Lillian Gish did her best movie work with director Victor Sjostrom. She might have done more pioneering work with DW Griffith, but to see her in Sjostrom's movies is to see her at her full power as an actress. THE WIND might be the meatier showcase of the two, but her work as Hester Prynne in THE SCARLET LETTER is a performance for the ages: sensual yet reserved, tragic yet lively and human.
Sjostrom's direction is also assured, translating this nineteenth-century classic to the screen with taste and style. I would love to own a copy of this film, but alas, it's still unavailable. But if you get the chance to see it, don't pass it up! THE SCARLET LETTER is truly a treasure of the late silent era, a compelling document of what Hollywood lost with the coming of sound.
Sjostrom's direction is also assured, translating this nineteenth-century classic to the screen with taste and style. I would love to own a copy of this film, but alas, it's still unavailable. But if you get the chance to see it, don't pass it up! THE SCARLET LETTER is truly a treasure of the late silent era, a compelling document of what Hollywood lost with the coming of sound.