Way Down East

The beauty of silent film is that you can often tell from how the actors behave whether they are scoundrels or not. It's a bit of a shame because it's somewhat limiting. It's in this film that D. W. Griffith makes that obvious right from the start and it's almost a shame. If Sanderson hadn’t come across as a scoundrel from the beginning, perhaps it would have been even stronger in this case. I'm still quite bothered by Griffith's dissection of faith. In Way Down East, he constantly and seemingly effortlessly comes to the forefront. Yes, Griffith was evidently religious, but that doesn't mean his views in this regard shouldn't bother me. It's just my nature. I don't believe in God, that's just how it is, and his portrayal as a savior irritates me. The climax of the film is undoubtedly its ending, where exterior shots alternate with interior ones at a chilling pace. The film truly builds to its climax in the fullest sense, and Griffith demonstrates that for dramatic scenes, modern technology isn't necessary - only skill, of which he had plenty. (01/24/2014)