Silent films can be difficult to abide for some viewers, and as someone who once would have said the same about themselves, I can appreciate why. Even setting aside the matter of preservation, and print degradation, and deficiencies of image quality, still this picture rather demonstrates at least a couple factors behind that disparity across the decades. There's an astounding directness to the plot at large, and even the orchestration of specific scenes, that's unremittingly bare-faced. That forthright approach also serves to amplify the sense, already inculcated by discrete division between scenes by expository intertitles if not also compartmentalization into distinct story segments, that the proceedings are emphatically staged, and not natural. Add in expression of language and values that are so far removed from modern sensibilities as to make it feel like we're stepping into another world, and the silent era certainly isn't for everyone. Even at that, not all titles carry the same difficulties - and though 'Free to love' does, for those who are already enamored of the timeframe, it's nonetheless a suitably well made and entertaining drama.
This is definitely an instance where the limitations of the style put some constraints on the actors, disallowing them from wholly exploring their characters and getting into the spirit of the story as they might if the structure were less rigid. With that said, it's perhaps all the more impressive that the cast are still able to inject a measure of vitality into their roles, personality that's almost lost in the enforced orderliness of plainspoken writing and even direction. Raymond McKee, for example, stands out for the wild-eyed comportment he gives supporting character Tony; mega-star Clara Bow, given the lead role, doesn't always have as much time on screen as one might think, but makes "protagonist" Marie plentifully charming and sympathetic even under these circumstances. I'm a little less impressed with the storytelling. Even putting aside the brusqueness of plot development the narrative feels unfocused, never truly feeling centered; many scenes and story beats present with the Just So ethos of communicating a tale even if it's not complete or in its ideal form - an ethos that sometimes extends even to not squarely identifying who each and every figure is. This dovetails into one other issue with older movies, I might add, which is that all too often, actors or characters of one gender or another bear so similar an appearance that, defined by hair and makeup work and further hampered by less than pristine image quality, means that it can be difficult to even discern one character from another as the saga progresses.
I do like the plot in its broad strokes, however, a compelling if familiar tale of pride, shame, redemption, love, and so on in the face of crime and ill-doings. While I think Frank O'Connor's direction is uneven, at his best here he illustrates a keen eye for shot composition, and building scenes generally. This includes some fine use of lighting, and moreover, I appreciate the work of the crew in terms of the production design and art direction, and even the costume design. For all the problems one might identify with the construction of 'Free to love' specifically, as the course of events moves along the saga is quite suitable all around to keep one invested and see just where it's going to end up (though it's not hard to guess). And as has been true elsewhere, as a bonus it's worth mentioning that the art adorning the intertitles is rather fetching, and a minor joy as each card greets us.
Suffice to say that of all the silent features one might watch, their value can range from the absolutely essential, to the passable, and more rarely to poor. I don't think there's any arguing that this picture is less than a must-see; no matter how you look at it, there are weaknesses of both storytelling and film-making that dampen the viewing experience to one extent or another. It's also not abjectly terrible, however; for all its flaws, the narrative keeps one watching, and the cast and crew put in good work that makes the most of what they had to work with. On the balance this is more worth watching than not, with the caveat that only established devotees of the era will find this admirable. As much as I enjoy such classics, even my favor rises and recedes from one moment to the next as the length progresses. I don't think there's any need to go out of your way for this, but if you have the chance to watch and are eager for more silent films, then 'Free to love' is a decent way to spend an hour.
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