The Battle of the Sexes

"The Battle Of The Sexes" (1928) starts out as an airy comedy, but soon wallows into melodrama. Although it is "personally directed" by .D. W Griffith, perhaps the most important pioneer of the cinematic art in the 1910s, it has little to offer in terms of visual innovation. In fact, there is literally only ONE great camera shot: simulating a jump from a high-rise bulding. Other than that, the film is tame in its "risquè" content, and extremely predictable; several sequences run too long. Perhaps the one thing of note is how Griffth makes the daughter of the family (Sally O' Neil) the strong, feisty character while the son is completely unimportant. ** out of 4.

'The Battle of the Sexes' might be one those lesser seen (and known) films by D.W. Griffith, and it falls far from his greatest Works, but still it's worth to watch. Though it is typical Griffith's morality tale it somehow seems to avoid becoming too preachy like the great master loved to do. The story is simple tale about gold digger who seduces real estate tycoon, and the man abandons his family for younger woman.

Otherwise quite mediocre film, but there was some nice sweeping shots at the beginning of the film, and of course the marvelously directed rooftop scene.

I was very surprised when I watched this film that it was by director D. W. Griffith, as in places the direction looked very modern--much more than I had seen in many of his previous films. In particular, at the beginning, there are some very creative sweeping shots and camera tricks. They are also quite apparent towards the end of the film. Plus, even though this is at heart a morality tale, it seemed so much less histrionic and preachy than other Griffith films I've seen. For 1928, the film was well-done and quite watchable.

Jean Hersholt is a rich industrialist and Phyllis Haver decides when she first sees him that she MUST have him--not out of any love at all, but because she is a "gold digger". Despite his being a rather ordinary looking older man and being happily married, Ms. Haver throws her energies into snagging the guy. This actually leads to a cute scene where she is trying to think up how she will introduce herself to him--it doesn't go at all like she planned, but it does indeed work! And, disappointingly, Hersholt is at heart a dope and he falls for her routine without question. In the meantime, his family doesn't suspect until they accidentally catch him with the bimbo when he is supposed to be working late! Where exactly the movie goes next and all the little details I'll leave for you to discover. However, the movie is a breezy and interesting little film worth seeing if you like silent cinema. The Kino Video version features excellent music and an excellent quality print.

PS--Although she's not listed in the credits and the IMDb database does NOT confirm it, it looks as if Joan Blondell is one of the extras in the nightclub scene. If it's not her, it's a dead-ringer!

PPS--According to IMDb, Phyllis Haver retired from movies a short time after making this film, as she married a millionaire and stopped working! Now THAT'S irony!

This late jazz age comic morality tale directed by D. W. Griffith is surprisingly good--and its relative sophistication will be a surprise to those who are familiar with Griffith via the standard films such as "The Birth of a Nation," "Intolerance," "Way Down East," or even "Broken Blossoms." This film feels much more modern and far less overtly moralizing than those earlier films, though its 1920s "feel" is a part of its appeal for contemporary viewers.

The new DVD is well scored with period music cues that evoke a consistent, slightly melancholy mood as Jean Hersholt (better known as the villain of "Greed") is thrown into his midlife crisis by gold digger Phyllis Haver. His family is convincingly shown in turmoil--and eventually acts to rescue Hersholt's character from his folly. The film is well structured and altogether charming.

This late (1928) silent from D.W. Griffith includes much of what we expect from the man: a highly moral tale, the action centered around a nuclear family, little humor but used effectively, careful plotting, and direction that elicits excellent acting with fine nuances of mood. It is actually considerably less preachy than Griffith's epic works (Intolerance, etc.), and despite the grandiose title, the story is simple: A golddigger and her beau set their sights on a rich man, happily married with two teenage children. The blonde vamp gets her prey, successfully enticing him from his family and driving his wife into a suicidal depression, but his canny daughter manages to rescue the situation. As with most fine movies, the story, though simple, is very well told. Some splendid insights into 1920s American mores and popular culture round out the package. Newly (2001) released on VHS by Kino.