The Wind (1928)

Silent Melodrama. - The Wind review by Steve

The Wind is sometimes described as a western which I think understates its strangeness. It is a primal psychological drama. It is quite complex in the way it describes the impact of environment on the mind, culture and behaviour.

 Lillian Gish is a delicate lady of manners from Virginia who travels west to reside with a near relative who is living in a desert wilderness populated by rednecks and is driven out of her mind by the unceasing, unstoppable wind. Manoeuvred into an unpropitious marriage of convenience, she murders a man she feels threatened by and hides the body in the desert which she fears may be uncovered by the savage, mystical wind at any time. Or it may be buried beneath it forever.

 This is Gish's most interesting performance which develops from a demure archetype into something quite disturbing. Sjöström was a pioneer in Sweden and a very experienced director and he creates a metaphysical film full of startling visual images. There was an arduous location shoot in the Mojave desert which brings realism to a film which touches on allegory and expressionist horror.

 It is a story about man encroaching into the dominion of nature and the likely tragic consequences. It feels way ahead of its time. Unfortunately MGM forced a happier ending on the director and star. But it remains a film of brilliant dramatic storytelling. It is an intense emotional experience and one of the very best silent films.