The Battle Cry of Peace

Unfortunately his film doesn't exist any more--so I doubt the above comment has any validity (unless the viewer is very old and has an excellent memory).

One reel is in an archive in Sweden and that's re-edited summary so any comments on style don't reflect on the original.

There are also fragments of the battle scenes in, I believe, George Eastman House.

I find it hard to believe the other detailed summary given that this is the case. If the poster knows of an extant print they need to contact a major archive immediately as this is one of the most important and (sadly) lost films of its day.

'The Battle Cry of Peace' is a weird film, depicting a near-future military invasion of the United States, and the subjugation of the American people. Surprisingly, another film on this same theme ('The Fall of a Nation') was made only a few months later. This theme was considered very timely during the First World War ... and it's timely once again, in the days following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

In 'Battle Cry', the invading legions are commanded by a mysterious dictator known only as 'Emanon' (or 'No Name' spelt backwards). The American people, lulled into false security by homegrown pacifists, are caught unawares as foreign submarines breach the waters along the eastern seaboard. With surprising speed, America's cities are conquered and the people are enslaved by Emanon's occupying army.

Several national figures appear as themselves in this film, including Admiral Dewey and (the Army's Chief of Staff) General Leonard Wood. It seems odd that American military leaders would play themselves in a fictional movie in which America suffers a military *defeat* ... yet it's clear that this film is meant to serve as a warning, rather than a prophecy.

'The Battle Cry of Peace' is crude and clumsy, even for its time ... but its intentions are good, and its theme is more relevant today than it was in 1915. I'll rate this movie 4 points out of 10.