Images of the 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival's
fest ambassador (Angela Leung) and filmmaker in focus (Louis Koo)
abound in various parts of Hong Kong, particularly fest venues
The Wind (U.S.A., 1928)
- Victor Sjöström, director
- Starring: Lillian Gish, Lars Hason, Montagu Love, Dorothy Cumming, Edward Earle
- Part of the HKIFF's Restored Classics program
The Restored Classics program is one of my favourites of the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Last year and the year before, Ernst Lubitsch's Kohlheisel's Daughters (Germany, 1920) and Lady Windermere's Fan (U.S.A., 1925) gave me a greater appreciation of the legendary filmmaker. And this year, The Wind (U.S.A., 1928) has introduced me to Swedish pioneer filmmaker Victor Sjöström -- and given me an even greater appreciation of actress Lilian Gish, whom, thanks to the Hong Kong International Film Festival, I also got to view in recent years on a big screen in The Night of the Hunter (U.S.A., 1955).
The Wind marks the final silent film appearance of an actress who managed to make a successful transition to talkies and have a career that spanned 75 years. Lillian Gish was in her mid 30s when this 1928 was made but she nonetheless is very convincing as a young, sheltered Southern belle who moves from Virginia to a section of the Wild West that's far windier than she, or most regular folks, can imagine.
Impoverished but genteel, Letty (Lillian Gish's character) goes to stay on a ranch with her cousin Beverly (played by Edward Earle) and his family. Letty considers Beverly, who she refers to as "Bev" and is clearly fond of, to be like a brother. But Beverly's jealous wife, Cora (essayed by Dorothy Cumming) is convinced that pretty Letty's trying to steal Beverly from her -- and gets even more upset when their three children seem to enjoy Letty's company more than their mother's.
Ironically, Beverly looks to be the only man who doesn't have eyes for Letty -- unlike Beverly's closest neighbours, Lige Hightower (portrayed by Lars Hanson) and a man known as Sourdough (played by William Orlamond), both of whom ask for her hand in marriage; and the rascally villain of the pic, cattle buyer Wirt Roddy (played by Montagu Love), who wants to get Letty into bed despite actually already having a wife of his own. Pressured by Cora to get out from under Beverly's roof and get a man of her own, Letty agrees to marry Lige but their marriage appears doomed after Letty refuses to have it consummated; leaving Lige, who's actually a good man, albeit rough around the edges, feeling very disappointed, embittered even.
And then there's the wind. Which can feel like the closest thing to a co-star in this film for Lillian Gish. (By the way, The Wind is not a 100% silent film like, say, Yazujiro Ozu's I Was Born, But . . (Japan, 1932) -- in that it
may have no dialogue but it sure has sound effects along with a musical
score. And it also has visible wind effects that are pretty strong, impressive
and dramatic!)
Early on in the film, Letty is informed that the wind -- which can seem like it's being referred to with capital letters (i.e., as The Wind) -- can drive women insane. And it does threaten to do just that to Letty -- not only because it blows so much dust into the houses and seems to throw it in chunks at the windows but because it howls like crazy, and can also produce cyclones and other strong winds that can rip tiles off roofs and even bring (parts of) structures down!
In summary: The wind in The Wind is amazing to behold; and so is Lillian Gish. Both come across as formidable forces of nature that command the screen; and their performances (okay, "performance" in the case of The Wind) look to have stood the test of time, and definitely play big parts in this 1928 movie still being immensely watchable and entertaining close to 100 years after its original year of release!
My rating for this film: 8.0
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