The Flower of the North

This was a pleasant surprise. I didn't think I would buy Walthall as a leading man (he is much older than Starke, and pretty short), but he managed to pull it off, and gives an appealing performance. Starke is the real star though, and shows plenty of chutzpah, letting herself be filmed in a dangerous canoe ride, and scrambling up a mountainside to light a tree on fire.

In fact, the acting across the board is quite good, and refreshingly absent of histrionics. The outdoor scenes are gorgeous, and there is enough action to keep the audience interested. The Indians are dealt with sympathetically, which is a welcome change. The print I saw was in fairly good shape, although it showed brief deterioration in a few spots. Also, some footage seemed to be missing. At one point, we see Jeanne and Pierre being attacked by Thorpe's men, with Jeanne being abducted, but next we see Jeanne riding in a canoe with Whittemore. Other than that, the film holds together well, and deserves an updating with English subtitles.