Heart o' the Hills

This is certainly an odd film with superstar Mary Pickford playing a simple "mountain gal" in Kentucky who deals with crooked outsiders who want the land for its timber and coal and who will do anything to get it. Episodic in nature the film includes a great comic "barn dance" sequence in what is essentially a solid melodrama about Mavis Hawn and her growth into womanhood.

As always Pickford is super paying the feisty young woman whose father is gunned down before her eyes. Later, her widowed mother (Claire McDowell) marries, but he's in cahoots with the land developers. Pickford spends idyllic days in the mountains with pal Harold Goodwin hunting and fishing and walking through the majestic woods. But tension arises when the local "squire's" son (John Gilbert) catches Pickford's eye and the two guys begin to battle for her attentions.

In an effort to rid the area of the land developers, Pickford joins, in an astonishing scene, the "night-riders." Pickford dons the white sheets and hood of the KKK and rides with the men to scare the land developer but he gets shot and Pickford is accused of murder.

The comic relief in this film is the barn dance and it's a joy to see Pickford and future superstar John Gilbert (then only 22 years old) in the frantic dance sequence, which ends only when an old man loses his teeth on the dance floor.

Mary Pickford never gave a bad performance, and HEART O' THE HILLS is another example of the versatility of this superstar of the silent era. In 1919, Pickford also starred in DADDY-LONG-LEGS, THE HOODLUM, and CAPTAIN KIDD JR.

The tense, somber melodrama in this Mary Pickford feature is complemented very well by Charles Rosher's photography, which helps to draw you in and makes you feel part of the characters' world. It has very little humor for a Pickford vehicle, and even the occasional lighter moments are almost invariably followed quickly by another serious turn, which keeps the mood serious most of the time.

The story has Pickford's character Mavis battling for survival in the Kentucky hills, seeking to avenge her father's murder even as she contends with outsiders who want to exploit the region's coal. There are several complicating factors, so that the scenario builds up a web of problems for Pickford and the other sympathetic characters to contend with. Among the secondary characters is a very young-looking John Gilbert, who is interesting to watch even though his role is not especially substantial.

Besides the relative lack of comedy, Pickford's character is unusually desperate. There is also a rather unsettling sequence with a vigilante confrontation that evokes some real anxiety, and a courtroom scene that anticipates one of the well-known scenes from "Spartacus". The story packs a lot of drama and tension into an hour and a quarter.

The cinematography helps considerably in making the story work. Despite the limitations of the era (and the damage done to the print over time), it makes you feel as if you really were in the Kentucky hills, with many outdoor shots that work very well, and many details that make the setting and story more believable. Pickford's own performance and screen presence are, of course, a plus to any movie. Amongst her features of the era, this one is good rather than excellent, but it's certainly worth seeing.

Look, no movie is without flaws, and this film is far from an exception to that rule but often while watching it-I'm an aspiring film maker myself-I felt a major rush of excitement a feeling a get sometimes when watching silent films where one suddenly goes "That's where that convention comes from!" It never fails to shoot adrenaline up my spine and put a smile on my face. As a lifelong fan of Mary Pickford, this film is good meter of her abilities. I think it's easy to write her off as "America's Sweetheart" and it's true-plenty of Pickford vehicles were insipid messes, that showcased her own cuteness more than anything else. A friend of mine once said, "She wore the masks of silent film and wore them well but that's about all." While that may be true she also had some real talent. In this film-I won't bother summarizing-Pickford walks a delicate line between cynicism and innocence, which isn't an easy task. There are also some more subtle choices, I personally feel that Pickford was far ahead of her time as far the idea of "microperformance" goes. There's a scene where she's packing some things into a saddle bag and just before loading in her deceased father's Bible she runs it under her nose to smell it. This isn't a big moment it's not a major point of focus and only a little bit of emotion crosses her face as she does, it doesn't feel forced and I would be shocked if it was scripted, it feels a little like Marlon Brando picking up the white glove and trying it on in "On The Waterfront." It doesn't tell you much about the story but volumes about the character.

I could rant all day about how great Mary Pickford is, but honestly while she's more than up for the task there's an abundance credit due to most angles of the production. The photography is world class for it's day throughout and in moments still striking by even the most modern of critiques. The cast is universally wonderful, i can't complain too much about any one character's acting, which isn't not a usual comment I'd make about a film from 1919. Moreover though, I'd like to mention the themes of the piece, they seem advanced far beyond that pale of most film from the early 1900's, or even from the 1940's or so. There's a revenge plot that feels a bit like Peckinpah storyline. There's a deep environmental angle that's as pressing now it was then if not more, development destroys the older ways of life by obliterating the land it plays out on, the canvas of culture is the earth on which it lives. The characters in Heart o' The Hills are poor, they live in Ramshackle cabins and are by all rights in need of the wealth a coal industry would bring them, but they don't want anything to do with it. And why not? It would end their existence as they know it. The second act culminates with Mavis-Mary Pickford's character-going a ride with the Klan to oust the lowlander-developers-which results in a shootout. It's frustratingly unclear what Mavis thinks about the Klan, but her grandfather seems betrayed when he asks her "You were out riding weren't you?" There's a lot balanced portrayals, of people here too. The wealthy elite of the lowlands are portrayed as having no respect for mountain life or the environment but are also seen to be forgiving and even charitable. The mountain people are portrayed as uneducated but more than capable of understanding their circumstances and the consequences of their world. Other pressing themes revolve around child abuse, classroom, and first loves and the ending of childhood.

This film has aged well and not by chance, the film makers treated the material with dignity and humanity, choosing to dwell on themes eternal and important, and yet still it can make you laugh out loud in parts.

I highly recommend this film.

I watched this film without the usual musical soundtrack accompaniment and was totally hooked from the first few frames nevertheless. Mary Pickford was a little dynamo in her role in this film; I thoroughly enjoyed her and the rest of the cast. Featuring a very young John Gilbert too (here credited as Jack Gilbert), Heart o' the Hills is great entertainment. Mary displays many emotional layers as a strong and independent country girl who has vowed to avenge her father's murder. Along the way she grows up, falls in love, becomes educated, and finds her place in life. A must see for the Mary enthusiast. >

HEART O'THE HILLS was Mary Pickford's final film project before the formation of United Artists in 1919 and was her fourth film of that year. She had recently left Adolph Zukor and Paramount and was stretching her wings as an independent producer (they predicted she would fall flat on her face). It is one of a quartet of new Pickford releases from The Mary Pickford Foundation and Milestone Films and is one of Mary's best. The others three are LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY, SUDS, and THROUGH THE BACK DOOR.

The film is set in the mountains of Kentucky (it was shot in California) and deals with a young mountain girl's attempt to avenge the murder of her father. It gives Pickford another opportunity to do what she did best, a coming of age story in which she plays a young girl who becomes a young woman by the time the film is finished. The recreation of an isolated mountain community is remarkable although the dialect used in the title cards may annoy some people and the "Night Rider" sequence will disturb others. It has fantastic scenery, outstanding photography, and mighty fine performances from all concerned. There's a nice turn from veteran silent villain Sam De Grasse and check out the young John (Jack) Gilbert in his first significant role as a lowland suitor.

In addition to the quality print used for the video transfer (it's sharp and well defined with color tints), there is a remarkable new score from Maria Newman which captures the flavor of old timey mountain music while still being thoroughly modern in style. For me it enhanced the viewing experience tremendously. The DVD also comes with a second Pickford feature, M'LISS from 1918. While it is not as good as HEART and the print is not as well presented, M'LISS still has a lot to recommend it including sure handed direction from Marshall Neilan (Pickford's favorite director) and colorful performances from silent character stalwarts Theodore Roberts, Charles Ogle, and Tully Marshall. All in all an outstanding DVD and my favorite of the set...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.