This is a hard film to rate because it was very uneven. On one hand, the cinematography and style of the film is brilliant--among the best of any silent I have ever seen--and I've seen a lot! On the other, towards the end, the otherwise realistic and gritty film gives into to ridiculous sentiment--sentiment that strongly detracts from the film's overall impact. You might just want to see this one to see if you agree--particularly if you are a silent film lover.
The movie starts with a man escaping prison and running across the moors near Dartmoor Prison. The law, naturally, is in hot pursuit. Then, in a flashback, you see what brought this man to such a fate. It seems that this man was a barber working in a salon with a young lady with whom he was infatuated. The bulk of the film consists of showing his courtship of the woman as well as her being later wooed by another man. This new man was naturally resented by the barber, but where it leads takes the viewer to a truly amazing scene--a bit shocking for its violence and style.
Unfortunately, when the film then returns to the present, the film really stops making sense and gives into an overly sentimental narrative. While the escaped con has ostensibly made his way to this isolated farmhouse to murder, the lady of the house (his old love interest) takes pity on him and helps him escape. What part of this man trying to murder her husband, threatened to murder her AND there is a baby in the home didn't she understand?! Can a rational person be expected to behave this way? Certainly not....at least on this planet. This is all a shame, really, as the movie had brilliant camera-work throughout--with very inventive angles and composition that you must really see to appreciate. It's a shame, really, as the plot really fails near the end--and so much before this was so good.
The movie starts with a man escaping prison and running across the moors near Dartmoor Prison. The law, naturally, is in hot pursuit. Then, in a flashback, you see what brought this man to such a fate. It seems that this man was a barber working in a salon with a young lady with whom he was infatuated. The bulk of the film consists of showing his courtship of the woman as well as her being later wooed by another man. This new man was naturally resented by the barber, but where it leads takes the viewer to a truly amazing scene--a bit shocking for its violence and style.
Unfortunately, when the film then returns to the present, the film really stops making sense and gives into an overly sentimental narrative. While the escaped con has ostensibly made his way to this isolated farmhouse to murder, the lady of the house (his old love interest) takes pity on him and helps him escape. What part of this man trying to murder her husband, threatened to murder her AND there is a baby in the home didn't she understand?! Can a rational person be expected to behave this way? Certainly not....at least on this planet. This is all a shame, really, as the movie had brilliant camera-work throughout--with very inventive angles and composition that you must really see to appreciate. It's a shame, really, as the plot really fails near the end--and so much before this was so good.