"Ramona" is a very well made yet incredibly depressing film. I mention this because sometimes you just aren't in the mood for such a sad film...and other times you are. Think about this before you watch it.
The story is in many ways a very progressive film in the way it portrays Native Americans and tries to tell a story decrying the evils of bigotry. It's odd then that like other films of the era, the 'Indian' leading character is played by a white guy. This was NOT uncommon...other folks (such as Richard Dix in "The Vanishing American") often played Indians in American movies. So, it's a film that is like two steps forward...and one step back...but it's still well worth seeing.
Ramona (Delores del Rio) is a woman who was adopted by a rich, aristocratic Spanish family in old California. The family matriarch is set on having Ramona marry her son...which by today's standards is a bit creepy. Ramona does care for Felipe...but she eventually falls for Alessandro (Warner Baxter) and when she announces she's marrying him, she's tossed out of the home.
In the following years, all sorts of awful things happen to Ramona and her new hubby. While they seem quite happy, eventually Ramona's mind snaps...and based on all the horrible things done to them, you can certainly understand why. Is there any hope for the now demented Ramona?
It's obvious that United Artists really put a lot of money into the film. While still a silent, it came out with a synchronized sound track and has stunning cinematography. A gorgeous...and depressing film.
By the way, occasionally some of the acting was exaggerated (even for a silent) but the real star, to me, wasn't del Rio nor Baxter but the woman who played the evil mother, Vera Lewis. She was pretty amazing and her face told 1001 emotions...most of which were pretty nasty! As for the film's ending...it did seem a bit weak, though the rest of it was rather amazing.
