This is a surprisingly good film, suspenseful, and well-made. I didn't expect much from the first year of talking pictures - this film far exceeded my expectations.
This is a supposed to be a simple movie review, but this isn't a simple movie, so feel free to stop reading here and move on...
There seemed to be this idea among the past generations (and still carried by some today) that children are some kind of symbol of a parents success in life. There is this idea that a young woman's behavior directly relates to her parents education, place in society, career, etc. If this illogical idea is followed to it's logical conclusion, then we are to believe that a child is little more than a status symbol for it's parents - a slave to their expectations and views on society. Therefore, a child should have more concern for their parents perceived reputation than the child's own wants, desires, and happiness.
This idea is perpetuated by 17 year old boys and girls that are stifled by their own parents, becoming 18 year old husbands and wives, and then 19 year old parents of a baby. By 35, they have spent their whole lives struggling, and then feel entitled to the same blind adherence that they were expected to give their parents. And so, the cycle continues...
In a perfect world, immature children with little life experience wouldn't be allowed to become parents themselves until they understood the true responsibility of dedicating your life to the development of another person. Then, when they were actually capable of sacrificing their own wants and needs for those of the child, they could either create a healthy family or choose to live their lives for themselves.
Because, you see, you can't do both. Either you dedicate your life to your child, or you will, eventually, try to subjugate that child for your own wants and needs. People are, inherently, selfish creatures. And, parents are people, too.
RealReview Posting Scoring Criteria: Acting - 1/1; Casting - 1/1; Directing - 1/1; Story - 1/1; Writing/Screenplay - 1/1;
Total Base Score = 5
Modifiers (+ or -): Standout Performances: +1 ( Mary Pickford );
Cultural Significance: +1;
Total RealReview Rating = 7
This is a supposed to be a simple movie review, but this isn't a simple movie, so feel free to stop reading here and move on...
There seemed to be this idea among the past generations (and still carried by some today) that children are some kind of symbol of a parents success in life. There is this idea that a young woman's behavior directly relates to her parents education, place in society, career, etc. If this illogical idea is followed to it's logical conclusion, then we are to believe that a child is little more than a status symbol for it's parents - a slave to their expectations and views on society. Therefore, a child should have more concern for their parents perceived reputation than the child's own wants, desires, and happiness.
This idea is perpetuated by 17 year old boys and girls that are stifled by their own parents, becoming 18 year old husbands and wives, and then 19 year old parents of a baby. By 35, they have spent their whole lives struggling, and then feel entitled to the same blind adherence that they were expected to give their parents. And so, the cycle continues...
In a perfect world, immature children with little life experience wouldn't be allowed to become parents themselves until they understood the true responsibility of dedicating your life to the development of another person. Then, when they were actually capable of sacrificing their own wants and needs for those of the child, they could either create a healthy family or choose to live their lives for themselves.
Because, you see, you can't do both. Either you dedicate your life to your child, or you will, eventually, try to subjugate that child for your own wants and needs. People are, inherently, selfish creatures. And, parents are people, too.
RealReview Posting Scoring Criteria: Acting - 1/1; Casting - 1/1; Directing - 1/1; Story - 1/1; Writing/Screenplay - 1/1;
Total Base Score = 5
Modifiers (+ or -): Standout Performances: +1 ( Mary Pickford );
Cultural Significance: +1;
Total RealReview Rating = 7