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| Stella and her cousin... in love.... |
Directed by Marshall Neilan
Starring Mary Pickford, Conway Tearle, Marcia Manon
Produced by Pickford Film
Young Stella Maris is a paralyzed girl, living an idyllic life. She is doted on by her aunt and uncle, blushes as her handsome cousin John visits her kingdom and is attended by children dancing around a maypole and presenting tributes of flowers. Her family has shielded her from every misery the world offers and she lives in ignorant bliss.
Of course, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. And the world is trying to balance the scales with Unity Blake. Unity is an orphan living a hard life. She thinks her luck is about to change when she is adopted by a young woman. Of course, the adoptive mother is an alcoholic tyrant and, after Unity is robbed, the woman beats her ward to within an inch of her life.
The woman goes to prison and the woman's husband turns out to be John, the very man who is in love with Stella Maris. John takes Unity as his own to make amends for his wife's deeds. Stella is given an operation that allows her to walk and she is soon witnessing every horror life has to offer. Stella and Unity's lives are on a collision course that will change them both forever. But who can win the hand of John?
Let's start with the
For Unity, she transforms into Stella's opposite. She has black, flat hair. She walks with an awkward gait and her face is unremarkable. Through special effects, Pickford portrays both characters simultaneously and her Unity is almost a foot shorter than Stella. She is so good, I would have never guessed it was the same actress. An absolutely amazing job.
Neilan does a fantastic job directing. He seems amongst the best at understanding the film grammar created by D.W. Griffith and knows how to cut and edit scenes and when to move in for a close-up. The ending shot is a dramatic pull away that is obviously on a vehicle (there's some bouncing), but it is still the right way to end the movie dramatically. Neilan is very good at walking the viewer through the story.
Unfortunately, the story is my big problem with this. It's all soap opera and melodrama. I never really cared about the plight of any of these characters. Every person is one-dimensional and makes broad pronouncements that are not even questioned. At one point, after his wife is improsoned John wants to leave London. Stella's family says he cannot go because it would break Stella's heart. John stares and sadly nods his head. There is a lot of John doing the classic soap opera stare off camera in this film.
And John's wife? Evil for sake of being evil. If she had a moustache, she would be twirling it. She wants to destroy Unity. And John. And Stella. Why? Because she's evil. Period.
The movie is a series of soap opera cliches. A man who is married to an evil shrew, but in love with the beautiful young maiden. The put-upon orphan who cannot catch a break. The magical appearance of a doctor with a miracle cure. John keeping his marriage a secret so as not to hurt Stella (gee, do you think she finds out anyway?).
The one last large problem for me watching this was the relationship between John and Stella. He looks like he's in his 40s and she looks 17. John's evil wife looks like she's in her 30s. Pickford looks and plays roles that make her look young so to see this seemingly much older man with this really young girl feels creepy. And then when you remember that they are actually cousins? Ugh.
It's a shame too because Neilan and Pickford have clearly brought their A game to the film. Pickford's Unity is a marvel to behold when compared against her Stella. Ultimately, having her talent in service of this story is like asking Frank Owen Gehry build a Jenga tower: it may look nice, but it's a waste of a consummate professional's time.
** out of *****
Watched on DVD through Netflix
Photo from Observations on Film Art
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