New-York tribune., 1920-10-31

Vhefe cecil Is. DE Mile 'Somethlng to
Think About" is the principal screen
Offering. To the student of cinema
technique Something to Think About"
is truly that; he sees how it is done
and receives something to think about.
If the film were stripped of titles,
if every printed word were eliminated,
it would still be possible for the spec
tator TO understand the story and sub
t,cties OF Something to Think About"
To say that is to both criticize and
praise Mr.. De Miles work 1t is
frankly asserting that there are too
many titles, and also that the produc-
tion is so we'll told pictorially that the
printed word is superfuous.
How does Mr.. De Mile do it? How
could he tell his story without titles :?
Through the medium of symbolism
and that is the side of the production
which the student must watch care
fully because in symbolism lies the
next great development of cinema art.
just as a great painting, mastery
piece of sculpture and symphony do
not require labels and titles, so motion
picture art may convey its fiction
through the action of its stage figures
and through symbolism.
1t might be we'll, before going into
the details of the story by Jeanie Mac
pherson which Mr.. De Mile has pro-
jected on the screen, to take a glimpse
Of the four principal characters.
Gloria Swanson has the role of black
smiths pretty daughter. Theodore
Roberts appears as the blacksmith, and
his portrayal of the mighty man of
hammer and anvil is one of the most
bri liant in his career. Elliott Dexter
plays the part of a wealthy suitor
doomed to crutches, who finds an in
terest in art, and Monte Blue plays u
Lois,erous farmer boy.
Thanks to the rich mans generosity
the girl goes to a fashionable school
and, moved by gratitude, accepts her
benefactor But she begins to question
her heart when she meets the farmer
boy, a chi .dhood friend just back from
an agricultural college. Through sew
eral incidents the question is raised in
her mind whether the strong man is al
ways the victor. At a country talr
clown whispers leeringly that 1t Is the
man Of physical strength who carrles
off the prize The farmer boy enters a
contest of strength while the disabled
man stands idly by. She dances with
the strong youth while the other holds
the hats and parasol. A loater who IN
suits her is trounced by the man to
whom she is not engaged. She rides on
to the wooden horse by the farmer boy,
while her fiance watches her swing past
him again and again.
On the eve of the wedding the girl
elopes with the strong man, leaving 1t
to her father to return the gifts. The
blacksmith, angered by the act Of his
daughter, curses her and expresses the
desire never to set eyes on her again
"a wish which is instantly realized,
when sparks from his anvil blind him.
The shattering of his dream of love
leaves the deserted lover a broken
man and he again becomes recluse.
The couple go to New YORK, where
the young man joins "sandbag"
crew in an under water tunnel. AS he
starts for work one morning., she tells
him secret she has kept to herself
until that moment-a baby.
A cave-in occurs in the chamber Of
the tunnel and the young giant stays
behind TO plug up leak until the ma
chine operator next him-a father of
several children-has reached safety.
He is unable to escape and is drowned.
Left destitute, the young wife re
turns home to find her father blind
and unforgiving. Despite the fact
that his love has been killed, the
Yecluse marres her, and when her
the Joy Of his life.
The young mother vainly seeks TO
regain her husbands love. She is about
to give up when the old housekeeper
urges her to replace bitter thoughts
With kind ones. 1t is the same sugges-
ton which she made to the disabled
mar when he, broken in spirit because
his fiancee had deserted him. had sur
rendered to bitterness. The force OF
love draws the two together and the
man drops his crutches to throw his
aims about mis- wife.
That, briefly, is the story of Some
thing to Think About" Now to see
how Mr.. De Mile told q great part of
it through symbolism.
At the very opening the disabled
man Is shown with some Of his art
objects. He admires squatting figure
of "Vengeance," while his housekee per
urges him to turn his attention to the
white figure of Love" Here, at the
very outset, the spectator is given to
understand through symbols that the
conflict is to be between hate and love
that the man will be governed by his
disgusts and the housekeeper through
the force of kindness and sweetness
Through the medium Of two small fig.
ures the greatest forces in life are
vsvidly suggested.
When the girl returns to the country
home and tells her father that she has
become engaged to the rich man the
smith is so pleased that he catches the
two young people in an iron hoop he i.
making-a hoop which may represent
wedding ring. Instantly, and to tn,
CONSERVATION Of the trio, the younf
farmer hops into the ring with hat
fui of eggs in his arm. The spectator
senses the purpose of the symbolism
the fathers plans for his daughter.
marriage to the rich man are to b,
complicated by the entrance Of tn,
farmer into the cinSle.
At the fair the clown tells the cir
OF the power Of physical strength
Here is subtle symbolism. The gro
tesque clown, personihcation of cyn
eism. represents that mental attirdi,
which is confident of the success o,
any cause backed by force behind ane
contemptuous Of the preachments of
higher force of love. AS the clown i'm
pudently expresses his message tn,
giyl scowls. He has expressed
thought which has been lurking in he,
MIND, but which She feared y acknowl
edge. Her father, himelf a man o.
Drawn, is angered by the clowns p ilos
ophy; the farmer is highly pleased il
his simple way and the man or
crutches looks on, trusting the sane.
= ticn of the engagement ring.
There is a touch of mockery in tn,
scene in which the farmer boy dance.
off with the gill while her hat i!
perched in ridiculous fashion over tn,
faf s,f ,nle hA n,