This truncated adaptation of the popular Gothic novel plays as a rather sensational melodrama typical in film back in 1915. I suppose, it's not surprising that the hypnotist enslavement story would easily translate to the movie genre. Yet, narrative doesn't seem to have been director Maurice Tourneur's strong point. In the 1910s, however, he was one of the most competent filmmakers visually. "Trilby" isn't one of his best (see "A Girl's Folly" (1917) and "Victory" (1919)), but it's well made for its time in this respect. The Svengali character appears twice via a mirror before he in person enters the frame and, in another shot, is only seen through the mirror. There are a couple shots featuring side lighting. There's good use of panning, too. There's some occasionally brisk editing; the climactic stage performance is especially well done, with a good amount of scene dissection between different views. Tourneur's regular assistants, including Clarence Brown and Ben Carré, aided in the production.
This film also offers a somewhat rare glimpse at Clara Kimball Young, a star then, early in her career. She's okay here—in a way, playing two characters in one—and looks better when compared to the ineptitude of the rest of the cast, who are either mugging or stammering about in a way that they look like they're trying yet failing to act—the fellow who plays Billie is especially lost. Young also has a rather alluring cigarette-smoking scene, decades before such scenes became commonplace in cinema.
This film also offers a somewhat rare glimpse at Clara Kimball Young, a star then, early in her career. She's okay here—in a way, playing two characters in one—and looks better when compared to the ineptitude of the rest of the cast, who are either mugging or stammering about in a way that they look like they're trying yet failing to act—the fellow who plays Billie is especially lost. Young also has a rather alluring cigarette-smoking scene, decades before such scenes became commonplace in cinema.