I love this film because the authenticity of emotion comes through virtually all the characters. I first saw it on the big screen when I was 22, about the same age that Louise Brooks was when she starred in the film. There was something so simple about it that really reached the emotional core of the story--the loss of the relationship between a father and daughter. I easily identified with the daughter character--and who wouldn't want to identify with the most beautiful woman you'd ever seen (I still think that). The injustice she endured changed her from a vulnerable happy-go-lucky girl into a hardhearted survivor. My life followed a similar course and at the time I first saw it, I was a heavy drinker and drug user, plus it was the beginning of the end of my relationship with my dad. If you have father-child issues this movie may be as cathartic for you as it was for me. One caveat when watching silent films--you have to remember how long ago they were made; they may seem laughable because they're so different, and some of the acting is exaggerated because not long before film began, all acting was done on the stage and had to be "read" at the back of the house. I admit there are some corny overtones, but on the whole it's a great work of art and gorgeous to look at--just like Louise.
Review of Diary of a Lost Girl
