French Revolution. Two sets of people: the aristocrats (including the Court), and the people. With only two single men as exceptions, both sets are depicted as complete imbecils, each in their own way. The nobles are corrupted and amoral, the people is a slew of drunken hoodlums. The exceptions: Danton (among the revolutionary people), and, for the aristocrats, a Chevalier de Vaudrey.
I'm not surprised about the over-simplification of both characterization and world history in the case of D. W. Griffith, a director known for his mastery of the cinematic medium as well as for his racism. I'm not surprised either of the film's very good narrative pace, though the movie is a litte too long, in my opinion.
Two characters stand out: the step-sisters Henriette and Louise (played by the real sisters Lillian and Dorothy Gish). They cannot be assigned to any of the two categories mentioned before. (By the way: they are not properly orphans, as the title suggests, but that's beyond the point). Anyways, I must note that Henriette's (lovely Lillian Gish's) face is quite the same when it is in the guillotine, at the end, or when it happily jokes with her sister's, at the beginning.
When a hundred years passes from the making of a film, something changes.
I'm not surprised about the over-simplification of both characterization and world history in the case of D. W. Griffith, a director known for his mastery of the cinematic medium as well as for his racism. I'm not surprised either of the film's very good narrative pace, though the movie is a litte too long, in my opinion.
Two characters stand out: the step-sisters Henriette and Louise (played by the real sisters Lillian and Dorothy Gish). They cannot be assigned to any of the two categories mentioned before. (By the way: they are not properly orphans, as the title suggests, but that's beyond the point). Anyways, I must note that Henriette's (lovely Lillian Gish's) face is quite the same when it is in the guillotine, at the end, or when it happily jokes with her sister's, at the beginning.
When a hundred years passes from the making of a film, something changes.