Lesson Eight: A Bible Story with an Orgy Scene
Reasons the 1914 film Judith of Bethulia is a lesson that warrants inclusion in Unit One of my amateur film study:
For a long time it was considered (along with the Italian film Calibria), the first feature length film. (Later The Story of the Kelly Gang - the 1906 movie made by grown ass men playing around with a camera like bored kids - would crawl out from some hole to emerge as the true holder of that title.)
It was directed by D.W. Griffith, released by Biograph. Griffith seems to me to be one of the few first who was at least as concerned with making something good as he was with making something profitable.
It’s a bible story (something that I guess was very popular back then). Better yet, it shocked audiences by including an orgy scene. However, after watching each scene anticipating escandalo!, I couldn’t be sure where it was. There were two scenes featuring “artful women from the great Temple of Nin,” in which women draped in sheets waved their arms around and randomly fell to the floor. I guess that’s what an orgy looked like in 1914. (Lame!)
Nevertheless, the sets, costumes, number of extras, and choreographed war scenes were impressive considering film was in its infancy. The thoughtfully considered camera shots didn’t go unappreciated either.
Also, I wasn’t familiar with the bible story of Judith, and oh man! Can’t believe so many people in the 50s and 60s named their daughters after that dirty trick. Blanche Sweet gave a typical silent movie star performance of the heroine, complete with dramatic flailing. In one small scene she did a good coy over-the-shoulder look, but that’s all I’ll give her.