In the Border States

During the Civil War, there were many cases of divided loyalties; obviously, many occurred "In the Border States", where North met South by happenstance of geography. From the border, young father Owen Moore goes off to join the Union Army. Shortly, Confederate soldier Henry B. Walthall, separated from his regimen, wanders onto the enemy's property, desperate for water; he finds a supply where the Unionist's young daughter Gladys Egan sits. When the Yankee soldiers track him down, Little Gladys innocently helps the Confederate hide. Later, when he returns to kill her father, the little girl's kindness is remembered. A sweet, small story from director D.W. Griffith. Location footage and humanity are lovingly displayed.

***** In the Border States (6/13/10) D.W. Griffith ~ Henry B. Walthall, Owen Moore, Gladys Egan

Eight stars. If there is one short that encapsulates all of Griffith's views on honor and loyalty, this is it. Griffith was a southerner, born in the 1870s. His father and grandfather were Confederate soldiers. And it's pretty clear that he bought into the "Lost Cause" myth. But who does he make the sympathetic core of the film? The family of a Union soldier. The hero is a Confederate, but notice that neither side does anything horrific. Nor anything particularly praise-worthy (until the end). Something modern viewers should consider, watching this film, is that anyone in their 50s would remember the Civil War in 1910. It wasn't history yet, it was memory. So making a war movie that centers on family, and with sympathy for both sides, was a bold act. 2 February 2024.

"In the Border States" is one of D.W. Griffith's Civil War shorts. Although filmed in the wilds of New Jersey (Delaware Water Gap), from the title the likely intended setting is western Maryland, West Virginia, or eastern Kentucky. A border state would have sent units to both armies but this short features the home of a departing union soldier.

Shortly after he leaves with his regiment an unarmed Condederate arrives at the soldier's house and his youngest daughter (played by Gladys Egan-Mary Pickford has a smaller part as the older daughter) hides him from a Yankee patrol. He tries to kiss her in appreciation but the little girl is too patriotic to allow this. A few days later her wounded father stumbles home pursued by a Confederate patrol. The Confederate she saved is detailed to search the house and he returns the favor by not turning in her father. The little girl again refuses his kiss but they compromise and salute each other.

This is a cute little home front story in the standard silent film style of acting, much more like stage acting than acting for the camera. Some of the scenes are captioned but it is largely unnecessary because you can follow the pantomime without any trouble. Griffith inserts a couple of then revolutionary edits (match cuts) into the film, as actors are going though a door and then coming into the room on the other side. Watch for one of the first continuity problems ever, as a solder with two chevrons on his sleeves goes into the house and in the cut to him from inside he is wearing a uniform with no chevrons.

Griffith manages to incorporate some nice scenery into a couple exterior shots that are staged to take advantage of the scenic background.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

During the 1910s, there were a large number of films made in the US about the Civil War--most likely since the 50th anniversary of its start and finish were being celebrated. I've seen quite a few compared to most people alive today and some of them are pretty good (like this one) and some are incredibly old fashioned and totally ridiculous. I was happy to see that even though the plot here is a bit difficult to imagine actually happening, the film itself isn't so heavy-handed and schmaltzy as many of the day. In fact, the film is pretty low-key and the acting is a bit easier to believe than most--with less wild gesticulating and over-acting than usual. The film is a very simple film about a family living in a Border state that is caught up in the war. In many ways, it's like the old story about the lion and the mouse that pulled the splinter out of the lion's paw--only to later have this act of kindness repaid in kind. While this film WON'T change your life, it's well-made, interesting and gives what looks like a real window into the Civil War.

This is an excellent short drama that leaves a memorable impression of the human side of war, and that makes good points about the conflict between the perceived duty to one's nation and one's higher duty to humanity. The story is about a father who leaves to fight for the Union in the Civil War, while in his absence his family also gets caught up in the terrors of the war. The plot is interesting, eventful, and thought-provoking. Given what the war was like "In The Border States", it is also quite plausible.

Methods of filming at the time were very limited, with each scene using a completely fixed camera field of vision, in which all the actors had to stay for the duration of the scene. Griffith makes up for that at times with some nicely planned shots. There is a good one when the father heads off to join his unit, showing part of the town and its townspeople in the background. There is another good one later, showing a sentry on a hill with a nice view of a river beneath the hill.

This is a fine film to take a look at for those interested in the history of these very old movies.