The Song of the Shirt

This stark drama was released in October 1908 (four months into Griffith's directorial debut) and presented a harsh vision of urban life. It is a social problem film lasting 11 minutes, and is at the centre of Progressive-era urban reform.

Song of the Shirt, The (1908)

** (out of 4)

More melodrama from D.W. Griffith, this time he covers the poor living in an urban area. Once again, nothing too special here, although Griffith does a nice job at showing off the living conditions of these poor people.

Romance of a Jewess (1908)

** (out of 4)

A female working in a pawn shop oversteps her arranged marriage so that she can be with her true love who just happens to be an Indian. Slight melodrama from D.W. Griffith really doesn't have anything overly interesting going for it.

Money Mad (1908)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A homeless man finds a wallet full of money and this sets off a mad cap of adventure for various characters. Here's a comedy from Griffith, which remains interesting throughout even though the comedy never really shines through.

Cinema begins to show a social conscience at the hands of Griffith who, even this early in his career, proves himself to be head and shoulders above all others working in the field. It's a bleak rail against an uncaring capitalist society that has no time for the weak and the poor, and is about as subtle as a hammer to the head, but it heralds the beginning of a new chapter in cinema's history.