One Is Business, the Other Crime

19121912
15m

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

319

YOUR RATING

Short Drama

Griffith intercuts between the lives of two couples married on the same day. One couple is rich, the other is poor. Time passes, and in desperation over joblessness, the poor husband attempt... Read allGriffith intercuts between the lives of two couples married on the same day. One couple is rich, the other is poor. Time passes, and in desperation over joblessness, the poor husband attempts to burgle a home, only to be captured a gunpoint by the mistress of the house. It is the... Read allGriffith intercuts between the lives of two couples married on the same day. One couple is rich, the other is poor. Time passes, and in desperation over joblessness, the poor husband attempts to burgle a home, only to be captured a gunpoint by the mistress of the house. It is the home of the rich couple. While holding the poor intruder at gunpoint, the rich wife accid... Read all

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

319

YOUR RATING

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Trivia
Blanche Sweet wears the same evening dress she previously wore in Out from the Shadow (1911).

User reviews9

Review

Featured review

8/10

Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief

Early film, beautifully directed by D.W. Griffith. Two young couples are happily married, on the same day: one is rich, Blanche Sweet and Edwin August; the other is poor, Dorothy Bernard and Charles West. As their wedded lives unfold, we see the desperation of the poor couple contrasted with the opulent lifestyle of the rich couple. The poor husband cannot find work, and is tempted to rob a house. The rich husband is tempted to take a bribe. Each succumbs to temptation. When the poor man attempts to rob the rich man, their lives again collide

Griffith expertly cross-cuts between the parallel lives - the rich and the poor couples, bringing them together, and tearing them apart. G.W. Bitzer's photography is stunning, highlighted by a cooperative wind. The scenes with the poor husband looking for work are very well done. Griffith and the four principals (Sweet, West, August , and Bernard) very effectively use body and expression to convey their means. Griffith expertly uses the camera and the characters to relay his message about "white collar crime" in "One Is Business, the Other Crime".

Sweet.

******** One Is Business, the Other Crime (4/25/12) D.W. Griffith ~ Blanche Sweet, Charles West, Edwin August

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