The Last Of The Mohicans - 1920 - USA

The Last Of The Mohicans - 1920 - 6/10

 
Indian guide Magua misleads English reinforcements heading to a besieged fort.
Magua, ally of the French and Huron tribe, is an opportunistic devil.
And lusts after Cora, daughter of the English colonel, who herself is drawn to Uncas.
The outdoor photography is breathtaking at times, remarkable for 1920.
Although this is part of Cooper’s “Deerslayer” stories, Magua dominates here.
Wallace Beery makes a formidable, unstoppable villain.

Outside The Law - 1920 - USA

Outside The Law - 1920 - 6/10

 
Confucius quoting Chang Lo attempts to rehabilitate two criminals.
Dad is partially reformed, before being framed and sent to the slammer for 8 months.
Daughter Molly, engages in a jewel heist masterminded by Big Mike.
Fairly good crime drama set in Chinatown.
Lon Chaney plays two parts, and he is better as the gangster.
This is a Priscilla Dean vehicle, and she dominates.
Morality tale of redemption, the midsection is awfully starchy.

Within Our Gates - 1920 - USA

Within Our Gates - 1920 - 6/10

 
Sylvia waits for her fiancé to return, unaware her cousin wants him, too.
Also unaware her cheap thug male cousin desires her.
Tawdry melodrama soon shifts to the Jim Crow South, where an earnest pastor tries to educate black children.
Fully aware that there are elements who don’t want no uppity minions.
Film wobbles for quite a while, but bores full throttle after a killing.
Lynching, rape, pursuits, rough justice, blind to mercy or truth.

The Flapper - 1920 - USA

The Flapper - 1920 - 6/10

 
Girl disobedient, Ginger, is shipped to a strict boarding school.
Where, she periodically escapes, chases young men, goes clubbing.
The glamorous life.
At a cost, however, which become the seeds of moral lessons.
Olive Thomas (who died young and under mysterious circumstances) shines in this.
The hijinks are playful, and she knows how to embody a teenager.
As a “flapper” she is an innocent version, not the sort who loses her stockings.
In a word, no steam, no oomph.

Unseen Forces - 1920 - USA

Unseen Forces - 1920 - 5/10

Young Miriam is cursed with a gift.  She can see around corners.
Meaning, second sight, psychic ability, witchy power.
Early on, she meets young Clyde, and the attraction is immediate and powerful.

 
Years later, they reconnect.  Clyde suffers a social climbing wife, Miriam has unpleasant renown.
Some bless her for her ability, others denounce her as a fraud.
Story by Robert W. Chambers (which I why I chased this down).
Ultimately, this is a maudlin soap opera.  In other hands, how much better this could have been.
A recently found copy is on the National Film Preservation Foundation's website.
(no sound - I queued up Scriabin piano sonatas those worked fine)

The Toll Gate - 1920 - USA

The Toll Gate - 1920 - 7/10

 
Hard scrabble western.
Outlaw leader (William S Hart) advises gang the reward for them is too high and they ought to disband.
Not surprisingly, the men opt for one final big score.  Train carrying a hefty payroll.
Only the train is packed with lawmen and the Army.  The men are cut to pieces - save for the outlaw leader, and the snitch who betrayed his companions.
From here on, the story is one of vengeance.
Slow going, seldom dull, but a moral code - typical of Hart - overlays the tone.
Interesting to observe the clothes, hats, manners, far different from TV Westerns or films from the 40's onward.
Hart is not the easiest of silent stars to watch - Tom Mix is loads more fun, though more rhinestone.

Genuine - 1920 - Germany

Genuine - 1920 - 5/10
AKA - The Tales Of A Vampire

 
Think vamp, not throat leech.  Not blood, its the wick that gets drained.
Genuine, priestess of an exotic religion, is captured by a rival tribe and turned savage.
Later, she is sold by slavers to a rich eccentric who keeps her caged in his lavish basement.
Mind you, menfolk are drawn to her, and she soon turns them into drooling love slaves.
Atmospheric sets outweighed by dell arte acting and plodding direction.
The tale crawls.  One could add a gallon of lubricant and the story would still creak.
Print I watched was in excellent condition, guitar score by Larry Marotta grows tedious by the end.

The Soul Of Youth - 1920 - USA

The Soul Of Youth - 1920 - 6/10

Sentimental, moralizing, creaky saga of orphan boy Ed’s mistreatment and struggle.
Abandonment, a harsh orphanage, life on the streets.
Ed’s is a full story, running side by side with a conflict between politicians, one crooked, one honest.
By and by, the current of events pull Ed into the maneuverings.
The print I saw was wonderful! Beautifully restored, adroitly tinted, with an evocative piano score.
This is one of the very few surviving (and available) films of William Desmond Taylor.
Must see for Silent fans.