A Strange Meeting (1909) watch online HD

The Biograph people have produced a film under this title which should be widely circulated, and if it is, unquestionably its influence will be strongly felt by all religious organizations. The work of the slum missions is well illustrated in this latest film. And it does not detract from the picture's peculiar attractions to see the minister of the slums go down into a dance hall and help a mother take her boy away. When he knocks down one bully and threatens all the others with an upraised pitcher, a murmur of applause goes around the room. The day of muscular Christianity has not yet passed. The acting of the young woman who is finally saved is especially good, and the return of the stolen watch, with her subsequent flight, is an excellent bit of work. The burglary is well planned and the minister's action in allowing the thieves to go is quite in keeping with the character he has assumed. The final conversion of the young woman is satisfactory and supplies the necessary dramatic ending which balances up the rest of the play and makes it appear real. It is impossible to offer any criticism. The Biograph people work out their scenarios so perfectly before they produce the picture that their films are as nearly perfect as it is possible to make them. This picture should be one of the most popular the company has ever brought out; and it is safe to say that if more such films were sent out there would be less criticism and less fault found with the motion picture theater in general. – The Moving Picture World, August 14, 1909

Arthur V. Johnson (as Reverend John Stanton) is a "good shepherd" minister; he interrupts a sermon to rescue a mother's son from a drunken party, and returns to praise the Lord. While some ministers pass around collection plates, Mr. Johnson reaches into his pocket to give an offering to needy bums. Enter Stephanie Longfellow (as Mary Rollins); she is in cahoots with thieves Frank Powell and Henry B. Walthall - the three are going to disobey the commandment "Thou Shalt Not Steal" in earnest, by robbing Preacher Stanton! But, Mr. Johnson feels an urge for Ms. Longfellow, and she gets an itch to repent. Predictable.

*** A Strange Meeting (8/2/09) D.W. Griffith ~ Arthur V. Johnson, Stephanie Longfellow, Henry B. Walthall

I didn't get this the first time round when I watched it as a teenager. Back then, I thought it was just boring viewing. Now that I have revisited it as an adult I can see what the 34 year old D.W. Griffith was trying to do. His main character is the camera rather than the actors, and it's what the camera frames that motivates him as opposed to his creative team. He's a bit like Hitchcock believing actors are merely cattle. Cecil B. DeMille also placed a heavy emphasis on scenery and what the camera can shoot. From this perspective, I enjoyed this piece of work because I understood the scenery that he was trying to embrace. Forget the fact that there was no story, the main thing was the scenery.

Strange Meeting, A (1909)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A woman is forced into robbing from a preacher but later she wants to repent so she goes to that same precher for forgiveness. Griffith does his usual moral job here with religion being looked at very highly. Nice but nothing overly good.

Broken Locket, The (1909)

** (out of 4)

strange an uneven short from Griffith has a man leaving his wife (Mary Pickford) so that he can make them rich. Before he goes the two break a locket in half to remind each other of their love. The film doesn't make too much sense and it jumps all over the place making it rather hard to follow.