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Orphans of the Storm (D. W. Griffith, December 1921) based on the novel ‘The two Orphans’ by Adolphe d’Ennery and Eugène Cormon, camera Billy Bitzer, with Lilian and Dorothy Gish as the orphans Henriette and Louise Girard for D.W. Griffith Productions / United Artists ¹

The time: Before and during the French Revolution. Our story is about two orphans who first suffer from the tyranny of royal leaders, nobles and aristocrats. After the King’s government fell, they, together with the rest of the population, suffered just as much under the new government - set up by opportunist Robespierre - under the influence of anarchy and Bolshevism. Strange that in both cases the evil rulers were otherwise morally high men, except that they saw evil in all who did not think like them. The lesson is: the French Revolution rightly overthrew a bad government. But in America we must be careful that we who have good government do not mistakenly regard fanatics as leaders and exchange our decent, orderly society for anarchy and Bolshevism.

(This film was made shortly after the Russian Revolution).

‘The famous noble family the Vaudreys cannot tolerate the fact that their daughter has married a commoner and kills her husband’ by piercing him with a sabre. ‘To protect the family’s name, they take the baby from the daughter’s helpless arms’, who places a note with ‘My name is Louise, save me’ in a locket she hangs around the baby’s neck. ‘Instead of the promised protective care’, the baby is left exposed on the snowy steps of Notre Dame. ‘Jean Girard, who is driven by terrible poverty, also abandons his baby Henriette on the entrance steps of Notre Dame’, but changes his mind when he sees that the baby already there has cold hands and he fears that his own baby will suffer the same fate. He comes home with both baby’s and his wife is surprised. She finds a precious locket around the other baby’s neck containing the note ‘My name is Louise, save her.’ And in addition, they find a bag with Louis d’Or’s on the foundling. ‘Thus begins the life’ of the two girls. ‘In a northern province the young years of Henriette and Louise Girard, the two orphans, pass’ and the girls grow up happily.

We see ‘The palace of the Count de Linieres, prefect of the police of Paris. ‘Only his signature is required to imprison or exile someone for life. He is subject only to the king.’ The Count de Linieres is married to ‘the Countess de Linieres, born Vaudrey, the mother of the abandoned Louise. Her past has been hidden from him since she was forced to marry the count.’ In a mental POV shot (00:07:53), introduced by a ‘pensative attitude’ she thinks back to how her baby was taken from her. ‘Her cousin is the young Chevalier (knight) Vaudrey, one of the proudest and oldest nobility in the world. His somewhat clumsy servant is called Picard.’ ‘Jean Setain, nicknamed ‘Jacques Don’t forget’’, a shabbily dressed and submissive tenant from the countess’ estate comes to bring fruit and is treated derogatorily. ‘He will still cross the path of the orphans in a stormy way.’ Jean Setain can no longer pay the rent: ‘Madam, things have been bad for me since my father displeased your father, the great lord, and was punished.’ Jean Setain watched (mental POV 00:10:15) ‘his father had boiling lead poured into his veins, while the young Chevalier de Vaudrey looked on approvingly.’ Jean Setain is filled with feelings of hatred and will later try to take revenge on the family as a judge during the revolution. But now he’s behaving very submissive again. The Chevalier Vaudrey walks in on the Count and Countess de Linieres. ‘Jean Setain’s revenge dreams always feature these three’, but for now he is sent away by the house servant.

We are at the court of ‘Louis Seize, King of France and representative of selfish tyranny, making use of the old feudal rights of kingship and aristocracy.’ The king enters a beautiful hall with an abundance of finely dressed ladies and gentlemen, with us following him in a backwards tracking shot (00:12:16). The king greets his court, who bow deeply to him. ‘The Duc d’Orleans, who hates his cousin the King, has allowed rebellious language to be expressed against the King in the gardens of the Palais Royal.’ Thomas Jefferson, ambassador of the United States and the Marquis de Lafayette are present, as is ‘Danton, a combative lawyer disgusted by the power of the Kings and later known as the ‘pockmarked thundercloud’ of the French Revolution. He introduces himself to Jefferson and de la Fayette. Danton says that an American-style government would be desirable for France.

‘Since Louise became blind, Henriette has cared for her with an overwhelming love, like a mother’s love for her helpless baby. Due to the plague, Louise and Henriette’s parents died and Louise became blind.’ In a flashback from 00:15:22 we see that Louise panics when she realizes she is blind. But Henriette says: ‘I will take care of you, I will see for you.’ Meanwhile, Paris is very busy. A carriage drives up, from which two aristocratic ladies with enormous hats emerge. Danton is outraged by the injustice that gives the aristocrats unlimited luxury and the people indescribable poverty. He observes a woman with children in the gutter and starving people standing in front of a bakery full of bread. The Chevalier Vaudrey enters the bakery and a little later distributes a whole pile of bread among the starving, embraces a thin poor woman and gives her some money. Danton addresses him and says: ‘If more of the aristocrats were like you, things would be different.’

‘In the hope that Louise’s blindness can be cured in Paris, the two orphans go on a journey. They are both wearing beautiful dresses. Henriette says: ‘When your eyes have recovered, I’ll sit down like a lady and let you do all the work.’ But Louise protests: ‘I’m not going. You’ll meet someone in Paris, get married, and then I’ll be all alone!’ So ‘Henriette swears she’ll never get married until Louise can see and approves of her husband.’ They set off by stagecoach.

We are in Paris at the market at the Pont Neuf and are now being introduced to Pierre Frochard, scissor sharpener: ‘Repairing scissors, sharpening knives! Pierre’s mother is scum from the ledge, beggar and shouts: ‘Charity! Charity!’, but in the meantime, hands out kicks. Pierre is afraid of his mother, hands over his money to her and is pushed to the ground by her. But his brother Jacques Frochard is his mother’s favorite and gets the money from her. ‘Jacques is indignant that Pierre earns so little.’ On the way to Paris, the old stagecoach blocks the intersection for the carriage of an important nobleman, the Marquis de Praille. He comes out of the coach and hits the stagecoach driver with his staff. But then he sees the two sisters and is charmed by the virginal beauty of Henriette, who in her naivety explains the purpose of their trip to Paris. The Marquis makes advances, picks at Henriette a bit, but she says: ‘No, sir. I think we had better go in our own carriage.’ ‘Knowing that she is only from the common people and inflamed by her virginal beauty, the Marquis orders his adjutant La Fleur to kidnap Henriette at any price.’ The interaction between the sisters is natural and refreshing and they have great fun with the Marquis, who continues riding in his own carriage.

The Marquis’ carriage enters Paris. There is a lot of traffic on the road, including children playing and running away. Except for one, who is run over by the carriage. The population is furious and demands accountability from the Marquis, who responds from on high and has his servant give the mother of the dead child a coin. He also inquires whether the horses have suffered any damage. At the coach house, the Marquis’s carriage stops and he says: ‘Bring her to my party, no mistakes, La Fleur.’ La Fleur walks down the street to Monsieur Martin, a family friend, who will receive the two orphans upon their arrival in Paris. La Fleur says that the carriage is delayed and that there is still time for one drink. He takes Martin to the pub and gets him drunk, causing Martin to fall asleep. Meanwhile, the stagecoach passes through the northern gate in a narrow vignette leading to a widescreen image (00:31:35). La Fleur and his companions leave the pub.

‘At dusk there is a party in the palace of the Marquis de Praille.’ From 00:32:35 we see images of the palace with a strong deep-space and with tight direction of the action in the background. The Marquis receives his guests at the gate, while stylish dancing and music are played. At 00:33:27 we move in a forward tracking shot between the dancing couples. A gentleman pushes a young lady wearing a flower wreath who is sitting on a swing. The Chevalier de Vaudrey arrives at the gate and is welcomed by the Marquis. In the meantime, large quantities of the tastiest food and drinks are being prepared. And ‘enough food is wasted at these parties to feed many.’ The guests enjoy the food and drinks, but ‘an ominous murmur can be heard outside the gate.’ There is a whole group of paupers, including Jean Setain.

The stagecoach arrives and the sisters get out. But La Fleur has gotten rid of Monsieur Martin and Henriette searches for him in vain. Meanwhile, La Fleur observes the girls. ‘The Marquis, safe as he is due to his aristocratic privileges, does not fear criticism for his debauched orgies.’ While fireworks are being set off, the Chevalier de Vaudrey says: ‘We should take advantage of our privileges while we can, but it won’t be long.’ In a mental POV shot (00:37:23) we see the Chevalier talking about the poor hungry people standing in front of the bakery: ‘People are screaming for bread.’

The lamplighter turns on the lamp in the street while the sisters are still waiting there. And then La Fleur comes to offer his services, but Henriette does not trust it and backs away. Behind the sisters are La Fleur’s companions who throw a black cloth over Henriette’s head and kidnap her. Louise is left alone, helpless and in panic. Henriette is put in a sedan chair and taken away, while Louise almost runs into the water, but is saved just in time by Pierre Frochard. His mother, Mme Frochard, hears from Louise that she is blind and has no friends in Paris. That fits perfectly with her plans and is an opportunity to get money easily: ‘I will take care of you.’ Frochard takes Louise to her house, which is entered through a hatch in the floor. In this run-down underground lair, Frochard says: ‘Here is your room, dear.’ Louise wants to flee, but is roughly stopped by Mrs. Frochard (00:42:00) and thrown to the ground. From 00:38:17 there is violence against women.

When the moon appears, immorality breaks out at the feast of the Marquis de Praille. A play is performed that predicts what will happen to everyone present after twelve o’clock. Half-undressed girls run around and are captured by men, they make love and drink. Girls bathe in a wine bath and a stretcher is carried in. When the cloth is removed, Henriette appears to be lying on it. ‘Here’s my little beauty! Now you’re all jealous’ says the Marquis, pushing away two ladies sitting on his lap. The sleeping beauty is awakened with volatile salt and gets up quite dazed. But soon she says: ‘Where is my sister Louise?’ The misty, heavily vignetted shot at 00:44:45 conveys the Marquis’s selfish evil intentions. Henriette wants to leave: ‘Quick, please let me go!’ but the Marquis grabs her and, while the guests enjoy their drinks and watch in amusement, he tries to overpower her. But Henriette manages to push him away. She seeks support from the guests, but they are not willing to intervene. Henriette thinks more about the fate of her sister than about the threat to her honor: ‘ Don’t you understand, she is blind and cannot take a step without me!’ The guests she accosts, given the misty, heavily vignetted shots’s (00:45:36, 00:45:40 and 00:45:42) have the same perverse thoughts as the Marquis. ‘The Chevalier de Vaudrey initially thinks that this appears to be a willing victim.’ But then he sees Henriette being tossed between several men and not being helped. She calls out: Isn’t there ONE MAN OF HONOR among all these nobles? The Marquis continues to chase Henriette and she is grabbed as a prize by several men. Now it becomes too much for the Vaudrey and he intervenes: ‘Come, Mademoiselle, we are leaving here.’ But the Marquis says: ‘After twelve o’clock no one leaves this house!’ Henriette is tossed around and the Chevalier de Vaudrey gets into a sword fight with the Marquis. He stabs the Marquis and leaves with Henriette. But when they arrive at the gate, the carriages appear to have left. Jean Setain stands among the hungry crowd in front of the fence. This vengeful ‘Jacques Don’t Forget’ sees them as part of the rich revelry.

In Mrs. Frochard’s underground lair, Louise is still lying on a bed of straw. Pierre Frochard sits at the headboard as Louise wakes up and ‘Henriette! Henriette!’ whispers. Mrs. Frochard says to her son Jacques: ‘Handsome and blind, she will collect lots of money for us.’ Henriette has arrived with de Vaudrey in the center of Paris and goes looking for Louise and almost falls into the water. Henriette imagines that Louise has ended up in the water, but de Vaudrey reassures her. The Chevalier de Vaudrey puts Henriette up in a lodging house, where Maximillian Robespierre, a poor lawyer, who will play an important role in Henriette’s life when he becomes ruler of France, lives. ‘I don’t know how to thank you!’ De Vaudrey wipes her tears and kisses her to his horror: ‘Forgive me! I’ll never do that again.’ But the Chevalier is in love.

The Count de Linieres is furious about the rumor that de Vaudrey has been fighting over a woman and orders Picard to keep an eye on his boss’s behavior. ‘Louise does not want to sing and beg on the street, but is violently disciplined by mother Frochard’ by throwing her into the cellar (violence against women 00:54:56 – 00:55:12 and 00:55:29 – 00:56:12). It is striking how beautifully Dorothy Gish can scream pathetically (00:55:44, 00:55:57 and 00:56:03): ‘Henriette! Henriette!’ Henriette goes out into the street and thinks she sees a girl who looks like Louise as her sister, but she is not. The Count de Linieres is furious about the behavior of the Chevalier de Vaudrey and therefore refuses to call in the police to help in the search for Louise: ‘Sir, you must end your association with these common people.’ Meanwhile, Henriette has already arrived at the police station to report the matter. _‘Louise promises to be obedient’_and is lifted out of the cellar and a little later goes out into the street with Mrs. Frochard.

With one word the King arranges a marriage for the Linieres between the Chevalier de Vaudrey and a Princess. The Count de Linieres is very pleased that the marriage will bring his family to a higher social position. Henriette is standing on the street talking to some ladies when Danton and Robespierre walk by. Danton speaks to Henriette: ‘Are you the girl who lost her sister?’ Danton says to Henriette: ‘Those damn aristocrats. The people are going to put an end to this!’ Robespierre, who cannot yet imagine that the world will soon be turned upside down and that they will soon rule France, taps Danton: ‘Women will be your downfall, Danton.’ Henriette hears that and quickly flees. The Count de Linieres says to the Chevalier de Vaudrey: ‘I have arranged a state wedding for you with a real Princess.’ That doesn’t make de Vaudrey very happy because he still has the image of Henriette in his head (mental POV 01:00:16). He then says: ‘I cannot marry her. I have already met the girl I love.’ De Linieres says ‘You dare to disobey the King?’

In the gardens of the Palais Royal, Danton addresses the bystanders: ‘With a Popular Government there will no longer be an ordinary man, no aristocrat, neither rich nor poor man, but we will all be brothers, brothers, brothers.’ ‘Danton’s speaking skills trouble a major royalist, who devises a plan to send royalist secret agents after Danton. They attack Danton in the street, but he defends himself manfully, although he is injured. He manages to reach the lodging where Henriette and Robespierre are staying. The secret agents rush into the lodgings and Henriette finds the injured Danton in her room. When the officers arrive upstairs, Henriette gestures that the man they are looking for lives one floor higher. She keeps Danton in her room even though morality does not allow it: ‘You cannot leave. Better to gossip about me than lose your life.’ The officers do not find Danton and encounter police officers in the hall who, because ‘Danton’s’s influence among the population is growing, take his side’ and point their guns at the secret police officers, who then retreat. Henriette supports the weakened Danton and puts him in a chair. The next morning, Danton lies on the floor of Henriette’s room in a makeshift bed. Henriette would like to have such a big brother and he promises himself that he will never forget Henriette’s help. Robespierre, the doubting opportunist and perfect regulator of the morals and affairs of others, speaks to the landlady: ‘I hear Danton had some trouble last night.’ He goes upstairs and meets Henriette who is just coming out of her door. Robespierre wants to know if she has anyone in her room: ‘A friend.’ Robespierre wants to go and have a look, but she slams the door in his face. ‘Later this will haunt Henriette on the threshold of death.’ Robespierre seems to leave with a stampede, but hides behind the stairs. The way seems clear and Danton who was protected by Henriette in her room, leaves Henriette’s room and goes away, while Henriette realizes that she doesn’t even know this man’s name.

In front of Notre Dame, in the cold and snow, Louise begs together with Frochard. A doctor from La Force (prison) sees Louise and thinks he can cure her, but Frochard doesn’t want anything to do with this and says to Louise: ‘He said that your blindness cannot be cured.’ Frochard also takes away the scarf from Louise: ‘You shiver better without that scarf’ (01:11:48). Luise, covered in snow, returns from a search for Louise. And then de Vaudrey enters her room. He does not know that Picard, on behalf of the Count de Linieres, is standing at the door and peering through the keyhole. De Vaudrey has no news about Louise. He says: ‘Do you only think about her?’ He almost kisses her and has brought her a bouquet of roses (01:13:06) and an engagement ring with two interlocking hands on it. But then Henriette realizes that she has made a vow to Louise not to marry until Louise regains her sight and she has approved the husband’ (mental POV 01:13:51). Henriette shakes her head: she cannot simply commit herself to a man before her sister is saved. She gives the ring back and says: ‘Marry an aristocrat! Otherwise it would ruin you in the eyes of the whole world!’ ‘Don’t you love me?’ ‘No’ says Henriette, turning her face away from the Chevalier. To her sadness, she has to let him go. She bursts into sobs and de Vaudrey turns around: ‘You do love me!’ De Vaudrey is completely elated. Henriette tells them: ‘Yes, if Louise is found you might be able to realize your dreams. He wants to kiss her again, but she stops him and she gives a sweet kiss on his cheek, he takes her in his arms, gives an innocent kiss back and ends with a kiss on her mouth, on her hair and then covers her with kisses. De Vaudrey is ecstatic and swears with his youthful enthusiasm that Louise will be found soon.

The Countess de Linieres meets Louise on the steps of Notre Dame and does not know that this beggar is her own daughter. Yet she is moved by a strange sympathy. Louise tells her that she is blind, but Frochard soon takes the initiative: ‘My daughter is the youngest of seven’ and she is supposedly holding Louise lovingly. The countess gives Louise a penny: ‘Give this to your mother, child’ and the countess leaves with her sedan chair. The Chevalier de Vaudrey asks his aunt, the Countess de Linieres, to visit his beloved. And she does so: she arrives in front of the lodging house in her sedan chair and meets Henriette there. A powerful backlight underlines the angelic purity of Lilian Gish (01:21:09, 01:22:03 and 01:22:48). ‘I am the aunt of the Chevalier de Vaudrey.’ ‘A marriage between you and the Chevalier is impossible.’ ‘But I love him, madam.’ The Countess sees the name Louise on a pillow and says: ‘The name Louise is very dear to me.’ Henriette says: ‘Help me find my sister. I will do everything you say.’ The Countess puts her arms around Henriette. ‘Blind, so helpless as a baby’ says Henriette, ‘She is not really my sister, but…’ Two mental POV sequences at 01:22:57 and 01:23:15 show what Henriette says: how her stepfather, Jean Girard came home with the two babies’s and how they found the locket with her name on Louise’s neck. Henriette takes out the medallion from her cleavage and the Countess recognizes it, presses it to her heart and changes her mind: ‘My own child!’ Meanwhile, ‘the Count de Linieres orders the Chevalier de Vaudrey to marry according to his choice, otherwise banishment to a fortified prison will follow.’ The Chevalier says no to his uncle and is summarily arrested. The autocratic count is going to settle this love affair once and for all.

Frochard walks through the streets of Paris with a singing Louise, begging. They walk through the street where Henriette lives on the top floor. Henriette seems to hear something (acoustic coupling 01:24:08, 01:24:16, 01:24:17), singing in the street? No, not (01:24:38) when Frochard guides Louise into the side street. But as they walk closer to the main street, Frochard orders Louise to continue begging on her own and Henriette thinks she hears her voice (01:25:18). ‘Don’t you hear singing?’ The countess hears nothing yet and Louise stops singing in the street. Henriette says: ‘I hear her singing in my dreams. I think I’m losing my mind.’ But then Louise goes singing through the street again, Louise really hears her and the countess says she hears something too. Henriette is now certain that she hears her singing (01:26:38). She looks out the window, sees her sister standing below and shouts: ‘Louise!’ The height difference is depicted by the relative position to the camera (01:27:07, 01:27:13, 01:28:59 and 01:29:02). Henriette calls agitatedly to her sister who doesn’t really know where she is and is shaking and screaming desperately. Henriette shouts: ‘Keep calm, wait, I’ll come to you.’ The Countess de Linieres is so excited that she almost faints. Henriette runs to the door of the apartment and bumps into the Count de Linieres and officers who come to arrest her: ‘Henriette Girard!, arrest her!’ Henriette gestures that that is not possible at all, she has to go to her sister and she fights like a lion against the officers who block her way. Meanwhile, the Countess faints. Outside, Mrs. Frochard grabs Louise and drags her away from the house (01:28:40). Henriette is taken by force by the officers (01:29:12 – 01:29:45). Relational cross-cut’s establish the relationship between Henriette who is molested by the police and Louise who is abused by Frochard. Frochard shakes Louise in her underground lair and throws her to the ground (01:29:46). In the prison for fallen women, women are handcuffed to chains. Henriette is brought in there and thrown into a prison with five disturbed women. The Chevalier de Vaudrey has been exiled to a royalist center/castle far outside Paris.

Danton is standing in the pub full of enthusiasm: the revolution is near and the audience is cheering. Jean Setain, ‘Jacques Don’t Forget’ is standing on the street talking to two bare-chested men. Meanwhile, Jacques Frochard tries to assault a sleeping Louise (01:31:40). Mrs. Frochard is sleeping in the background and on the floor is Jean Frochard, struggling to control himself. In the women’s prison, Henriette tells a nun about her blind sister. Standing next to her is the doctor who saw Louise standing in front of the church and who thought he could cure her. In a mental POV we see the doctor’s thoughts (01:32:21) and he says: ‘I saw such a’ girl at Frochard’s. She lives on the Rue de Brissac.’ The Countess de Linieres shows her husband, the Count, the medallion that Louise was carrying and collapses at her husband’s feet while she recalls the story. He says: ‘Why didn’t you tell me that before?’ He grabs her affectionately. Picard, although against the Count’s orders, delivers a message from the Chevalier de Vaudrey to Henriette.

‘The storm. An ominous drum addresses the people about the ancient injustice done to them.’ We see an empty street. A drum comes into view and under the drumming Jean Setain appears first and then activists come from every nook and cranny until the entire street is full. Around Danton a joyful crowd dances: ‘Down with the tyrants!’ In the gardens of the Palais Royal the shouts are: ‘Down with the Bastille’. A horde of men and women with all kinds of weapons starts running and is confronted by a force of police officers. Danton orates: ‘Hunger, oppression, centuries of injustice, prisons where innocents die under the autocracy!’ Danton manages to get the officers blocking his way out of the way and let him and his followers pass through. The crowds pass through the city center and then stand in a square opposite the King’s soldiers. Shots are fired back and forth. The opportunistic Robespierre watches from behind the windows to see who will win (01:36:00) and we watch the battle through Robespierre’s eyes through the window (Eyeball POV shots at 01:35:37, 01:35:47, 01:37:40, 01:38:25, 01:38:29). Danton, on the other hand, stands on the street and rages like a madman. The unrest on the streets also permeates the women’s prison and Henriette looks outside from behind bars, where revolutionaries are shooting at the soldiers of the Royal Army. There is also gunfire on both sides and there are numerous casualties.

The King and the Count de Linieres are informed about the uprising and panic breaks out among the staff. At the battle in the square, the revolutionaries and the soldiers rush towards each other. They meet in the middle, where enormous chaos erupts. The mass scenes are reminiscent of Lubitsch’s work. The revolutionaries break through the military lines and go to the Bastille, where the army shoots at them with cannons. But the people are victorious and are cheering in the square in a reverse eyeball POV-shot through the eyes of Robespierre (01:39:10). Robespierre realizes that the people are winning and nods (01:39:17). The horde arrives at the women’s prison in a horizontally narrow vignette leading to widescreen (01:39:31, 01:39:47) and Danton says: ‘Free the victims of tyranny. The gate is opened and inside the military guards shoot at the oncoming mob, but they cannot stop them and the revolutionaries enter the prison. Revenge attacks take place on aristocrats, their former masters: they are dragged from their carriage and abused. Jean Setain, ‘Jacques Don’t Forget’, realizes that it is time to avenge what was done to him in the past. In the prison, a revolutionary checks the registers to see whether the prisoners, the victims of the aristocrats, can be released. Henriette is one of the lucky ones.

‘The count and the other aristocrats flee abroad’ and leave by carriage. Jean Setain is just too late to take revenge on de Vaudrey’s.’ He breaks into the palace of the Count de Linieres with the mob. Henriette arrives at Frochard’s underground lair, opens the hatch, goes inside and encounters Mme Frochard. She denies that she knows a blind girl, but Henriette sees that she is wearing her sister ’s scarf. ‘Where is she?’ Henriette asks fiercely and she attacks Frochard and shakes her. Frochard says: ‘Poor child, she died because of the hard life we have to lead.’ Henriette is dizzy and she leaves, but Louise is sleeping covered by rags. Henriette accosts two police officers to verify the old witch’s story. Meanwhile, ‘the mob of the city, drunk with happiness, dances the Carmagnole (revolutionary dance originating from the Italian Piedmont), that inexplicably wild expression of a collective madness.’ And Henriette is pushed around by the wildly dancing mob. She states: ‘There is no law!’ and is caught in the storm. Jacques Frochard still finds Louise a tasty morsel and grabs her in his mother’s underground lair (01:45:57). Louise resists strongly, but Jacques manages to kiss her. Outside there is a lot of fun and there is festive and wild dancing. Jean Frochard wants to intervene but is stopped by his mother. But Jean says passionately: ‘I’ve been a coward long enough, don’t touch her!’ Jacques says: ‘Who will stop me?’ Jean picks up a knife and says: ‘You said it Jacques, we come from a family that kills! Both men now have a knife and are trying to strike at each other. Mrs. Frochard is terrified. Ultimately, Jean stabs Jacques, he reassures Louise and they leave together.

The frenzied mob moves through the city. Henriette arrives at the lodging house still dizzy and is helped upstairs by the landlady. Outside there is immoral chaos with revolutionary girls/prostitute’s behaving provocatively. ‘The downfall of the Royal House means the end of the first tyranny.’ Louis XIV’s palace is stormed, the revolutionary horde invades the palace. ‘But, ignoring the will of the people, a new tyranny, anarchy, Bolshevism, and the cunning politician Robespierre arise. He is the greatest tyrant, who, as head of the deadly Public Safety Committee, plays on the emotions of the masses.’ ‘A decree is issued sending twenty-two political rivals to the Guillotine. The Committee has been given absolute power by the new Democratic Government. Danton pleads in vain for mercy.’ But Robespierre says: ‘France must be cleansed of all abuses.’ And the decree is issued.’

‘The Chevalier de Vaudrey’, exiled to a castle far outside Paris, despite the warning that death awaits all aristocrats who return to Paris, begins a long journey in search of Henriette.’ But he disguises himself as a revolutionary by removing his wig. Accompanied by an assistant, he heads to Paris, where a cheering crowd stands in front of the prison, from which aristocrats emerge. A lady comes out, is thrown to the ground and killed. In this storm-tossed world, Jacques-Forget-Not has become an important judge and a very fanatical patriot: ‘Take strict care that no aristocrat escapes! Our law also sentences to death those who hide aristocrats. Be careful yourself with the sharp lady called ‘Guillotine’’. An imposing guillotine comes into view. De Vaudrey arrives at the city gate of Paris after a dangerous journey. They go to the revolutionary who functions as a customs officer. Only de Vaudrey’s assistant has a valid pass. But the assistant gives the customs officer an apple. When the man takes a bite of it, the apple turns out to contain gold pieces and he gives de Vaudrey permission to pass. But Jacques-Forget-Not recognizes de Vaudrey and sends his men after him. It’s ‘Forget-Not’s chance to get revenge.’

Meanwhile, ‘Danton is carried around the crowd on a sedan chair as a national hero’, Danton who was protected by Henriette in her room. Henriette prays in her room: ‘You who said: ‘I am the Light’, show me the way.’ De Vaudrey arrives at Henriette’s lodging and walks upstairs. Jean Setain stands on the street in front of the door with his militia. De Vaudrey enters Henriette’s room. Henriette is perplexed and they fall into each other’s arms. De Vaudrey showers her with kisses and then collapses. Jean Setain tells his men: ‘Arrest de Vaudrey and everyone in that room!’ The revolutionaries enter Henriette’s room and their leader says to de Vaudrey: ‘You are under arrest as a returned aristocrat.’ Henriette holds de Vaudrey protectively, but the revolutionary says: ‘You are also under arrest, Citoyenne, for hiding a returned aristocrat.’ Both are taken away.

Henriette and de Vaudrey are brought before the Terror Tribunal of the Reign of Terror. A large hall is full of a revolutionary audience, shortly afterwards we see the audience pouring in, a continuity error. Louise and Pierre Frochard sit at the front of the audience. The audience consists largely of ‘sans-culottes, crooks who don’t even dare to offend their bosses.’ There are also hookers among them. The ‘judges are both judge and jury’ and are made up of hideous, upturned types. Jean Petain plays a leading role in this. ‘Robespierre, the Tyrant’ sits at the front of the judges’ tables and influences them. With a subtle movement along his neck he indicates that the accused should be guillotined. The convict rushes to the judges and says: ‘We haven’t even had a trial!’ But the convicts are roughly taken away.

De Vaudrey and Henriette are brought in. At 02:02:48 Henriette, while looking around, suddenly sees Louise sitting in the audience. Her sad look turns to surprise and then a smile. She shouts: ‘Louise! Louise!’ and is excited and happy. And Louise also reacts with intense emotion and wants to walk towards Henriette. But they are each stopped by two revolutionaries with crossed bayonets (02:03:28). Henriette signals Louise to be quiet. ‘Henriette Girard and citoyen de Vaudrey!’ are summoned. The indictment is read out and both plead not guilty: ‘An aristocrat I am, but not an enemy of the people’ says de Vaudrey. Jean Setain thinks for a moment and then stands: ‘I myself accuse you, citizen de Vaudrey! I accuse your family and all aristocrats, through countless generations, of oppression and murder! And Setain is reminded of how boiling lead was poured into his father’s veins (mental POV 02:04:48). The crowd stands up as one and cheers Setain: ‘Guillotine! Guillotine!’ Jean Setain makes the cutting gesture across his neck and de Vaudrey is roughly removed. Henriette is then roughly taken to the judges. Robespierre picks up his lorgnette, sees Henriette standing there and remembers how Henriette slammed the door in his face (mental POV 02:06:11). Setain says: ‘Did you give this aristocrat shelter?’ ‘Of course, I…I love him.’ The crowd reacts furiously to that. Once again Setain makes the cutting gesture: ‘The penalty for hiding an aristocrat is death, Citizeness. Henriette tells the judge not to speak so loudly: ‘She could hear it! Lilian Gish underlines her disarming willingness to sacrifice by looking straight into the camera, asking for recognition from the audience and involving the spectators in the drama (02:06:59 and 02:07:23). Please, me and my sister just met again after a long time. She, she’s blind! Louise get up, they want to see you. You see, there is no one to take care of her.’ Robespierre finds it all amusing and says: ‘You were in the prison for fallen women, weren’t you?’ ‘Yes sir, but I was innocent.’ Robespierre makes the cutting gesture along his neck and that is repeated by Setain: ‘Guillotine!’ Louise reacts distraught and Henriette asks the judges: ‘One hour with her, only one hour, then I’ll go with him!’ Henriette plays towards the camera, but never breaks the fourth wall. She begs on her knees, but is forcibly removed. The audience is in ecstasy.

‘Three miles away, the guillotine stands outside the old city gates.’ The ax is hoisted by the executioner. The entire square is full of people and ladies in the audience are happily knitting. The guillotine is tested by the executioner because the controls do not work very well. The person in charge of the procedure signals for the ax to fall. The ax falls in close-up and immediately afterwards again in total, an editing error. Henriette’s hands are tied behind her back. Danton sees this happen and recognizes Henriette, who saved him earlier. The Vaudrey is roughly taken away and loaded onto the death cart, but Danton thinks that shouldn’t happen to Henriette: ‘Keep her here until I return.’ Friends want to stop Danton: ‘No, Danton! Another plea for mercy will only endanger your own life!’ But Danton will not be stopped and Henriette is also taken away and loaded onto the cart. ‘The death carts drive through Paris on their way to the guillotine’. Meanwhile, ‘ Danton asks for reconsideration in the courtroom.’ He addresses the audience, which is behaving very rebelliously. Meanwhile, the carts drive through a busy street where the public toasts the convicts. The prostitute ’s in particular are very challenging. Danton speaks: ‘There is a great injustice happening here. I ask for the lives of Henriette Girard and citoyen de Vaudrey!’ The crowd cheers: ‘No! No!’ Jean Setain states: ‘Are you questioning the justice of the People’s Tribunal?’ Danton’s answer is: ‘It is a long struggle between love and hate.’ ‘The greatest orator begins his greatest speech.’ _‘I argue not for just these two, but against tyranny, in favor grace, before love, that alone will save our suffering nation! Meanwhile, the public swarms around the carts carrying Henriette and de Vaudrey. A severed head is impaled on a long stick. Henriette wears a crown of thorns made of bread and branches and looks like Jeanne D’_Arc. With tied hands, Henriette says goodbye to Louise from the cart. These are moving images of them kissing each other and Louise embracing and holding Henriette. The carts start moving again.

The audience cheers for Danton after his speech. The carts arrive at the guillotine. There are many aristocrats and kneeling ladies with their hands tied behind their backs ready to be beheaded. The Vaudrey is also delivered there as the public taunts the former rulers. Mrs. Frochard also makes a decapitation gesture. Henriette arrives at the guillotine and stands next to the Vaudrey. In the ‘courtroom’ the audience shouts: ‘Give Danton what he wishes!’ And the mob runs towards Jean Setain and the other ‘judges’. The court, with a look of understanding at Robespierre, decides to grant Danton’s request. But Jean Setain also orders militia members ‘to close the gate that gives access to the guillotine.’ Danton takes the form on which the judges’ decision is written, but is stopped briefly as he leaves. All this in the classic parallel Griffith montage of a last minute rescue. The death sentence is pronounced at the guillotine and the executioner says: ‘It is time, citizeness.’ The drums beat in a horizontally narrow and oppressive vignette (02:19:53) and Henriette wants to kiss the Vaudrey, but is stopped. Danton leaves at once with a bunch of horsemen towards the city gate.

Meanwhile, Henriette is brought to the scaffold. The riders pass through the square as Henriette is tied to the plank of the guillotine. She screams out. In a backward tracking shot we go ahead of the riders (02:21:30 – 02:21:45). Henriette’s neck is placed on the chopping block and the ax is hoisted. At the same time, Jean Setain’s henchmen close the city gate. The executioner prepares to activate the guillotine and Louise is in complete disarray. Pierre Frochard protests, runs onto the scaffold and attacks the executioner with a knife. He is knocked down and the soldiers want to kill him, but decide to save him for the guillotine. The executioner lies wounded on the scaffold and Henriette is still ready to be beheaded. The soldiers at the city gate are defeated and the gate is opened. Once again we go in front of the riders in a backward tracking shot (02:23:59). The second executioner is ready to pull the lever when Danton rushes into the square and prevents the execution with the decree. Henriette is freed from the guillotine and taken into his arms by Danton on the scaffold. De Vaudrey is freed from his bonds and Pierre Frochard is set free. At the bottom of the guillotine steps, Danton stands with his arm around Henriette and Henriette is embraced and kissed by Louise. The Vaudrey thanks Danton.

‘Danton’s plea for mercy spreads through France until justice returns. Only after Robespierre himself has been guillotined does real democracy begin to emerge again. Rights are restored and gardens are blooming again.’ Henriette walks through a beautiful garden in a beautiful dress, where she meets Louise in the company of the doctor. Thanks to the doctor’s intervention, Louise can see again. The sisters kiss and hug each other. The Countess and Count de Linieres appear and the Countess is overjoyed to have her daughter in her arms again. The Chevalier de Vaudrey speaks to Henriette and Pierre Frochard kisses Louise’s hand. ‘The Countess promises to look after Pierre’s well-being.’ Henriette asks Louise: ‘Do you approve of him as my husband?’ Louise plays for a moment that she disapproves of him, but no, of course she agrees to a marriage. End

Eyeball POV:

The opportunistic Robespierre watches from behind the windows to see who will win (01:36:00) and we watch the battle through Robespierre’s eyes through the window (Eyeball POV recordings at 01:35:37, 01:35:47, 01:37:40, 01:38:25, 01:38:29).

The people are victorious and are cheering in the square in a reverse eyeball POV shot by Robespierre (01:39:10). Robespierre realizes that the people are winning and nods (01:39:17).

Mental POV:

In a mental POV shot (00:07:53), introduced by a ‘pensative attitude’, the Countess de Linieres recalls how her baby was taken from her.

Jean Setain watched (mental POV 00:10:15) as his father had boiling lead poured into his veins, while the young Chevalier de Vaudrey looked on approvingly.

In a mental POV shot (00:37:23) we see the Chevalier talking about the poor hungry people standing in front of the bakery: ‘The people are screaming for bread.’

‘I have arranged a state wedding for you with a real Princess.’ That doesn’t make Vaudrey very happy because he still has the image of Henriette in his head (mental POV 01:00:16).

De Vaudrey wants to get engaged to Henriette, but then Henriette realizes that she has made a vow to Louise not to marry until Louise regains her sight and she has approved the husband’ (mental POV 01:13:51).

‘She’s not really my sister, but…’ Two mental POV sequences at 01:22:57 and 01:23:15 show what Henriette tells: how her stepfather, Jean Girard, came home with the two baby’s and how they found the locket with her name around Louise’s neck.

In the women’s prison, Henriette tells a nun about her blind sister. Standing next to her is the doctor who saw Louise standing in front of the church and who thought he could cure her. In a mental POV we see the doctor’s thoughts (01:32:21) and he says: ‘I saw a girl like that’ at Frochard.

Jean Setain says: ‘I myself accuse you, citizen de Vaudrey! I accuse your family and all aristocrats, through countless generations, of oppression and murder! And Setain has to think back (mental POV 02:04:48) how boiling lead was poured into his father’s veins.

Robespierre takes his lorgnette, sees Henriette standing there and remembers how Henriette slammed the door in his face (mental POV 02:06:11).

Relational cross-cut:

Frochard grabs Louise and drags her away (01:28:40). Henriette is taken by force by the officers (01:29:12 – 01:29:45). Relational cross-cut’s thus establish the relationship between Henriette who is molested by the police and Louise who is abused by Frochard.

Forward and Backward tracking shot:

The king enters a beautiful hall with an abundance of beautifully dressed ladies and gentlemen, with us following him in a backwards manner (00:12:16).

At 00:33:27 we move in a forward trachking shot between the dancing couples.

In a backward tracking shot we go ahead of the riders (02:21:30 – 02:21:45).

Again we go in front of the riders in a backward tracking shot (02:23:59).

Vignette:

Meanwhile, the stagecoach passes through the north gate in a narrow vignette leading to a widescreen image (00:31:35).

The foggy heavily vignette shot at 00:44:45 shows the selfish evil intentions of the Marquis. The guests that Henriette accosts, given the foggy heavily vignette shot’s (00:45:36, 00:45:40 and 00:45:42) have the same perverse thoughts as the Marquis.

The horde arrives at the women’s prison in a horizontally narrow vignette leading to widescreen (01:39:31, 01:39:47).

The executioner says: ‘It’s time, citizeness.’ The drums beat in a horizontally narrow and oppressive vignette (02:19:53).

Violence against women:

From 00:38:17 there is violence against women. Henriette does not trust the Marquis de Praille and retreats. La Fleur’s associates throw a black cloth over Henriette’s head and kidnap her. Louise is left alone, helpless and in panic. Mrs. Frochard hears from Louise that she is blind and has no friends in Paris. That fits perfectly with her plans to get money easily. Frochard takes Louise to her house, which is entered through a hatch in the floor. Louise wants to flee into this run-down underground hole, but she is roughly stopped by Mrs. Frochard (00:42:00) and thrown to the ground.

Henriette is carried in on the stretcher ‘Here is my little beauty! Now you’re all jealous’ says the Marquis. The sleeping beauty is awakened with volatile salt and gets up quite dazed. The misty, heavily vignetted shot at 00:44:45 conveys the Marquis’s selfish evil intentions. Henriette wants to leave: ‘Quick, please let me go!’ but the Marquis grabs her and, while the guests enjoy their drinks and watch in amusement, he tries to overpower her. But Henriette manages to push him away. She seeks support from the guests, but they are not willing to intervene. The guests she accosts, given the misty, heavily vignetted shot’s (00:45:36, 00:45:40 and 00:45:42), have the same perverse thoughts as the Marquis. Henriette is tossed back and forth between different men. The Marquis continues to chase Henriette and several men grab her like a prize.

‘Louise does not want to sing and beg on the street but is violently disciplined by mother Frochard’ by throwing her into the cellar (00:54:56 – 00:55:12 and 00:55:29 – 00:56:12). It is striking how beautifully Dorothy Gish can scream pathetically (00:55:44, 00:55:57 and 00:56:03): ‘Henriette! Henriette!’

In the icy cold on the street, Mrs. Frochard Louise takes her scarf: ‘You shiver better without that scarf’ (01:11:48).

Frochard grabs Louise and drags her away from the house (01:28:40). Henriette is taken by force by the officers (01:29:12 – 01:29:45). Relational cross-cut’s establish the relationship between Henriette who is molested by the police and Louise who is abused by Frochard. Frochard shakes Louise in her underground lair and throws her to the ground (01:29:46). In the prison for fallen women, women are handcuffed to chains. Henriette is brought in and thrown into a prison with five crazy women.

Meanwhile, Jacques Frochard tries to assault a sleeping Louise (01:31:40). Mrs. Frochard is sleeping in the background.

Jacques Frochard still finds Louise a tasty morsel and grabs her in his mother’s underground lair (01:45:57). Louise resists strongly, but Jacques manages to kiss her.

Flowers as a symbol of love:

De Vaudrey brought Henriette a bouquet of roses (01:13:06) and also an engagement ring with two interlocking hands on it.

Backlight:

A powerful backlight underlines the angelic purity of Lilian Gish (01:21:09, 01:22:03 and 01:22:48).

Acoustic coupling:

In this movie we see a classic example of acoustic coupling. Frochard walks through the streets of Paris with a singing Louise, begging. They walk through the street where Henriette lives on the top floor. Henriette seems to hear something (acoustic link 01:24:08, 01:24:16, 01:24:17), singing in the street? No, not (01:24:38) when Frochard guides Louise into the side street. But then Henriette thinks she hears her voice (01:25:18). ‘Don’t you hear singing?’ The countess hears nothing yet and Louise stops singing in the street. Henriette says: ‘I hear her singing in my dreams. I think I’m losing my mind.’ But then Louise goes singing through the street again, Louise really hears her and the countess says she hears something too. Henriette is now certain that she hears Louise singing (01:26:38).

Space:

Henriette is standing on the balcony and sees her sister standing below. She shouts: ‘Louise!’ The height difference is represented by the relative position to the camera (01:27:07, 01:27:13, 01:28:59 and 01:29:02).

In addition, there is deep space and deep staging at the garden party in the palace of the Marquis de Praille.’ From 00:32:35 we see images of the palace with a strong deep-space and with tight direction of the action in the background. The Marquis receives his guests at the gate, while they dance and make music in style.

Griffith undoubtedly watched Lubitsch’s Madame Dubarry / Passion for the film’s climax. Both the mass direction and the guillotine scenes seem to be indebted to this. Although ‘Orphans’ was successful, the high production costs were not recouped. Moreover, Lilian Gish left for his own film production company together with Richard Barthelomess and Billy Bitzer had to take leave due to his alcoholism and was only occasionally hired as a second cameraman.

This very long film was made possible by modern cinemas with double projection. The scenes that take place indoors often show quite primitive decors. Outside are very extensive sets with extensive use of deep space and direction of the action at different levels in the background. The camera often penetrates deep into the playing field with medium close and close-up shots and in some scenes’s shows a backward or forward ‘Cabiria movement’. In addition, strong backlight or cast shadows are used at vital moments. The complex story makes extensive use of the cross-cut to show parallel action. Sometimes cross-cut is also used very consciously to show the difference between rich/poor or loving/consumed by anger. Sometimes also to emotionally link a parallel fight between Henriette and the police and between Louise and Frochard. It is striking how much violence against women appears in this film in many different ways. In the final scene, cross-cut and speed are used to increase the tension according to a fixed Griffith recipe. In addition, frequent use is made of eye-ball or mental point of view recording. During the Tribunal scene, Lilian Gish looks angelically questioning into the camera without breaking the fourth wall.

Danton

was the French minister of justice after the fall of the monarchy on August 10, 1792, and in the spring of 1793 supported the creation of a Revolutionary Tribunal and became the first chairman of the Committee of Public Safety. During uprisings in late May and early June 1793, Danton changed his views on the use of force, fueling his rivalry with Maximilien Robespierre. Danton advocated an end to the terror and repeated this plea in March 1794. He was accused of royalist sympathies and was beheaded on charges of conspiracy and corruption.

Footnotes

1. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsr1tWlF8SQ ↩