Crude but effective, The Crisis purports to offer a dramatic retelling of the struggle between abolitionists and slavers in the run-up to the American Civil War. Beginning with a striking shot of Abraham Lincoln laying his hand atop the head of a kneeling slave, the film soon devolves into the sort of melodrama popular at the time. Scottish-born writer-director Colin Campbell integrated African-American characters into the story, and though most of them aren't significant they are certainly presented more sympathetically than those in Mr. Griffith's film of the previous year. A recreation of one of the Lincoln-Douglas debates is a highlight, and there are some reasonably impressive battle sequences. Though IMDb lists The Crisis with a 100-minute running time, the copy held at the Library of Congress clocks in at 87. The final reel displays moderate vinegar damage.
Review of The Crisis
