By The Law tells the story of five miners who come to the Yukon for gold. It is a gripping drama full of tension provided not only by the actors, but by the filming and editing as well. From the very beginning you can tell that Kuleshov means to draw attention to the separation of Dennin against his fellow miners with shots of the group enjoying there time together while Dennin is often shown by himself. In many scenes Kuleshov uses montage not only to elevate action, but also to establish tension throughout the movie. A great example of this is the scene in which Dennin and the group celebrates their finding of gold. In this scene Dennin is shown celebrating by himself while the rest of the group dances together. Little moments like this foreshadow the coming conflict and help establish the mood of tension between Dennin and the rest of the group so that it doesn't look forced. Close ups of their faces also help to establish and elevate the emotion within a scene. Close ups of Edith's reaction to the horror that has befallen her group members help amplify the chaos of the scene as well as close ups of the ruined meal and the kettle whistling. The tension is further exacerbated with the thawing of ice and the flooding of the small cabin. Montage shots of the same dreary landscape and flooded area around the cabin help create an almost suffocating tension that further conveys to the audience the drama and tension between the characters stuck in that cabin. The law, to which Edith strongly adheres, is also a cause for that tension as it keeps Dennin alive until Edith and her husband both decide to hold a trial there instead of waiting to turn him over to the authorities. During the trial scene the shots of the bible and Queen Victoria tie back to their strict adherence to the law and what is morally right.
However there is also a bigger tension being drawn between doing what is morally right and civil to what should be done given the situation. Edith is protesting throughout the latter half of the film to wait for the law, while her husband wants to respond in kind to Dennin's actions. The end of the film is the culmination of the tension between the moral high ground and law of the jungle with Edith bending to her husband's idea that they hold a trial on their own. While a trial is the civil thing to do that is overshadowed by the fact that Edith and her husband act as judge, jury, and executioner. Kuleshov does a great job using montage and other techniques to convey the story of this film and create an underlying tension throughout.
However there is also a bigger tension being drawn between doing what is morally right and civil to what should be done given the situation. Edith is protesting throughout the latter half of the film to wait for the law, while her husband wants to respond in kind to Dennin's actions. The end of the film is the culmination of the tension between the moral high ground and law of the jungle with Edith bending to her husband's idea that they hold a trial on their own. While a trial is the civil thing to do that is overshadowed by the fact that Edith and her husband act as judge, jury, and executioner. Kuleshov does a great job using montage and other techniques to convey the story of this film and create an underlying tension throughout.