The Land Beyond the Sunset

This magical little gem from the studios of Thomas Edison is one of the revelations of the "Treasures from American Film Archives" program shown on TCM and available on DVD. In it a poor newsboy who lives with an alcoholic and abusive grandmother in a city slum gets to visit the countryside and participate in a picnic for the underprivileged. There he becomes transformed by a fairy-tale story that is read to the kids and is inspired to seek for himself that land beyond the horizon, where all is happiness and joy, a desire which all of us on this planet must surely share from time to time. The music track added to this presentation features some lovely songs which, together with the compelling images, transport us all to that better beyond.

Art combines with messaging in cinema's first nonprofit promotional film, October 1912's "The Land Beyond Sunset." The short movie, sponsored by the still active non-profit organization The Fresh Air Fund, encourages poor city children to make an effort to visit the outdoors. The ending is absolutely stunning.

Edison Studios took on the task of creating a story--script written by Dorothy Shore--of convincing people, especially children, to escape the confining tenements of the big cities and journey into the countryside. An abused boy constantly being beaten by his drunken grandmother, takes up the offer to go on a children's trip to a countryside lake. The excursion proves to be such an eyeopener and refreshing that he's hesitant to return to his nightmarish home environment.

This first ever promotional movie was eventful and convincing to those in the audience. Yet the film, directed by Harold Shaw, is so beautifully done that it set the template of how to produce a persuasive message on film by an organization who wants to improve the lives of those in destitute.

I was fortunate to see this rarity on the big screen at the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, back in early 1987, on a double bill supporting the 1928 Russian Revolution potboiler 'The Red Dance', directed by Raoul Walsh (if my memory is correct, the program was presented by historian William K. Everson, during his regular annual visit to the theater).

'The Land Beyond the Sunset' is an early (1912) one-reeler about an underprivileged orphan who finds peace of mind at a charity picnic. The film is short and sweet, with an eloquent ending completely out of character for the usually prosaic Edison studios.

The Land Beyond the Sunset (1912) : Brief Review -

Tracking down the incomplete dreams beyond limits in early age. While you read this sentence let me tell you what that 'Early Age' stands for. It stands with two meanings, one is Early Age of The Boy shown in the film and second of course Early Age of Cinema. This sweet little film has so much to teach in haunting manners that one can never forget if understands the long-living message of it. A young boy, opressed by his mother, goes on an outing in the country with a social welfare group where he dares to dream of a land where the cares of his ordinary life fade. That's the overall narrative expect for one fairy tale sequence which plays a major role in setting the climax right. For that boy's age it was necessary to tell the story in simple manners because as a character he needed to understand the situation according to his maturity level and that's where the idea fairy tale hits top notch. With intricate or dramatic perspective it might have gone wrong but fortunately it didn't go down. Only that last scene is enough to make this one a must watch not only for its time but for our time as well. Dorothy Shore's writing is convincing upto the satisfying mark or if i may say it's little beyond because the impact of the storyline is infinitive. There was nothing much left for the director Harold Shaw after the great writing as far as the conviction part was concerned yet he had a chance to make it even better with his visionary framework. Like i said, the last scene is more than enough to call it a must watch and the reason for it is Shaw's direction. He presents the story in simplest way possible and yet keeps his cinema art alive through execution. Overall, a Fine film for kids as well as adults cause everybody has some dreams or had dreams at least once in the life.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest

This thoughtful, memorable drama is the kind of movie that sticks with you after it is over, and it provides some thoughtful, sensitive commentary on problems that are, unfortunately, still all too present in our society. It is also one of the best Edison Company films of the 1910s, and while they did make a fair number of entertaining movies during this time, "The Land Beyond the Sunset" stands out in addressing a sensitive subject without resorting to easy answers.

The story focuses on Joe, a young newsboy living in a squalid situation, who one day has the opportunity for a pleasant outing in the country, courtesy of the Fresh Air Fund. The story is simple, but it portrays the characters quite realistically. For a time, you expect to see an upbeat if pat resolution of Joe's struggles, but the finale is much better than that. Another reviewer here has very aptly described its "haunting ambiguity", because indeed it rejects all easy answers, leaving the viewer challenged to think for himself or herself.

There are also a couple of fine moments on the technical side. The one that stands out most of all is the crucial scene when the children on the outing are listening to the fairy tale told them by their well-meaning hosts. The composition is excellent, catching the detail in the foreground with a partial glimpse of the expanse of water in the background, fitting in nicely with the content of the story and the situation. Then there is added a double exposure shot that communicates exactly what Joe is thinking, nicely setting up the finale.

It all works very well, and is well worth taking the time to watch if you have any interest in silent dramas.