Customer Reviews

True Heart Susie (silent)

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Although True Heart Susie is from the silent era of film and therefore, does not have audible dialogue, the movie shows off its characters in a way that their personalities can not be denied. One of my favorite ways in which this was accomplished was through the somewhat-sassy title cards that appeared through out the scenes. Not only were we able to see the character of Susie, but also of the other characters in the film. True Heart Susie's personality is not only shown through the creative wording in the title cards, but also through the actress Lillian Gish who plays Susie. She manages to convey Susie's thoughts and emotions through the use of facial expressions, eye movement, and body language. One of my favorite examples is the quirky, little kick that Susie has at the beginning of the movie. Although not necessary to the plot of the film in itself, it is the little actions like that which draw in the audience and keep us wanting to watch the film.
I really liked this film. Seeing Susie's quirky personality kept me interested in the film. Because she was such a sweet girl, I really wanted her to succeed and to end up with her true love. The quality that she had of being lovable made it difficult, at times, to watch her get hurt by people over and over. By the end of the movie I was wondering if she would ever catch a break. Though the circumstances were sad, I was glad to see Susie's true feelings be known by the end of the film. I liked this film a lot and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a bit of a quirky story about a girl who can't seem to let the boy she loves know that she loves him.

True Heart Susie is D.W. Griffith's tale of unrequited love. Susie is a plain country girl who likes the local fool William. William doesn't want to be a farmer and believes that college will open up new opportunities for him. Susie decides to sell her cow and secretely finance William's education. He comes back as a priest, but marries a promiscuous woman from out of town, leaving Susie forlorn and heart broken. It ends on a much happier note then that, but since I've summarized most of the plot, I'll leave the ending a surprise. The most impressive thing of Griffith's early drama was how he successfully displays the complexity of human relationships and behavior without any of the modern benefits and in an incredibly realistic sense. A rich man comes to town and promises to William he will finance the boy's education, but the check never comes. Susie does not make any dramatic attempts to woo William back to her after she finds out he's marrying a woman with less then ideal character (by the standards of their town). She instead simply accepts it and her life goes on. The quality of the acting, especially Lillian Gish's facial expressions, is very impressive for the time. Definitely get this if you want to enjoy a quality film from the medium's early years.