shots and cinematography - his strong point - are nice - although the constant vignetting bugged me almost as much as the story. Instead of focusing your gaze on the subject as intended, they distract you from it. The acting is also over-exaggerated.
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