The Unchanging Sea

Based on the poem by Charles Kingsley, this tells the tale of a young woman (Linda Arvidson) who waves goodbye to her fisherman husband (Arthur V. Johnson) as he sets off with his friends in an open boat to fish the Atlantic for their livelihood. Living in what looks like a row of beach-huts, she emerges every morning and longingly looks seaward, but when it only yields death one day she fears the worst. There's a young girl to bring up, though, so she much focus so she can grow up, turn into Mary Pickford and marry Charles West - himself a man in the same line of perilous work as her father. The audience knows something of the fate of that man, but will he ever be able to return to his love? Whilst it's certainly quite a bleak scenario, there is still a warming degree of hope here and the very simplicity of the single camera photography lends richness to what must have been for a life as routine as it was a subsistence existence for the families of these brave men. An enjoyable glimpse at a way of life now long gone.

Anyone who believes that the acting in silent dramas was always laughably exaggerated should see The Unchanging Sea, which was directed by D. W. Griffith during his formative period at Biograph. Anyone who thinks the cinematography of 1910 was crude and murky should take a close look. And for that matter, anyone who thinks that these very early movies convey only the most basic emotional information in a primitive fashion, and therefore no longer have the power to move modern viewers (except perhaps to unintended laughter) should see this, too. There are no over the top histrionics on display; the tempo is measured and the characters' feelings, though not broadly indicated, are perfectly clear to us. Simple it may be, even simplistic, but The Unchanging Sea still packs a punch in its climactic reunion scene, which is admirably underplayed.

The setting is a small fishing village. Griffith conveys the steady routine of the characters' lives through his deliberately repetitive camera set-ups and editing rhythms. Although the story is based on a poem, the title cards are happily free of the excessively flowery wording sometime found in early dramas, including some of Griffith's. The story is conveyed by the performances, not by overly explicit announcements in title cards. Of special note is the shot in which our central figure, the wife of a fisherman, walks down to the sea with the men, including her husband, as they launch their boat. The husband has just learned that his wife is pregnant. We see her from behind as she watches the men depart, and we just know—it's there on the screen, we can feel it—that tragedy lies ahead. Again, nothing is italicized.

Like Enoch Arden, the fisherman is involved in a shipwreck and is separated from his family for a generation. Unlike Enoch Arden, whose tragic story Griffith would also dramatize at Biograph, this tale has a poignant, semi-happy ending.

You wonder about Griffith's reputation? Take a look at The Unchanging Sea. It isn't usually mentioned in the same breath with his most famous short films, but in its own quiet way it ranks alongside the best of them.

"The Unchanging Sea" was "suggested by Charles Kingsley's poem "The Three Fishers" where "three fishers went sailing to the West" while "the women stood watching them out of the town."

It seemed like a very Norman Rockwellian affair where the men loaded up on a boat and the women stood ashore bidding them farewell not knowing if their husbands would ever return. Hence we get the line of poetry: "For men must work and women must weep."

The Fisherman (Arthur V. Johnson) went to sea while his wife (Linda Arvidson) sorrowfully watched. He made it back, but with no memory, which made him a stranger in his own town.

Free on YouTube.

Early film masterfully directed by D.W. Griffith. Arthur V. Johnson and Linda Arvidson play a happy couple, who obviously love each other very much. He must go out to sea. Tragically, he is shipwrecked. Far away, Mr. Johnson washes to shore, but suffers from amnesia. He has no idea he has a wife, whom he loved so dearly; and who, in his absence, bears his daughter.

Years roll by… Ms. Arvidson is a heartbroken woman, never knowing what happened to her husband. Their daughter (Mary Pickford, looking very grown-up) takes a husband of her own (Charles West), but mother remains alone. Then, Johnson's memory returns.

Griffith uses shots/time incredibly well - showing familiar scenes, like a static row of houses where Arvidson lives, changing over the years. "The Unchanging Sea" remains the same, but there are things happening in/on the sea which move the story. It's a lovely story, but the end is too sudden. I would have rather Griffith had the man return and never regain his memory, but fall in love with his wife all over again. The acting, direction and photography are exceptional.

******* The Unchanging Sea (5/5/10) D.W. Griffith ~ Arthur V. Johnson, Linda Arvidson, Mary Pickford

Starting with a convincing sea-side atmosphere that benefits from being shot outdoors, this short feature adds a worthwhile story and some good low-key performances to create an understated but thoughtful and sometimes memorable movie. There is quite a lot of material in less than 15 minutes of running time, and yet it never seems rushed. The image of "The Unchanging Sea" is used effectively to emphasize the timeless nature both of the sea itself and of the lifestyles of those who live by it. The sea's constancy is distinguished from the uneven course of the hopes and trials of individual lives, making for an interesting contrast, which gives the picture a distinctive feel.

The story, which moves across many years of life in a fishing community, is often moving, and the understated approach is effective. For the most part, the characters make only small gestures and changes of expression, and yet their reactions always seem sincere and heartfelt. It is effective both as cinema and as a portrayal of the sea-going community. Excessive drama or emotions would have overshadowed the substance of the story, rather than enhancing it. As a result, there is more worthwhile material in this short film than there is in many films that are several times as long.