I am sure my summary got your attention, but this really is accurate. This J.M. Barrie play that was brought to the screen by Cecil B. DeMille is an awful lot like Sherwood Schwartz's "Gilligan's Island" merged with Lina Wertmüller's "Swept Away"...seriously! And, it just goes to show you that these more moderns tales aren't as original as you might have thought.
Let's back up a bit. "Swept Away" is a film that satirizes social class. A very demanding and selfish rich snob is knocked overboard from a yacht. A crew member who she'd treated like dirt is also in same predicament. Eventually the two find themselves on a deserted island and she expects the same social class distinctions to continue. However, he's sick of her belly-aching and unwillingness to work, so eventually the much stronger and more capable man beats the snot out of the woman--teaching her that he is now boss. Oddly, over time, they fall in love and the film becomes quite sexual.
Well, "Male and Female" is based on J.M. Barrie's "The Admiral Crichton". In this version, the story is almost the same except that instead of one snobby lady, a group of snobs as well as a very snobby lady are stuck on an island with two servants. The same situation results MINUS all the sex in the Lina Wertmüller film. Plus, unfortunately, DeMille handles "Male and Female" in a very, very heavy-handed manner--infusing the story with a very, very, very preachy narration and meaningless Babylonian scenes that were clearly influenced by D.W. Griffith's "Intollerance".
For a 1919 film, you have to cut it some slack when it comes to rating it. Yes, it is very preachy and obvious and the intertitle cards are awfully written, but the basic story is excellent and it's a whole lot better than most full-length films you see from the same time period. Well worth seeing.
Let's back up a bit. "Swept Away" is a film that satirizes social class. A very demanding and selfish rich snob is knocked overboard from a yacht. A crew member who she'd treated like dirt is also in same predicament. Eventually the two find themselves on a deserted island and she expects the same social class distinctions to continue. However, he's sick of her belly-aching and unwillingness to work, so eventually the much stronger and more capable man beats the snot out of the woman--teaching her that he is now boss. Oddly, over time, they fall in love and the film becomes quite sexual.
Well, "Male and Female" is based on J.M. Barrie's "The Admiral Crichton". In this version, the story is almost the same except that instead of one snobby lady, a group of snobs as well as a very snobby lady are stuck on an island with two servants. The same situation results MINUS all the sex in the Lina Wertmüller film. Plus, unfortunately, DeMille handles "Male and Female" in a very, very heavy-handed manner--infusing the story with a very, very, very preachy narration and meaningless Babylonian scenes that were clearly influenced by D.W. Griffith's "Intollerance".
For a 1919 film, you have to cut it some slack when it comes to rating it. Yes, it is very preachy and obvious and the intertitle cards are awfully written, but the basic story is excellent and it's a whole lot better than most full-length films you see from the same time period. Well worth seeing.