Review of Orphans of the Storm (1921) by Nate W — 03 Jul 2010

Great story, great acting, and really beautiful cinematography. But, as usual with D.W. Griffith's films in general, it is overly long and bogged down by excessive detail. This is his usual narrative style, and it's very stiff and formal, not to mention unimaginative. Still, the narrative itself, on a basic level, is very interesting: two sisters torn apart in the midst of the French Revolution. What the change in government reveals is that tyrants are tyrants, regardless of their names. I enjoyed this political commentary on avoiding extremism in all its forms, and it is done well. I'm always struck by Griffith's grand vision in most of his films, despite his apparent failure to hire an editor!

Lilian and Dorothy Gish were absolutely electric in this film: these two have very strong chemistry on screen, not surprisingly. I really felt for Dorothy as Louise, during her struggle to escape Mother Frochard, an evil bitch I wish the film would have killed off at some point. I also enjoyed Jacques-Forget-Not, a man forever haunted by the aristocratic past, who ironically becomes so much like they were: intolerant and unmerciful. This film could have been 100%, if not for the narrative structure. It would be interesting to see if this could be made in today's film environment: Orphans of the Storm is certainly a story I can't recall being similar to something more recent.