Review of A Fool There Was (1915) by Steven B — 13 Mar 2008
Groundbreaking! Not only does it fearlessly adapt Kipling's poem into a tale so deliciously downbeat even the Russians would've been proud, but it introduces the world to that icon of "vamp", Theda Bara.
It's always interesting to visit those early silents, oft-heralded for "star" performances. Even today, Ms. Bara's strange, robust beauty, suffused with confidence and sexuality, is mesmerizing.
(Watch how she effortlessly disarms a gun-toting lover with a few lazy whacks from a flower.) Equally impressive--especially for 1915 (the same year Griffith exploded all cinematic paradigms with "Birth of a Nation")--was the cinematography.
Like contemporaneous films, there isn't a lot of movement (save for some incredible tracking shots through city roadways); but take particular notice of the LIGHTING! Forsaking the standard rooftop-studio wash, Powell uses natural daylight to punctuate the gloom, creating expressive diagonals of shadow that help foreground important characters and add a palpable sense of realism.
Edward Jose, the "Fool", ably transforms from family man to ferret in just under an hour's worth of screen time.
This review of A Fool There Was (1915) was written by Steven B on 13 Mar 2008.
A Fool There Was has generally received mixed reviews.
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