The Red Lily

This is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. I have never been a silent film fan,until now. This was the first silent film I actually watched until the end. The story could have easily turned into melodrama and soap opera. But it was expertly written, with just the right romantic and dramatic nuances. It is a classic story, encompassing the many trials and tribulations of love. Both Enid Bennet and Ramon Novarro were amazing as the two romantic lead characters. The range of emotions that shown on both their faces was remarkable. The newly composed musical score was both classic and contemporary,adding to the beautiful tapestry of this film classic.

In the silent year of 1925, Herr Fred Niblo directed Herr Novarro in "Ben-Hur", a colossal silent film production that made its way into film history for its magnificence and grandiloquence, but just one year before, both director and actor worked together in a modest, small silent film production as magnificent in its way as "Ben-Hur"; you only have to change ancient Rome for Paris and you have "The Red Lily".

"The Red Lily" is a superb silent film that must be recovered from oblivion for the joy of silent fan crowds around the world ( nowadays a more easy task since the longhaired people at "Warner" decided to open up their archive vaults ). The film is a small piece that highlights the virtues of silent cinema in which the complications of human nature play the lead in the film. It's a beautiful and sorrowful love story that defies destiny and moves the audience in an irresistible way.

The love story between the Major's son Jean ( Herr Ramon Novarro ) and the cobbler's daughter Marise ( Dame Enid Bennett ) will have to overcome difficult and terrible circumstances. As a German saying says "when you think that things are bad, they get worse" and that it is what happens during the whole film until a happy ending will finally bring the couple together. Set in French Brittany, social prejudices and an unjust robbery accusation will send Jean and Marise to Paris, a big city where the love of our sweethearts will suffer a terrible turning point in their lives.

Herr Niblo's superb film direction shows the fragility, uncertainty and changeability of the inner human sentiments of our heroes; they will suffer despair and hate, helplessness together in squalid conditions and, worst of all, broken dreams. Jean and Marise suffer their special "Way of the Cross" depicted on the screen by Herr Niblo with a deep, painful sorrow. It's a private tragedy full of deception that rules the lives of our heroes in which it seems that destiny is continuously sneering at them.

Astounding and remarkable is the performance of Dame Bennett in her role of Marise, one of those classical heroines of silent films; her transformation from a mild peasant to a prostitute is brilliant, an excellent example of the greatness of silent pictures and superior actresses, in which a look, a timid gesture, a cry for help, can still move longhaired audiences to trembling even today.

The film is perfectly set in different surroundings; from the Brittany provincialism and their peculiar peasants and prejudices to the Paris slums full of decadent and distinctive characters. Besides exceptional art direction you also have the great cinematography of Herr Victor Milner; it's luminous and hopeful in Brittany and gloomy in the breathless and eternal Paris night, until the finale when the sun will shine again in the broken lives of Jean and Marise.

"The Red Lily" is a beautiful film pregnant with infinite sadness about the fragility of love and life, redemption and forgiveness; a touching film story, a hidden and wonderful silent piece.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count must give a bouquet of stinging nettles to a Teutonic rich heiress.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

Emotional tale which starts in a small village in Britanny where lives a young couple, Jean (played by Ramon Novarro) and Marise (Enid Bennett), childhood sweethearts who are torn apart when her father dies suddenly. Impoverished and alone, she must go to live with her next of kin - a poor and unfriendly family including drunken husband, haggardly wife, and lot of dirty, small children. The man, a raging hothead, chases after the poor girl, almost with gleeful evil, with a whip 'til she runs off seeking refuge in her old, abandoned home. Luckily her handsome beau loves her and takes her away to start a new life together in Paris. Unfortunately, through circumstances, they are separated and can't find each other - and thus follows the story of life and what happens to each of them in the big, bad, crime-ridden city.

An emotionally charged film throughout, brightly tinted in part with shades of browns, reds, and oranges, and with striking photography in places, especially noticeable the interesting shots taken into and out through windows and such. The music score that accompanies this film is really excellent, completely suits the mood of the story, and, I thought, enhanced the film. The acting is well-done - actress Enid Bennett reminded me, both in appearance and acting style, of Lillian Gish. Of course, Ramon Novarro looks very, very handsome, as usual, and Wallace Beery appears as his usual smarmy self. This is a terrific silent film, I loved it.

Small town innocents Jean and Marise pledge undying love for each other and decide to run off to Paris. Once in the big city they are separated when Jean's father sends detective's after him. He eventually breaks free of them but fails to reunite with Marise and the two go it alone. He takes up with thugs while Marise struggling to make an honest living is exploited and ends up on the street. When they meet again much the worse for wear Jean rejects Marise violently.

Filled with casual cruelty The Red Lily's depressing storyline is vividly realized through the chiaroscuro photography of Victor Milner (The General Died at Dawn). Reminiscent of Brassai's classic photos of the Paris underbelly Lily is populated with a rogues gallery of low lifes and criminals and their haunts. As the lovers Ramon Novarro and Enid Bennett are both outstanding transitioning from innocence to depravity. Director Fred Niblo captures their dissent in devastating close-up and the sweeping change in both is almost as startling as Dr. Jekyl's.

Niblo's film remains uncompromisingly dark until the tacked on last scene which undermines the power and impact of the story. Something tells me studio head Louie Mayer had more to do with this than Niblo who up until that point was crafting a pre-mature work of Poetic Realism.

"The Red Lily" is unusual in that I had never even heard of it until 18 September 2016 when Turner Classic Movies brought it -- as it turns out, again, after 10 years -- to the screen as the Sunday night silent.

This is not bragging but I have been a silent movie fan since about 1972, when I first moved to Los Angeles and discovered the Silent Movie Theatre, then run by John Hampton and his wife.

Attending every week for several years, until Mr. Hampton became ill and the theater closed, I considered myself somewhat of a silent movie authority, a minor expert.

So I was surprised by "The Red Lily" and by Enid Bennett, whom I do not remember seeing before.

In her first scene I thought "Lillian Gish," though perhaps it was her make-up, especially the lips, and the hat.

But in fact Enid Bennett gave a performance worthy of La Gish, a magnificent performance, heart-tugging again and again.

Her innocence and her constant victimization brought me to sympathy and to anger in scene after scene.

Ramon Novarro proved once again that he was an excellent actor, and watching him battle himself was a lesson and a movie-going treat.

Other actors, including the inimitable Wallace Beery, were equally enthralling, perhaps especially Milla Davenport as "Madame Poussot."

One reviewer here questioned if it were really a man, because she had a mustache and very noticeable beard. I believe I have seen Ms. Davenport in other mustachioed roles, usually for comic purposes, but possibly it was another actress or other actresses.

Most likely, in my opinion, her hirsute adornment was added by the makeup department, but there are women afflicted with facial adornment, I think especially Mediterranean-descended women.

The Madame Poussot character added another layer, another dimension to the rather ugly and unpleasant Paris atmosphere that was necessary to this story.

Ugly? One can't get much uglier than the Paris sewer system, which has figured in many a movie. In fact, I wonder in just how many movies it has appeared, in addition to the many versions of "Les Miserables."

Ugly, depressing, downbeat -- "The Red Lily" can break your heart, as it did mine, right up to the apparently tacked-on ending.

That apparently tacked-on ending knocked down my rating to only 9, but the rest of "The Red Lily" is so moving, so beautifully produced, it is a must-see for film lovers and especially for silent film lovers.

I highly recommend "The Red Lily" and I'm grateful to TCM for presenting it.