Let me say right off the bat, this is NOT a film that offers a positive view of the KKK, or any similar type of organization. I can say without any doubt, there is nothing about this film that I did not like. I have read comments about the disappearance from the film of Rose Henderson (Evelyn Brent), and the "Unsolved" murder of her husband Lon (Alan Roscoe). Major Spoilers: The murderer of Lon was clearly established as Judge Cosgrove (Luke Pebbles), in response to the suicide of his daughter Jessie (Helen Foster). They even show the judge taking the shells out of his gun, including the spent shell casing. As far as Rose is concerned, I will deal with her fate later. What is most important, is the relationship between Maj. Leslie Hatten (Thomas Meighan)a WWI vet, and his immigrant bride Catharine (Renee Adoree), a Russian girl he marries at Ellis Island. There is a constant theme throughout this film and it is honor. Real honor vs fake honor. Hatten is the genuine article, and you see it implicitly stated, and well as explicitly shown, throughout the film. The first time is when it is established that he is a Major. The only way you can reach that rank is. 1: College Education. 2: Politics. 3: Battlefield Commission. Since it was established he was a poor farmer, who all he wanted to do is get home to Rose (Of course, he has no idea that the marriage was annulled because she was not of age), the only was he could have accomplished this is fighting the enemy on a battlefield. Another time you see this is when he is married to Catharine, and Rose comes onto him again (She did it before, but although he wanted her, stopped himself, and said no), and he literally throws her out of his home. Another time, is when Catharine is deciding if she should marry Leslie in exchange for taking her and her parents in? The deciding factor is when the Ellis Island immigration officer told her "You don't know how lucky you are." The officer did not know Hatton, he had nothing to gain. But as a professional, he dealt with thousands of different people so he could tell that Hatton was a decent person. Still another was when Hatton allowed Catharine to sit at the table with him (When she did not think it was her place), and when he said "It is your home also." He did not treat her like an indentured servant, he treated her as an equal. Compare that to the "Order" who acted "High & Mighty",whose members were passing judgments on others, without the guts to show their faces, and in a group (Not exactly fighting Germans in trenches), whipped Hatten for causing the suicide of Jessie, not on any kind of evidence he was guilty (Like the guy who admitted beating his wife), but on the word of Lon (Who was actually responsible). A key thing about groups like "The Order" is they believe themselves morally superior to others. But the one thing they do respect is courage. They respected Hatten, because although innocent, he took the beating "Like a Man", and did not scream or beg like a dog. For that reason, as his wife, they will allow Catharine and her parents to stay as well. Keep in mind, groups like these hate foreign-born (Like Catharine and her parents), as well as minorities and others who don't "measure up" to their standards, so when a couple of "Order" men stayed with Catharine when they took Hatten away, you can figure out that unless it was proved Hatten is innocent, Catharine must go as well. If anyone has seen a film called "1,000 Pieces of Gold", they will see a scene at the end of the film where a Klan-like group forces all the Chinese out of a small town. However, one Chinese woman named Lalu (Rosalind Chau) is allowed to stay. Why? Because she conducted herself with honor and showed no fear. "The Order" may not like Catharine (Or Hatten for that matter for bringing her), but like the haters in "1,000 Pieces Of Gold" they respect her. As far as Rose, is concerned she is very much the opposite of Catharine. Remember how I mentioned the marriage between her and was annulled? She took the easy way out and married Lon. By comparison, Catharine's parents did not want let to marry Hatten, but she put her hand up, and essentially told them, she will do it. Rose knew she made a mistake, choosing Lon instead of Hatten, so she tried everything possible including deliberately throwing water on herself, and wearing sexy clothes to get Hatten to sleep with her. She finally quit, and shook hands with Hatten, and that was the end of Rose in the film (She essentially knew she lost). One more point, when you see the difference in looks between Renee Adoree, and Evelyn Brent, it is not even close. Renee wins easily (When you see close-ups of the two it is even more pronounced (Like when you see Catharine with the piglet, looking better than Rose in the negligee). Finally, I love the ending of the movie where Hatten and Leslie, embrace, and you see her lips say 'I Love You very much", and she realizes the immigration officer was right, she is lucky. But so is Hatten to have a quality woman in Catharine who loves him, and will give him the happiness he could never find with the likes of Rose. In all, it should be a must see film, and is the Best Silent film I ever saw, and a Top 10 All-Time Film.
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