
Itisextraordinarythatthisamazingfilmisnotrepeatedlyshown.Itispossiblythebestdemonstrationofthegenius(notanassessmenttomakecasually)ofSjöstrom-withDavidGriffiths,thefirstpersontodemonstratehisbrilliancebymakingfilms.<br/> Thefilm'sawaremixofthenaivevisionoftheancestorssittinginthelodgeinheaven,whichSjöstrom'scharacterreachesbyclimbingaladdertotheclouds,andthegrim,realistmaterialoftheunfaithfulwife'schild,alonewouldmakeitoutstandingbutfindingthisatastagewhereithadvirtuallynothinginthewayofantecedentisstaggering.<br/> Modernprintsmaynotdojusticetothesophisticationofthefilmmaking.Theperformancesdosurviveun-dimmed.CuriousthatSjöstromwasabletotakehismasterytoHollywoodwhentheScandinavianindustryfalteredbutnottosurvivethechallengeofsound-somethingwhichremainsamysterythatcouldstandinvestigation.


