In the Window Recess (1909) User Reviews

The Trouble with Griffith

[Single-Black-Male · 10 May 2004]

The problem with these short films is that the 34 year old D.W. Griffith does not give his actors an opportunity to construct a biography for his characters and breathe life into them. They don't have the luxury of preparing in advance for a day's work, and so the end result is a cacophony of moving images. There's nothing for the actor to start with, and no matter what the title of the film is, they are all about Griffith rather than the story. If you are going to write a screenplay for a short film, then you need to build in a biography of the characters for the actors to work from. Without it, you end up with a piece that has no universal appeal and sacrifices emotional involvement.

One that will remain in the memory

[deickemeyer · 24 January 2015]

Here is a strongly dramatic picture and one which has an irresistible appeal to most who see it. An escaped convict rushes into a policeman's home, catches the child, hides in a window recess, and threatens to shoot the child if the mother tells where he is. The officer comes in, sees the convict's hat on the floor, and begins upbraiding his wife for receiving company. She, mindful of the convict's threat, dare not tell, but the officer, maddened by his wife's silence, dashes into the window and seizes the convict so suddenly that he has no opportunity to carry out his threat. The film is dramatic, the facial expressions upon the various countenances clearly depicting what is passing in their minds. The company has developed the dramatic possibilities as far as they could, making of this an interesting picture and one that will remain in the memory. - The Moving Picture World, December 11, 1909