Hearts of the World (1918)

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

D.W. Griffith (English translation)
D.W. Griffith (scenario)

Release Date:

13 January 1921 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

D.W. Griffith's Supreme Triumph

Plot:

A group of youngsters grow up and love in a peaceful French village. But war intrudes and peace is shattered...

Plot Keywords:

Army | Engagement | Village Life | Attempted Rape | Musician

Cast

D.W. Griffith	...	Himself (in prologue for British release)
David Lloyd George	...	Himself - the British Prime Minister (in prologue for British release)
Sir Edward Grey	...	Himself - British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Addressing House of Commons (archive footage)
René Viviani	...	Himself - the French Premier Addressing French Chamber of Deputies (archive footage)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Elizabeth Asquith	...	Nurse
Valerie Germonprez	...	Red Cross nurse
Lady Lavery	...	Nurse
Diana Manners	...	Nurse
Bettina Stuart-Wortley	...	Nurse

Also Known As:

Love's Struggle (USA) (pre-release title)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

Aéroport du Bourget, Le Bourget, Seine-Saint-Denis, France

Company:

D.W. Griffith Productions

Trivia:

Cast member Robert Harron's entire family was cast in this film.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Moving Picture Boys in the Great War (1975)

War, Griffith and History

The Great War's impact on cinéma worldwide was enormous, although, directly and financially, not so much for Hollywood. At the least, it created some interesting American films among a newly popularized genre of war films, including 'Civilization' (1916), 'Joan the Woman' (1917), 'Shoulder Arms,' 'The Sinking of the Lusitania,' and this film, 'Hearts of the World' (the latter three from 1918). And continuing into the silent era of the 1920s, with some distance from the war, such films as 'The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse,' 'The Love Light' (both 1921), 'The Big Parade' (1925), 'What Price Glory' (1926), 'Seventh Heaven' and 'Wings' (both 1927) were made.

D.W. Griffith was generally a pacifist; that's clear in many of his films, despite their exciting battle sequences. Not unexpectedly, however, with 'Hearts of the World,' he gave his support to the entente cause and with the aid of the British government called for the US entry into the war. That had already occurred by the time of completion of the film, though, and so the ending has the US army saving the day. Yet, the film still contains a pacifist plea, or regret over the situation.

The excellent war scenes, which incorporate actual footage from the front, add power and realism to the sympathetic message. Cinematographer G.W. Bitzer (or others under his influence, as he was absent from location shooting in France due to his German heritage) uses small-scale widescreen masking effects during the battle scenes, as he had in 'Intolerance.' It's effective, as the scenes are generally shown from a distance, more so, and surely for practical reasons, than in other Griffith films. As a result, it seemed more real to me (and much of it was real).

Generally, I welcome the drama of love between Robert Harron and Lillian Gish's characters threatened against the backdrop of war. Gish's episode with insanity is especially well realized, and Dorothy Gish is delightful as "The Little Disturber." But, the drama does subvert the power and realism of the film at times. It is indeed "an old fashioned play," and there are some ludicrous moments in it, such as a rehashed scene from 'The Birth of a Nation' where Gish's virginity is threatened by a German officer.

The following year, Abel Gance demonstrated how a fictional story could add to the power and realism in his anti-war opus 'J'Accuse!' And, that's what separates these two films. In 'J'Accuse!,' there is rape by a German soldier and an analogous love triangle. Its approach is considerably more downbeat, however, and much more real, rather than the old-fashioned sentimentality, theatricality and naivety that occasionally creeps up in 'Hearts of the World.' Yet, that's to be expected in Griffith's films, and it doesn't detract severely from the better parts of the film, or the drama. Overall, 'Hearts of the World' represents and reflects an important time in both film history and world history.