Customer Reviews

Civilization [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Released several months before D.W. Griffith's INTOLERANCE, Thomas H. Ince's large scale production CIVILIZATION was the cry for peace that worked (at least temporarily). It is credited with helping Woodrow Wilson win reelection in 1916 for keeping America out of World War I. This rather heavy handed allegory of a kingdom brought to ruin as a result of war did turn out to be remarkably prophetic.

What makes the film so fascinating today are its Dante like depictions of Heaven and Hell with Jesus himself acting as the guide. Producer Ince and directors Raymond B. West and Reginald Barker spared no expense in depicting the horrors of war. The battle scenes are large scale and the brutality is shocking. If the acting is sometimes over the top remember this was meant to be a "message" picture. Subtle it isn't. CIVILIZATION is much more than an interesting curio and is definitely worth seeing.

My biggest complaint is with the original 1916 piano score by Victor Schertzinger which is reproduced on this video. It seems trite and surprisingly inappropriate for the intensity of the film's story although the orchestral score may have worked better. Schertzinger, a capable musician and director, is best remembered today for making the early ROAD pictures with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. However a newer, darker score like Ennio Morricone's for RICHARD III would have made this film much more effective. It just goes to show how important a musical score can be especially for a silent film. It is interesting to note that CIVILIZATION was a box office success while INTOLERANCE a better film on a similar theme would fail at the box office after the U.S. entered the war. This video is one of five from Kino International's FIRST AMERICAN FEATURES:1912-1918 series.

Released shortly before America entered World War I, producer Thomas Ince's "Civilization" (1916) was an ambitious, partially successful attempt to match the artistry and scale of D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation." By incorporating religious symbolism with social commentary, Ince and director Raymond West crafted a film that struck a responsive chord with the audiences of its day. However, once America became involved in the war, "Civilization" was withdrawn from circulation. Despite its historic significance, Ince's pacifist epic languished in obscurity until recent years. Though marred by weak acting and dated melodrama, the picture remains of historic interest for its antiwar sentiments and religious message. "Civilization" did not prevent America from going to war, but it did help the country find a spiritual and moral unity during that turbulent period.

Two blockbuster films with a pacifist message were released in 1916, Thomas Ince's 'Civilization' and Herbert Brenon's 'War Brides.' Both were very popular and preached a strong anti-war message... They have often been cited as having helped to re-elect Woodrow Wilson on a peace platform...

The hero of 'Civilization' is a submarine commander who refuses to torpedo a passenger vessel because he is secretly a devoted follower of the pacifist Mothers of Men Society... He is murdered by the mutinous crew and his soul is eventually redeemed by Christ... Jesus then assumes the dead man's form to plead the cause of peace before the king... He is successful and the king hastens to recall his soldiers...

This is another superb and special film from the First American Features 1912-1918 series (wish there were many more like these!) which makes a bold and daring statement, namely that we're not civilized if we go to war. The emphasis is on the Christian principle to "love thy neighbor" and even Christ himself is active in this unusual film, helping war-greedy humans to realize the tragedy of war and turn to peace instead. It would be a strong anti-war protest even in our day, and one wonders how this 1916 pacifict cry would be received today. But it's still more than just a powerful message for peace and Christianity because we are shown real people that tug at our heart-strings: the old mother whose son is forced to join the army, the children afraid of never seeing their father again, and even a horse trying to rouse its dead rider with its hoof. The spotlight is on one man who has a change of heart during the war when ordered to sink a cruise ship with innocent women and children on board, and due to the sacrifice he then makes, he receives Christ's spirit into his body to preach peace instead. Despite its strong religious impact, the entire film with its excellent scenes and images make it quite compelling viewing even for the non-religious. The picture quality is extremely good, and the intertitles short and to the point, making it overall a most outstanding and special film well worth having.

I left a review criticizing GrapeVine for not putting the fact that this is a DVD-R. On second thought and second viewing I believe that though the DVD-R format SHOULD be mentioned in the product description, this is probably the only way that rare films that can never hope to see commercial release can be made available. The print is not great, but I've seen worse and been able to enjoy the film. So sorry GrapeVine.