The House with Closed Shutters
The House with Closed Shutters is a 1910 American silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and released by the Biograph Company. Prints of "The House with Closed Shutters" exist in the film archives of the Museum of Modern Art, George Eastman House, and the Library of Congress. Plot. During the American Civil War a young soldier loses his nerve in battle and runs away to his home to hide. There his sister puts on his uniform, takes her brother's place in the battle, and is killed. Their mother, not wanting the shameful  truth to become known, closes all the shutters (hence the film's title) and keeps her son's presence a secret for many years, until two boyhood chums stumble upon the truth. Production. The drama was filmed between June 25 and July 2, 1910. Interior scenes were shot at Biograph's studio at 11 East 14th Street in Manhattan, New York, and outdoor footage was taken on location in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Commentary. Unlike the portrayal of women in film serials where they tend to be in peril and need to be saved, West's "sister" character, while dressed  in her brother's uniform, was in control of her situation as she rode over the same dangerous route that her brother had taken in his flight. Her horsemanship is emphasized over the other male riders, as soon as she is on the horse she rides at full speed and she alone among the riders has her horse rear up on its hind legs.