The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-03
CIVILIZATION STIRS'
AS BATTLE FILM
lncc Picture AbOunds in Mar
vellOus Scenes Of Fire
and Water.
BUT STORY rs WEARING

The first Of the great cinemas which
have come to be a feature Of the spring
season at the theatres vas shown last
night at the Criterion Theatre. This
was comprehensiveiy called 'Civiliza-
ton" II Is a war film of course, since
the movies. much more than the actors.
have become the abstract and brief
chronicles OF time. They are never
behind the times and they may have
the enec, OF hurrying up the poor old
theatre. which is VIGOROUSLY the most
sluggish OF the arts.
II must be said at once and with the
greatest warmth that tho new cinema
abounds In pictures OF marvellous AMI
almost incomprehenslble beauty. The
scurrying warriors In a fire liz cloud
OF powder. the proud man Of war soon
reduced TO ashes tcfore the eyes of the
spectators. all the alarms and excur-
sions OF war. whether II be in the case
OF hundreds marching into the Are OF
the enemy or the separate warriors
Diminishing through the woods-they
are all wonderfully pictorial. They pro-
claim the genius OF the cinema. which
reduces all elements-:ire. water and
the rest--to a state OF artistic scrvi-
tude.
" there were any pictures more won
derful than hose Of tho ba,tlafelds they
were the visions Of the ships floating
proudly on tho surface OF the water
which IL so docl,e under the eye Of the
photographer, Nothing in all that the
cinema kings may do il so wonderful
as the reproduction Of the ocean. Merely
put IL on the screen and there is at once
a sense of reality more vivid thar the
burning Of half Of melville oil whatever
centre Of culture nay have been sacri-
feed to make a holiday for the admirers
OF the cinema who rushed to the Crt-
terion Theatre.
But there were other stirring scenes
In civilization than the ocean fur
nished. There were the photographs Of
the horses II their riders diving into
the streams and the interiors Of the sub
marines, which were perhaps only less
effective than the tranquil aspect ~ this
destructive craft with its nose out Of
the wa'er.
For Mr.. lnce for his achievements
from a technical point OF view there was
only pr,is. from the spectators. The
groups were wonderfully posed. Then
they were most strikingly reproduced
by the caucra So from the POINT "
view Of technique "C~ivilization" was all
tha' us most enthusiastic advocates hdd
claimed
II ~ one thing. % course, to accept
Mr.. Ince's stage management n his
control Of the camera Iut Ne alto
g.th.r refuse 10 fall for his philosophy.
Disturbing the enjoyment Of the spec
t,tors ~ intervals altogether too fire..
quent. there WAS some sort OF "a story
The actors were. In 'hc first place,
poor. There has rarely been worse 'ilT
acting in New York. and film acting can
not make Any other than n financia
claim 10 greatness. Even tho Na1arens
was dragged IN to add some sort al
apology for the utter futliity OF the 80
called story. Hut the scenes IN which
tho NaZarenc figured were mediocre IN
execution. That sort OF thing has
been infinitely better done IN some o,
tho Italian cinemas seen here.
I Tie scene IN Purgttory-if the locale
was that uncomfortable Guartcr-was
/ not 20 be compared to certain Of the i'm
ported reproductions OF that temporary
J place Of ~Soiourn.
In his thrilling scenes OF active war
fare MIR. Ince has carried the medium
IN which he IL famous to a high dcgre'
Of excellence. Maybe his imaginary wal
pictures are quite the most wonderful
ever seen here. They are most thrillins
and llfelikc. Perhaps for that reason
tho so-callcd STORY" W civilization" IS
! such n v~rarlness to the flesh. Must on,
now preach IN tho cinema