Silent Films Illustrated With Commentaries By:

About D. W. Griffith's "Judith Of Bethulia" (1914)

Guest Silent Stars: Damen Frederica, Herr StormChaser, Herr Lloyd Fonvielle & Herr Kino Eye

Herr StormChaser wrote: "One of the most bizarre scenes I have yet to witness in my years of viewing silent movies is a drunken and mellow Holofernes on the left side of screen and hopping toward the camera on the right side, court dancers who perform a ritual dance (which consists mostly of squirming for Holofernes' attention). "

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien wrote: "Judith Of Bethulia" is a film in which the techniques are recognizable which made the American director famous in the silent world . . the strong male characters that Herr Griffith was so fond of, and the fragile and self-sacrificing little fräuleins so characteristic of his cinema. "

And about this Herr Lloyd Fonvielle replied: "You could not have more perfectly mischaracterized the gender relationships in Griffith's films. "

But Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien insists: "Hmmm... do you think so?.. This German Count thinks that with the naked eye, the fragile and self-sacrificing feminine characters of the Griffith films probably sometimes are stronger than the males characters ( those girls decides and solves, thanks to their decisions compicated situations ) but the fact is that in a subtle way, this German aristocrat always sees misogynist tendencies on the part of Herr Griffith in many of its films. "

Herr Lloyd Fonvielle added: "Well, gender relationships in Griffith are complicated, to say the least, but his female characters are almost always stronger than his male ones. They may look fragile but they usually turn out to be virtually indestructible"

And Herr Kino Eye replied: "Usually virtually indestructible unless shot, strangled, stabbed, or have fallen off a cliff. "

Not to mention that Damen Frederica added: "...impregnated by Lowell Sherman or threatened by black guys."

And last but not least Herr StormChaser said: "No better example than the female Reformers in INTOLERANCE. Their aggressiveness and arrogance blamed on a lack of a male mate as looks fade and eligible suitors go for younger women. "

Published in "alt.movies.silent"