A Closer Look At The Wind (1928)
In 1927, cinema was famously experiencing a time of transition from the silent to talkies, kickstarted by the popularity of Al Jolson’s The Jazz Singer (1927). Directors and stars would soon be faced with a decision, whether deliberate or inadvertent: which silent would be their last before the move to recorded sound? Would they be lucky enough to make a final silent film worthy of praise in that uncertain time? In Lillian Gish’s case her final silent did not seem like a triumph at first, thanks to being a flop at the box office in spite of some critical praise. But its reputation would grow steadily over time, and today it’s widely considered one of the great masterpieces of the late 1920s.
One of the silent era’s top American actresses, Gish had left the stage in 1912 to act in Biograph films along with her sister Dorothy. The two would work closely with director D.W. Griffith for a number of years, especially the dedicated and driven Lillian, who some would consider Griffith’s “muse.” As the industry began to change in the 1920s, Gish would star in The White Sister (1923) for Metro, which soon became part of the brand-new MGM studio. She would remain with the prestigious MGM until the end of the silent era.
Gish had considerable influence on her pictures at MGM, being known for her dedication to artistry. She would even turn down a $1 million-per-picture deal in favor of getting a percentage of film profits, wanting to ensure more of the budget would go towards hiring talented writers and actors. It was her idea to make The Wind, based on a dramatic novel by Dorothy Scarborough. It told the story of a young woman who goes to live on a ranch in the Texas plains that’s plagued with constant wind. She marries a Texan out of necessity and also fends off advances from a different man, all while the blasting wind slowly drives her mad. The gritty setting and elements of psychological horror excited Gish’s imagination, and The Wind would go into production in late April of 1927.
The distinguished Swedish director Victor Sjöström was hand-picked by Gish for the new project. She had previously worked with him on The Scarlet Letter (1926) and had been impressed by his meticulous nature and encouragement of subtle acting. One of her co-stars was be Lars Hansen, another Swedish import who was also a co-star from The Scarlet Letter–The Wind was very much a reunion of several fine talents. The Australian-born Dorothy Cumming and frequent screen villain Montagu Love rounded out the rest of the cast.
Much of the film was shot in the Mojave desert, which even in the spring was growing unbearably hot. By the time shooting ended in late June temps were nearing 120 degrees and the completed film reels had to be frozen to keep the coating from melting. Gish would remember the shoot as the most difficult one she had ever experienced, even more difficult than the icy river scenes in Way Down East (1920). Crewmembers had to wear tall boots to guard against rattlesnakes and goggles to protect their eyes from blowing sand. But the actors were not always so lucky. To simulate the blasting Texas winds, eight airplane propellers were brought in and sawdust and pots of sulphur helped add to the illusion of billowing sand. Gish recalled the sulphur nearly ruining her hair and being constantly worried about getting blinded by blowing debris.
Fortunately, all the hardships resulted in a stunningly memorable film. Sjöström magnificently blended the psychological aspects of the drama with the film’s harsh natural surroundings and rustic buildings. The wind is as much of a character as Letty or Lars Hansen’s Lige, its relentless blasts echoing the characters’ inner turmoils and desires. The exceptionally strong “norther” wind is represented by a ghostly horse during the film’s most dramatic moments, an effect that can be nearly sublime.
Gish, of course, handled the tragic aspects of the story with her renowned skill. In some scenes, such as a frightening moment where she peers through a window, her emotions were conveyed entirely through her eyes. These skills were well-matched with Sjöström’s thoughtful “show, don’t tell” touches, such as a scene where different shots show Letty and Lige’s feet pacing the floor just before a dramatic moment.
One bit of trivia about The Wind turned out to be folklore. Gish would always recall that they filmed an ending that was faithful to the novel, showing the heroine running out into the sandstorm and being whirled away by the wind. She would say that MGM insisted on shooting a happier ending, certain that audiences would be turned off. Apparently no such tragic ending was actually shot, possibly pointing to a lapse in Gish’s memory. In any case, the happier ending may seem trite at first glance but may have been considered more modern at the time, if a little cliched.
The Wind received a decent amount of critical praise but produced little box office luster in the U.S. Most audiences were already intrigued by the new talkies and silents were starting to look passé. Gish would leave MGM after The Wind’s financial disappointment and in subsequent years she would start to favor the stage over the movies. But her masterpiece would truly stand the test of time. We know today that the late 1920s produced some of the era’s finest silent films, and while it would take many years for that fact to be recognized, The Wind is now considered an unmissable highlight of the silent era. Lillian was–and likely still is–justly proud.
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–Lea Stans for Classic Movie Hub
You can read all of Lea’s Silents are Golden articles here.
Lea Stans is a born-and-raised Minnesotan with a degree in English and an obsessive interest in the silent film era (which she largely blames on Buster Keaton). In addition to blogging about her passion at her site Silent-ology, she is a columnist for the Silent Film Quarterly and has also written for The Keaton Chronicle.
