The Unchanging Sea

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

This DW Griffith picture from 1910 shows how adept he was becoming, not only in the nuts and bolts of cinematic technique, but in shaping these short films into cyclical stories. Here we have a tale set over two generations, in which we see the break-up and reunion of a family, and history repeating itself all crammed into fourteen minutes. That's quite an achievement!

Key to this is Griffith's complex and daring use of cross-cutting, and in particular his narrowing the set-ups down to the minimum number of locations. The Biograph hierarchy were terrified that the story would be too confusing, but by re-using locations and camera set-ups the narrative becomes simplified and coherent. For example, when the father loses his memory and ends up separated from his family, perhaps the obvious thing would be to show him doing different things in different places as the years go by. Griffith however repeatedly shows him in that dilapidated dockyard, visually informing us that he is still stranded away from home, and still suffering from amnesia.

Griffith also saves time by having more than one thing going on each shot. In one scene we see the mother being courted by another sailor in the background, while her young daughter runs around near the sea in the background. Having two points of interest in the frame at one time shows Griffith's growing confidence in shot composition, and this is something he would gradually refine over his years with Biograph. Another important aspect is Griffith's frequent use of actors with their backs to the camera. Backs-to-the-audience is generally a no-no in theatre, but with the unlimited depth of the screen it becomes workable, and here it really adds power to the imagery.

Such was the strength of Griffith's visual storytelling, he almost did away with any need for intertitles. Here, the majority of the titles are lines from the Charles Kingsley poem upon which the picture is based. For Griffith, intertitles need not just be functional and explanatory, they could also be a kind of poetic commentary on the action.

The Unchanging Sea is a strong story told in moving pictures, although to be fair the Biograph bosses' fears were partly confirmed, because you do have to pay attention to follow it. In particular it can be a little confusing working out who is who. Griffith still had a fair way to go in developing characterisation and making individuals memorable, and this fact really stands out here.

Beautiful to see how the first little bits of camera movement ever really increase the impression of this slow paced yet attractive fisherman's drama. Yes, it is an a-typical Griffith again, and beautiful in all it's being. Sure there's "Legends of the Fall" with Brad Pitt at the end of the 20th Century; but at its beginning there was DW Griffith's "The Unchanging Sea".

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.

For a film so old, I thought this was one of the better-photographed efforts of its day. The composition was outstanding. Just examine those shots with the wife standing on the beach and her husband and small crew rowing off into the ocean. It's perfectly framed.

As for the story, it's based on a poem called "The Three Fishers," which is shown here during several interludes. It's a wonderful poem.

Because films were so short, you can really have time fly. Nowhere is that more evident than in this film. In a matter of a few minutes, we see years pass by a seaman leaves his family, a wreck ensues and the man survives but loses his memory. He doesn't know who is wife is and seems to be a totally lost soul. In the interim, the baby they apparently conceived before we went off to sea has now grown up. She's played by the famous Mary Pickford.

In the story, the daughter gets married and the poor wife, thinking she's now all alone in the world, gets a nice surprise when her husband returns from another voyage. His memory is back.....and all is well!

Many things happen to all of us in our lifetime, but that tide just keeps coming and going, unchanging. Nothing that profound, frankly, but that's the message. This story would have had a lot more impact had it been drawn out more, but trying to rush all of this into 14 minutes makes it way too hurried.