Dans les laves du Vésuve

Have for a long time had a very high appreciation for silent film, short and feature. DW Griffith favourite Lillian Gish was among the finest silent film stars and one of the few who translated well into talkies (see for example 'The Whales of August' at the end of her life). Ronald Colman did some great work in his career and it was interesting to see him in a silent film and so young. Have also liked some of Henry King's other work, with 'The Song of Bernadette' becoming an instant favourite on first watch four or so years ago.

'The White Sister' is a very interesting and well crafted film with a lot of excellently executed elements. Colman and King went on to do better, though it is one of King's better and more interesting early films and forays in silents, but Gish shows that she could work brilliantly with directors other than Griffith. The subject matter was a bold one for back then and it was unusual for any film to tackle religion against a contemporary background, which is done very well actually in 'The White Sister'.

It's not perfect. It for my tastes a little too on the overlong side, which made for some stodgy over-stretched pacing here and there.

Did also find it melodramatic, with some of the support acting being theatrical. Some of the camera work is on the static side.

Most of it however is beautifully framed and elegant and makes the most of the atmospheric and never cheap backdrops. King directs with a very confident hand and there was never a sense of him being out of his depth or not knowing what he was doing. 'The White Sister' is thought provoking, often very moving and the religious element of the story doesn't preach surprisingly and is as bold as it sounds.

Gish is wonderful in a very expressive and nuanced performance that touched me deeply, she indeed did suffering better than a vast majority of silent film stars and to me she was one of the best. The role was the kind that could easily have been overacted, but Gish doesn't. Despite being robbed of his beautiful speaking voice, Colman shows even early in his career that he could do aristocratic suavity beautifully. The two smolder together.

Overall, liked it a good deal while not being in total love with it. 7/10.