Many people in the world, thanks to Hollywood, know more about US history than history of their own countries. American history was great source of inspiration and popular subject matter for American film makers, but some of its chapters were less popular than others. One example can be found in Revolutionary War, which, unlike Civil War, didn’t produce many truly memorable films. There are many reasons for that, like the conflict being too far in the past for early Hollywood film makers to be personally affected by it and thus establishing self-perpetuating onscreen mythology. Another reason is that Revolutionary War proved to be extremely challenging, even for such immensely talented film makers like David W. Griffith. His 1924 silent epic America, dedicated to American Revolution, is often considered the beginning of the end of his career.
The film is based on The Reckoning, 1905 novel by Robert W. Chambers. It begins with intertitles that explain the American Revolution as a result of legitimate grievance of English colonists in North America who would have remained loyal to their mother country if not for tyrannical attitude of British King George III (played by Arthur Donaldson). Those policies create resistance organised around Boston Committee of Public Safety which sends young American patriot Nathan Holden (played by Neil Hamilton) to present their views to Virginia General Assembly. Holden, a man of modest background, there he meets a love of his life – Nancy Montague (played by Carol Dempster), beautiful daughter of aristocratic Virginia family whose patriarch Justice Montague (played by Elrvill Anderson) remains loyal to the Crown. Few months later Montagues happen to be at Lexington during the fateful April 1775 encounter between British regular forces and colonists’ militia that would start the war. Justice Montague remains remains with pro-British Tories despite his own son Charles (played by Charles Emmett Mack) joining the ranks of Americans and dying at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Montagues retreat to Justice’s brother Ashleigh (played by Sidney Deane) in Mohawk Valley, which would soon become important theatre of the war. British rely on their Indian allies and irregular forces led by Captain Walter Butler (played by Lionel Barrymore), an ambitious and ruthless man who dreams of betraying both America and Britain and carving empire for himself. Butler conducts war with utmost brutality, butchering anyone suspected helping Americans. Despite that Justice Montague is so impressed that he promises Nancy’s hand in marriage to him. Things will change when Butler’s atrocities escalate to the point that they would alienate even Tories and British. Thankfully, Nathan, who is now an officer in army of George Washington (played by Arthur Dewey), comes to Mohawk Valley, where he would rescue not only Nancy but also her father from Butler’s captivity.
The most important film in Griffith’s career was The Birth of a Nation, undisputable and groundbreaking technical and artistic achievement that had established jim as one of the most influential film makers of 20th Century. But, due to his pro-Southern depiction of Civil War and Reconstruction, it also branded him with reputation of racist and promoter of violence, which he had spent the rest of his life trying to escape from. One of those efforts was America, film, which, somewhat ironically, had originated as an attempt to remove someone else’s PR problems. Will Hays, chairman of recently founded Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), wanted to present Hollywood, rocked by series of scandals, in positive light to the conservative mainstream of America and, more importantly, conservative politicians. So when influential Daughters of the American Revolution suggested an epic about the founding of United States, Hays responded by asking Griffith to direct it. Griffith agreed, seeing the film as an opportunity to make another historic epic, this time much “safer” and unburdened with controversies.
America can also be seen as a remake of The Birth of a Nation. Both films, apart from epic length and large budgets, share many elements like narrative structure that mixes fictional melodramatic story with reconstruction of real history, including appearances of famous historical figures. In his commentary through intertitles, just like in previous films, Griffith describes Revolutionary War as needless bloodshed between two fraternal peoples – English and American or “Tories” and “Patriots”. And, just like in The Birth of the Nation, those two factions at the end join forces against the common enemy who just happens to belong to different race – in this case, Native Americans. Even the dramatic finale in which American cavalry comes in the nick of time to save settlers from massacre looks borrowed from 1916 film. Griffith differs only by having whites as the main villains – actual historical figures of Walter Butler and Peter Hare, which are also most interesting characters and played by great actors – Lionel Barrymore, who would later become famous as villainous Henry F. Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life and Louis Wolheim, best remembered as kind-hearted Sergeant Katczinsky in All Quiet at the Western Front. The rest of the cast, on the other hand, isn’t that interesting nor does it show much talent. Carol Dempster, who had romantic relationship with Griffith at the time, is very bad in her role, at least compared with Lilian Gish, who would have played Nancy with much more ease and conviction. Neil Hamilton as nominal protagonist is simply bland (although the actor would become popular late in his life as Commissioner Gordon in 1960s TV series Batman).
Somewhat not surprisingly, America failed to recoup its budget at the box office, with audience during Jazz Age becoming to lose interest in old-fashioned melodrama, even wrapped in historic epics. For Griffith it marked the first in the string of failures that would continue in downward spiral, culminating with arrival of sound that suddenly turned world’s most influential and respected film maker into figure of the cinema past. Griffith nevertheless made better job of bringing Revolutionary War to screen than some other film makers and America could have been much worse, as the example of ill-fated Revolution might show.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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