The book has been heavily edited and adapted to make it a Mary Pickford vehicle and the result is interesting and enjoyable.
The DVD restoration is good and easy clear viewing, though as noted there as some small artifacts such as eye-whites a little to white - possibly due to the quality of the original film. The music designed and matched with the restoration helps sets the mood and switches according to scene type. It helps develop continuity within the story. I like the music a lot. It reminded me of the Er-Hu music that accompanied some of the Chinese movie Hero.
This movie should be viewed twice as should all Silents unless you have just viewed one. It takes time to adjust and settle into the feeling and rhythm of these movies - only then can you really appreciate and enjoy them.
Almost all Pickford movies demonstrate her micro-actions that subconsciously give depth and human connection with the viewer. Either deliberate, practiced or both they are one of the things that sets Pickford aside from other actors of the period and even today. I think this is a result of Pickford's method acting - her invention - and that what she does comes naturally from making herself the character instead of acting the character.
The smelling of the bible was one; when she meets the pretty woman at the school you see a one or two second 'self-conscious' reaction from Pickford where she shows the characters self-consciousness over her low status clothing. You will note at the side of the dead person she demonstrates her anguish also with her hands, rubbing on the chest of the body which rings very true and completes the scene.
You see this a great deal with Pickford, even in her earliest movies, her hands have a role all of their own and work beautifully and naturally to add reality to her scenes. She loves to touch and uses even the tiniest of movements with her hands and arms - it is worth studying this in her.
Mary rarely gives half a performance and at the time this movie was being made she was having an exhilarating time with her secret lover - Douglas Fairbanks.
They have some fun in this movie as well - the 'shin-dig' has a fascinating dancing scene that needs to be viewed twice. You should also note that when Mary enters that particular scene you have the sense that she is relaxed and in complete charge - a glimpse of the little master amongst her 'juniors'. We briefly get a look at the real life Mary Pickford for a few seconds there. That was obviously a tiny acting over-sight, but a valuable slip for us 90 years later.
This movie needs to be watched twice to pick up what is easily missed on the first viewing - and is much more enjoyable when you stop trying to observe and analyze Pickford.
This is not Pickford's best movie but a good one and well worth watching and collecting.
