Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1924-07-30
The White Sister.

conS0 anu 1t Is just.
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The White Sister.
In "The White Sister," movie
adapted from the novel by F. Marion
Crawford, the pull between human
love and religious VOWS are thrown in
strong contrast and the duty to God
wins over human passion. The subject
is treated reverently and without
doubt, under full approval of the
church. A difficult situation is solved
by the soul of a wronged and ruined
man gaining death and triumph
through sacrifice And the audience
leaves the theatre a little saddened
perhaps but ennobled also.
In "The White Sister," young
heiress is cheated out of her inheri-
lance by the beguilements of an elder
sister. She is betrothed to young
nobleman whose family breaks the
contract when they learn she is pen
niless. This is we'll because the girl
loves a young officer who is also loved
by the elder sister. The young officer
sails from Naples to Africa as the head
of an engineering expedition. Before
he goes he and his sweetheart pledge
eternal love.
In Africa the expedition is attacked
by Arabs The officer is carried into
captivity The news goes home that
he is slain. His sweetheart enters
convent, becomes novitiate and later
nun. The scene wherein she forsakes
earthly joys to become bride OF
Christ is carried out with dignity,
pathos and power. Resigned to fate
but not defeated by life she takes up
the duties of a white Sister" nurs-
ing the i'll and forsaken.
Then the officer escapes and comes
back By chance he enters the hoSpl-
tai where his sweetheart is a nurse.
He sees her and embraces her. AT
first attracted, she repells him. In ag-
ony he goes to his brothers conserV-
atory on Mt. Vesuvius and there plots
to break the chains that hold his ALL
anced. By strategem he gets her to
the lone conservatory. He Ensembles
himself and his aims. And the girl
tells him that she entered holy orders
so that she might remain true to him
in life thinking him dead. And to meet
him in Heaven.
His mood changes and he kisses the
hem of her garment as a symbol OF
remuneration She leaves the conserV-
atory for the convent.
! But "Vesuvio,' the ancient terror, is
rumbling The young man sees lava
flow impending and rushes to the vii
| lagos at the base to warn the sleep
! ing people, He saves many lives An
acuueduct breaks and in final act
of saving lives he browns. The nun
gains the shelter of a Wayside church
| and there meets the sister who wrong
ed her. The sister is dying. She begs
forgiveness and is forgiven.
! In the morning the mountain is qul-
ct but desolation lies ali about. Inc
people gather before the convent to
offer prayers for the soul of the young
man who died for them. And the glor-
flied face of the white Sister" is on
the screen as the last scene fades
away.
What seems to be the weak spot of
the picture is the scene where the nun
is offered a paper to sign. This paper
is a plea to the pope to release her
from her vow. The pope alone can do
this. She refuses TO sign.
This point is significant. From the
average standpoint the girl should
have signed and the picture would
have had what we call "a happy end
ing" The curtain would have rolled
down with the lovers united and the
fatherly old priest casting benedic-
ton over them. But it would have
weakened the picture from stand
point of ultimate strength. The aver
age standpoint would have had her
break her VOW. And the average
standpoint could not see the purpose
of entering convent in the first place.
We must first recognize the impor-
lance of the vow by those who take it.
Then we can see what it means to
break it.
1t seems to us that the cinema at
tains fulfllment of mission in de-
picting pictures like this. The story
told is a potent sermon.