Hunky prospector Alfred Paget rescues Indian maiden Mary Pickford from gang rape. He takes her to his cabin and she fears the worst, but he gives her something to eat and heads out; not only does he have gold to look for, but his fiancee, Dorothy Bernard is arriving soon with her family. Miss Pickford immediately falls in love with Paget and follows him about, as he does his work. She promises to let him know if she finds any gold.
Mary returns to her tribe. They have just learned of the approaching settlers. They set out to massacre them, and prepare to burn to death Miss Bernard and her father, Charles Mailes.
Griffith again offers a view of Whites and Indians that show a very human mix of good and evil among all sorts of people. Although undoubtedly a racist by modern standards, he quite obviously feels more sympathy for Indians than many of his contemporary film-makers, and the Indian attack of the settlers and their savagery to the survivors takes place after the attempted rape. Miss Pickford offers a wide-ranging performance, from terror, to comic devotion to selfless heroism. That performance makes the movie a bit uneven compared to Griffith's other Biograph shorts. I attribute that to the treatment by occasional Griffith screenwriter Belle Taylor, whose other scripts for the Master are likewise not among my favorites.
Mary returns to her tribe. They have just learned of the approaching settlers. They set out to massacre them, and prepare to burn to death Miss Bernard and her father, Charles Mailes.
Griffith again offers a view of Whites and Indians that show a very human mix of good and evil among all sorts of people. Although undoubtedly a racist by modern standards, he quite obviously feels more sympathy for Indians than many of his contemporary film-makers, and the Indian attack of the settlers and their savagery to the survivors takes place after the attempted rape. Miss Pickford offers a wide-ranging performance, from terror, to comic devotion to selfless heroism. That performance makes the movie a bit uneven compared to Griffith's other Biograph shorts. I attribute that to the treatment by occasional Griffith screenwriter Belle Taylor, whose other scripts for the Master are likewise not among my favorites.