A Corner in Wheat is one of the five or six really outstanding Biograph shorts. Here, DW Griffith draws together all the techniques he had been perfecting over his last year in the motion picture business moving actors in depth for maximum effect, restrained, realistic performances, a consistent tempo, succinct, unobtrusive intertitles, atmosphere conveyed through setting, and the varied possibilities of the editing process.
What is most obvious here is the development that Griffith is probably best known for, which is his cross-cutting. He had already explored cross-cutting for excitement or suspense, and even to compare events going on in completely separate locations, but here he is cutting between seemingly separate narratives which, when put together tell one coherent story. He is perhaps the first filmmaker to show social cause and effect on such a grand scale.
There are plenty of other nice touches along the way. Particularly memorable are the shots of the farm family, with the wind pulling at their clothing, and the stark trees and barren landscape mirroring their situation. But what is perhaps the greatest sign of competence here is the way these images give a sense of unity to the whole, with the desolate farm scenes book-ending the short. It's this development of structure that was perhaps Griffith's most important contribution.
A Corner in Wheat is not quite perfect though. In particular, the acting performances are not amazing, and one crowd shot is simply a chaotic mess. Griffith's handling of a cast would improve in the years to come, not to mention the fact that he would later work with some of the brightest stars of the era.
What is most obvious here is the development that Griffith is probably best known for, which is his cross-cutting. He had already explored cross-cutting for excitement or suspense, and even to compare events going on in completely separate locations, but here he is cutting between seemingly separate narratives which, when put together tell one coherent story. He is perhaps the first filmmaker to show social cause and effect on such a grand scale.
There are plenty of other nice touches along the way. Particularly memorable are the shots of the farm family, with the wind pulling at their clothing, and the stark trees and barren landscape mirroring their situation. But what is perhaps the greatest sign of competence here is the way these images give a sense of unity to the whole, with the desolate farm scenes book-ending the short. It's this development of structure that was perhaps Griffith's most important contribution.
A Corner in Wheat is not quite perfect though. In particular, the acting performances are not amazing, and one crowd shot is simply a chaotic mess. Griffith's handling of a cast would improve in the years to come, not to mention the fact that he would later work with some of the brightest stars of the era.