This short feature has a very melodramatic story, but it builds up some good suspense and also gets hold of your emotions as you watch. Griffith was quick to develop effective techniques for first making his characters sympathetic, and then placing them in situations in which viewer concern for the characters adds to the tension.
The setup introduces us to two young girls who are presented very sympathetically, and when they are then menaced by "An Unseen Enemy", it is very effective despite some holes in the plot. The situation that arises is creative, if somewhat offbeat, and the suspense is heightened by the use of cross-cutting when the tension reaches its peak.
Of course, it does not hurt at all that the two girls are played by Lillian and Dorothy Gish, who add considerably to their characters' appeal. Despite some flaws, this movie really pulls you in, out of concern for the characters and outrage at their enemies.
The setup introduces us to two young girls who are presented very sympathetically, and when they are then menaced by "An Unseen Enemy", it is very effective despite some holes in the plot. The situation that arises is creative, if somewhat offbeat, and the suspense is heightened by the use of cross-cutting when the tension reaches its peak.
Of course, it does not hurt at all that the two girls are played by Lillian and Dorothy Gish, who add considerably to their characters' appeal. Despite some flaws, this movie really pulls you in, out of concern for the characters and outrage at their enemies.