I like silent films, so I enjoyed this one quite a bit. However, I also feel that unless you are really, really a big fan of silents, you will be a bit bored by the film...even with its sensationalistic plot.
The film is about the problem of 'white slavery'--women being forced into prostitution by evil gangs. But before that topic is discussed, there is a back story about two sisters...one of which eventually is kidnapped by the evil gang of pimps. So, it's up to her sister to investigate her disappearance for herself. Oddly, the trail leads to the office of a reformer from some sort of 'Purity League'. It turns out that while he's campaigning to clean up the white slavery operations, he's in bed with the crooks (so to speak). Using some clever high-tech means, she is able to get the evidence on these scum-bags---leading to an ending that is quite salacious and entertaining. When this pillar of the community is caught and arrested, the repercussions on his wife and daughter are quite unexpected!
Overall, this is a bizarre little curio that is definitely worth seeing if you love silents. However, some overacting (even by 1913 standards) and a few slow spots make this a film for the more patient cinephiles.
The film is about the problem of 'white slavery'--women being forced into prostitution by evil gangs. But before that topic is discussed, there is a back story about two sisters...one of which eventually is kidnapped by the evil gang of pimps. So, it's up to her sister to investigate her disappearance for herself. Oddly, the trail leads to the office of a reformer from some sort of 'Purity League'. It turns out that while he's campaigning to clean up the white slavery operations, he's in bed with the crooks (so to speak). Using some clever high-tech means, she is able to get the evidence on these scum-bags---leading to an ending that is quite salacious and entertaining. When this pillar of the community is caught and arrested, the repercussions on his wife and daughter are quite unexpected!
Overall, this is a bizarre little curio that is definitely worth seeing if you love silents. However, some overacting (even by 1913 standards) and a few slow spots make this a film for the more patient cinephiles.