Among the many shorts released by Biograph under the direction of D. W. Griffith in the year 1909 was this brief film that is a mix of a historical drama and a love story: historical in the sense that it takes place presumably in the past based off of the clothing and story, and romantic in its plot. It's an unusual film for Griffith because of this, as many of his works even during this time appear to be largely set in a contemporary time period. Despite this, in the scheme of things the film is not especially noteworthy - from my memory there isn't any cross-cutting or closeups, just the usual long shots that make it come off as little more than a filmed stage play to the audience.
What actually occurs in the film is semi-confusing to some, and the plot is not always clear at times. Apparently, the film is about a couple of violin makers who both want the prettiest girl in town, but one of them is badly deformed and decides to sacrifice all hopes of winning her hand in marriage via the violin making competition and give his violin to the other maker. What is most confusing here is that, try as I might, I don't remember any of the characters being disfigured in the slightest, which leads me to believe the acting clearly wasn't enough to convey this crucial aspect to the audience. It then becomes unclear as to why the contest is shifted in the other violin maker's favor, etc., all because this detail is unclear. A short that needed some more work.
What actually occurs in the film is semi-confusing to some, and the plot is not always clear at times. Apparently, the film is about a couple of violin makers who both want the prettiest girl in town, but one of them is badly deformed and decides to sacrifice all hopes of winning her hand in marriage via the violin making competition and give his violin to the other maker. What is most confusing here is that, try as I might, I don't remember any of the characters being disfigured in the slightest, which leads me to believe the acting clearly wasn't enough to convey this crucial aspect to the audience. It then becomes unclear as to why the contest is shifted in the other violin maker's favor, etc., all because this detail is unclear. A short that needed some more work.