Pere Milon (1909) User Reviews

It should be suppressed

[deickemeyer · 20 September 2014]

In this reproduction of an episode of the Franco-Prussian War the Pathes have emphasized the brutality of the soldier at the expense of the Germans. This is a drama which has few elements to make it attractive, even though the Pathe actors are admittedly as good as can be obtained for motion pictures. The supreme dramatic moment is where Pere Milon is recognized and shot because he has worked such havoc in the ranks of the Prussians, sixteen deaths standing to his credit. This may be an interesting subject for the French, on the same principle as a dime novel is interesting, but a film in which nineteen deaths are either shown or suggested is much too bloody to be tolerated in America. Good staging, good acting and a smooth running film cannot atone for these defects. It should be suppressed. - The Moving Picture World, May 29, 1909