The Italian

Thomas Ince always had a knack for bringing simple homespun stories to life with fullness and flair. "The Italian" is such a film. Solid acting, particularly by George Beban, father of silent child actor George Beban, Jr., and wonderful sets convey a realistic feeling of early immigrant tenements in New York. These give this 1915 film an authenticity which is unusual in features of this vintage.

The film begins with the modern day and a man (George Beban in modern clothes) reading a story about an Italian immigrant, and then we transition into the story with George playing the immigrant. He raises enough money to bring his fiancée from Italy to America, marries her, and has a son with her. But times are hard and the family struggles to survive. I found myself wondering why the mother didn't breastfeed her child, and avoid the complications with the dirty formula, but oh well, even the early Dream Factory was pushing political correct behaviour for women in 1915!

The best scene in the picture is when Beban has a chance to seek revenge on a crime boss who inadvertently put him in jail, and at the last minute he decides against his planned course of action. Very neat. I loved the curtain effect, it was great. Wonderful use of lighting in this film.

I give "The Italian" an 8 out of 10.

This is a very early feature length film made in 1914 with a very good reputation. Most people think of 1915's Birth of a Nation as the first real feature film, but this one predates it. It stars George Beban as Beppo, "The Italian", a man who comes from Italy to America to earn enough money so that he can win the hand of his beloved Annette. Beppo, initially a vigorous and joyful soul, eventually becomes a beaten man due to a series of tragedies he endures in America. Beppo becomes so despondent from tragedy that at one point he even considers murdering an innocent as revenge for the loss of one of his own loved ones. There are several silent films that still exist that talk about the immigrant experience in America, but this one is unique because it shows the immigrant's life in the Old World, along with the natural beauty of the place compared to early twentieth century New York City and its barren appearance.

The Flicker Alley restoration is highly recommended not only for the high quality of the transfer but for its insightful commentary. I normally don't like to plug specific products, but this one is very much worth your time.

Very well preserved and amazingly well done for a movie of this period. The story has a nice mix of drama and comedy, including a few scenes similar to those in slapstick comedies of the time.

Nice sets and even the "Venice" and the "Italian vineyard" scenes look good. Some interesting backlit shots. Still has some melodramatic touches and broad acting, but looks 10 years ahead of its time.

This is a fairly grim account of immigrant life in the early 1900s. George Beban, who made a living on stage and screen portraying ethnic types (especially Italians), plays a gondolier in "the old country" who needs to prove himself to the father of the woman he wants to marry. So he sails to New York without her, works as a bootblack, and earns enough money to send for her.

Tragedy strikes when their infant son becomes sick from the heat. Beban attempts to buy milk for him, but is robbed. When he spots his muggers, he attacks them and is arrested. In the climax, Beban almost commits an unspeakable crime to get revenge upon the man he feels is responsible for his son's death.

There is some interesting camera work, and a solid performance by the cast. San Francisco doubles as NYC. Some of my reference books claim that Francis Ford Coppola was influenced by this film in making "The Godfather." Indeed, there is one scene where Beban spots the Statue of Liberty as the ship pulls into NYC, which is somewhat reminiscent of a scene in "The Godfather: Part II."

In an interesting twist, Beban appears in the opening scene, relaxing in his home in a smoking jacket, reading a book entitled "The Italian." Then the story begins. At the end, he appears again, having finished the book.

There are only a few title cards in the film, but the story is easy to follow.

THE ITALIAN is an astonishingly accomplished film for its time. Stunningly shot, with lighting effects that are truly sublime, this is an early gem that clearly reveals REGINALD BARKER to be a pioneer director of equal standing to D.W. GRIFFITH and MAURICE TOURNEUR. How much control Thomas Ince exerted over the production is hard to know, but this film still has extraordinary power. The simple story of an Italian immigrant struggling to keep his family alive in New York, is very moving. The themes of social injustice, revenge and forgiveness are completely relevant today. The use of close-ups is outstanding and the powerhouse performance of GEORGE BEBAN is electrifying. What we need now is a really good print transferred to DVD so we can truly appreciate this early masterpiece of cinema.