1920s

Way Down East

I found this film very enjoyable.  It is one of the few instances where D.W. Griffith is not in your face about race issues and it was refreshing.  The plot is pretty sexy for the time and the entire film holds your interest, despite its two and a half hour length.

This movie is about a woman who gets pregnant by a man who she thinks she is married to.  I don't want to ruin anything for you (not that anyone reads this blog anyway) but the baby isn't really even a part of it.  This movie is a classic tale about how males are viewed in society vs. how women are viewed.  Griffith does not hesitate to share his opinion on typical male nature. I found this very interesting particularly because 1920, the year this came out, was the year women were allowed to vote.  Definitely worth a watch.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Robert Harron shot himself after this film came out.  Lillian Gish denied that it was an attempt of suicide but the whole incident was very mysterious.

The ice floe scenes were apparently huge pains in the ass and Lillian Gish suffered from the effects until her dying day.  Again, an instance where it is really hard to like Griffith.

The famous ice floe scene: