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Adam_S · 05-09-2008, 03:29 AM

Tess of the Storm Country - 7 of 10
stars list - Mary Pickford

a solid film that's a bit overwrought in the melodramatic plot devices and villainous characters. Once again Mary Pickford saves this film with her phenomenal screen presence and magnetism. she almost makes you forget how ridiculous the story is, and she almost makes everything in the film work. but it's not quite there. not as impressive of a visual level as Daddy Long Legs and less humor, still Pickford cuts an impressive figure as a modern woman, she's certainly stands up for what she believes in, and she's often left standing alone by circumstances, but she'd rather be an outcast and true to her own independence than bending to the ideas of any other. The film also contains quite a lot of moralizing and religious education, which isn't so bad but due to the intertitles comes across as rather ham-fisted.
The transfer/film elements are also in very bad shape with the print often looking very disappointing, even for a 1922 film.

Tess Skinner is a squatter living with her father in a ramshackle 'house' on the edge of the coast. The wealthy man who owns the land wants the squatters out but can't manage it. his son is against accosting the squatters and his daughter (and her beau) are all for it. He conspires with the beau and the local game wardens to take the nets of the squatters and hopefully starve them into moving, Tess manages to hide her fathers nets, but they know they didn't get one net. They wait to hopefully catch them in the act of using the nets and be able to arrest them for breaking the law. Only when Tess' father is out setting his nets and the law is coming down on him, a local brute grabs Daddy Skinner's rifle and shoots the beau (unbeknownst to Daddy Skinner). Skinner takes the rap for the murder and the unmarried daughter is now left pregnant with no man to marry her and the son has fallen in love with Tess! Oh my! what melodramatic machinations will the plot twist to next? the film is often quite entertaining and interesting to watch, but it's not a great silent, by any means.

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05-09-2008, 03:29 AM	#362 of 440
Adam_S *Adam_S* Member Location: Marina del Rey, CA Join Date: Feb 2001 Local Time: 01:24 AM Local Date: 07-09-2008 Posts: 4,963	Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2 Tess of the Storm Country - 7 of 10 stars list - Mary Pickford a solid film that's a bit overwrought in the melodramatic plot devices and villainous characters. Once again Mary Pickford saves this film with her phenomenal screen presence and magnetism. she almost makes you forget how ridiculous the story is, and she almost makes everything in the film work. but it's not quite there. not as impressive of a visual level as Daddy Long Legs and less humor, still Pickford cuts an impressive figure as a modern woman, she's certainly stands up for what she believes in, and she's often left standing alone by circumstances, but she'd rather be an outcast and true to her own independence than bending to the ideas of any other. The film also contains quite a lot of moralizing and religious education, which isn't so bad but due to the intertitles comes across as rather ham-fisted. The transfer/film elements are also in very bad shape with the print often looking very disappointing, even for a 1922 film. Tess Skinner is a squatter living with her father in a ramshackle 'house' on the edge of the coast. The wealthy man who owns the land wants the squatters out but can't manage it. his son is against accosting the squatters and his daughter (and her beau) are all for it. He conspires with the beau and the local game wardens to take the nets of the squatters and hopefully starve them into moving, Tess manages to hide her fathers nets, but they know they didn't get one net. They wait to hopefully catch them in the act of using the nets and be able to arrest them for breaking the law. Only when Tess' father is out setting his nets and the law is coming down on him, a local brute grabs Daddy Skinner's rifle and shoots the beau (unbeknownst to Daddy Skinner). Skinner takes the rap for the murder and the unmarried daughter is now left pregnant with no man to marry her and the son has fallen in love with Tess! Oh my! what melodramatic machinations will the plot twist to next? the film is often quite entertaining and interesting to watch, but it's not a great silent, by any means. top 20 films 2008 film list My DVDs; S&S List 62...212 AFI lists: - DONE! HTF Stars list 247/248 Last edited by Adam_S : 05-09-2008 at 06:19 AM.