The strongest aspect of this short drama is the photography, and that is what makes it worth seeing. There is a good variety of interesting backgrounds, and in most scenes the composition and use of the camera is pretty good for the time.
The story of "The Miller's Daughter" is only somewhat interesting in itself, in part because it is the kind of story that was extremely common in its era. It focuses on the consequences of the daughter's inappropriate choice of suitors, and while the plot is fairly involved for a 1905 movie, it's all familiar material. On the other hand, there are some stretches of the movie that are still missing, and it's possible that the film would work better if it were complete.
What still works is the cinematography. The majority of the film was shot outdoors, and it used backgrounds ranging from a meadow with cows grazing to a river with a waterfall to a city street. These are all interesting, and in most cases they do a good job of setting off the action, with composition that shows some good planning.
By contrast, the sets for the indoor scenes look plainer, and one dramatic scene that is supposed to take place outdoors was instead filmed against a stage background, which was no doubt out of practicality, but it diminishes the scene's impact. As a whole, the movie is not bad, and the good photography in particular makes it worth watching.
The story of "The Miller's Daughter" is only somewhat interesting in itself, in part because it is the kind of story that was extremely common in its era. It focuses on the consequences of the daughter's inappropriate choice of suitors, and while the plot is fairly involved for a 1905 movie, it's all familiar material. On the other hand, there are some stretches of the movie that are still missing, and it's possible that the film would work better if it were complete.
What still works is the cinematography. The majority of the film was shot outdoors, and it used backgrounds ranging from a meadow with cows grazing to a river with a waterfall to a city street. These are all interesting, and in most cases they do a good job of setting off the action, with composition that shows some good planning.
By contrast, the sets for the indoor scenes look plainer, and one dramatic scene that is supposed to take place outdoors was instead filmed against a stage background, which was no doubt out of practicality, but it diminishes the scene's impact. As a whole, the movie is not bad, and the good photography in particular makes it worth watching.
