D.W. Griffith's "Way Down East" was an amazingly good film for 1920- -especially with its amazing ice floe sequence near the end. However, even by late silent standards, the film was a bit old fashioned and could stand to be remade. In 1935, Fox Studio got around to making a sound version and it's still a decent film about hypocrisy and gossip.
A young woman is cruelly tricked and abused by an evil cad and she seeks a job in a small town. Things seem just fine and the son (Henry Fonda) falls in love with her. However, she also has an evil past she's afraid to tell everyone and when the gossip-obsessed jerks in the town learn PART of the story, they automatically assume the worst and drive the woman to her near death.
This is an entertaining film and has held up pretty well. Some of the acting is a bit overwrought but generally a well made film and one that most would probably prefer over the original. The finale, just like the original, is stunning. My only real complaint is Andy Devine's small role--which is annoying and unnecessary.
A young woman is cruelly tricked and abused by an evil cad and she seeks a job in a small town. Things seem just fine and the son (Henry Fonda) falls in love with her. However, she also has an evil past she's afraid to tell everyone and when the gossip-obsessed jerks in the town learn PART of the story, they automatically assume the worst and drive the woman to her near death.
This is an entertaining film and has held up pretty well. Some of the acting is a bit overwrought but generally a well made film and one that most would probably prefer over the original. The finale, just like the original, is stunning. My only real complaint is Andy Devine's small role--which is annoying and unnecessary.