Considering that this full-length movie was made in 1918, I'm going to cut it a lot of slack for its old fashioned story--especially because in other ways, it's very original and creative. It certainly is an odd blend of the old and the new.
The film begins with John Tremble who is a clerk. You literally see faces appear around his head and they begin talking to him--telling him their opinions about what he should do. No, he is NOT schizophrenic but this is an interesting way to visualize the little messages we tell ourselves when we are considering doing good or evil--sort of like the little devil and angel on our shoulders that later appeared in cartoons (as well as ANIMAL HOUSE). It seems rather old fashioned as does the very moralistic aspects of the film. I am very glad, however, I stuck with the film because it really did get a lot better. Plus, for its time it wasn't so old fashioned and preachy.
Anyway, the voices mostly tell him how unfair it is that he isn't paid more or that he and his family don't have more. This goes on for some time until eventually he ends up embezzling money. This plan blows up quickly, as an audit is soon announced. Now here is where the film really gets interesting.
Where the story goes next, though very tough to believe and a tad hokey, also is really great viewing. The man runs away and lives on a lonely island--with no particular plan beyond that. When a dead man happens to wash up, he quickly concocts a strange plan. He smashes the face of the dead man (making identification, particularly at that time, very difficult). Then, in his own personal diary, he writes about how a man is going to kill him and if anyone finds the diary, then they'll know who supposedly did the dirty deed. However, the man named as the killer is the actual dead man! Everyone naturally assumes the story is true and his wife and mother grieve--thought the mother "just knows" that her son is still alive--at least for a while (a cliché, I know). Eventually, however, even his mother accepts that he is dead and encourages her daughter-in-law to remarry. Interestingly, the man she now is in love with is the man who will soon be the governor! He seems like a decent man and they are quite happy.
Eventually, the supposedly dead man comes to hate his new life and wants to see his mother. So, he sneaks back home and sees her--at which point she has a heart attack and dies! But, they assume this "bum" who is in her house killed her!! When they realize she only died from a heart attack, he is STILL screwed, as they now think he's the man who murdered John Tremble! So, he is going to court--charged with murdering himself (though everyone thinks he killed Tremble). He has no real proof who he is and in a panic has his old wife called to court. She doesn't recognize him, as years have passed.
Later, Mrs. Tremble/the Governor's wife wonders if maybe the man in court could really have been her supposedly dead husband. However, in a grand gesture of good, he tells everyone that he DID murder Tremble and goes to the electric chair rather than ruin his wife's new life.
Sounds really tough to believe, huh? Well, of course if you can suspend disbelief, you will enjoy the story a lot more. Plus, while the old style melodrama is definitely there in spades, there is also a fascinating plot at the same time. Plus, the ending really helped elevate the story. I really wish that the director, Cecil B. DeMille, had done more stories like this instead of the huge bigger-than-life epics he was later known for making, as it has a human quality so many of his later films lack. He did direct this with style and the camera work was tremendous on individual vignettes--far more interesting than his shots with thousands of extras.
The film begins with John Tremble who is a clerk. You literally see faces appear around his head and they begin talking to him--telling him their opinions about what he should do. No, he is NOT schizophrenic but this is an interesting way to visualize the little messages we tell ourselves when we are considering doing good or evil--sort of like the little devil and angel on our shoulders that later appeared in cartoons (as well as ANIMAL HOUSE). It seems rather old fashioned as does the very moralistic aspects of the film. I am very glad, however, I stuck with the film because it really did get a lot better. Plus, for its time it wasn't so old fashioned and preachy.
Anyway, the voices mostly tell him how unfair it is that he isn't paid more or that he and his family don't have more. This goes on for some time until eventually he ends up embezzling money. This plan blows up quickly, as an audit is soon announced. Now here is where the film really gets interesting.
Where the story goes next, though very tough to believe and a tad hokey, also is really great viewing. The man runs away and lives on a lonely island--with no particular plan beyond that. When a dead man happens to wash up, he quickly concocts a strange plan. He smashes the face of the dead man (making identification, particularly at that time, very difficult). Then, in his own personal diary, he writes about how a man is going to kill him and if anyone finds the diary, then they'll know who supposedly did the dirty deed. However, the man named as the killer is the actual dead man! Everyone naturally assumes the story is true and his wife and mother grieve--thought the mother "just knows" that her son is still alive--at least for a while (a cliché, I know). Eventually, however, even his mother accepts that he is dead and encourages her daughter-in-law to remarry. Interestingly, the man she now is in love with is the man who will soon be the governor! He seems like a decent man and they are quite happy.
Eventually, the supposedly dead man comes to hate his new life and wants to see his mother. So, he sneaks back home and sees her--at which point she has a heart attack and dies! But, they assume this "bum" who is in her house killed her!! When they realize she only died from a heart attack, he is STILL screwed, as they now think he's the man who murdered John Tremble! So, he is going to court--charged with murdering himself (though everyone thinks he killed Tremble). He has no real proof who he is and in a panic has his old wife called to court. She doesn't recognize him, as years have passed.
Later, Mrs. Tremble/the Governor's wife wonders if maybe the man in court could really have been her supposedly dead husband. However, in a grand gesture of good, he tells everyone that he DID murder Tremble and goes to the electric chair rather than ruin his wife's new life.
Sounds really tough to believe, huh? Well, of course if you can suspend disbelief, you will enjoy the story a lot more. Plus, while the old style melodrama is definitely there in spades, there is also a fascinating plot at the same time. Plus, the ending really helped elevate the story. I really wish that the director, Cecil B. DeMille, had done more stories like this instead of the huge bigger-than-life epics he was later known for making, as it has a human quality so many of his later films lack. He did direct this with style and the camera work was tremendous on individual vignettes--far more interesting than his shots with thousands of extras.