I didn't especially enjoy watching this film. Lois Weber wanted to deliver morals to the public--she preached. Film is an ideal medium for such delivery--she provided entertainment as a cloak to gain an audience for her sermons. She made message films, in other words. "Hypocrites" doesn't even have the pretext of entertainment (besides the appeal of nudity); rather, it's supposed to be art. The main purpose of this film, however, is to persuade us to accept its morality. It's a good beginning for evaluation of the film.
One may evaluate a message on whether they agree with it, find it enlightening, or they may evaluate the presentation of the message. The message is evangelical, the presentation a thin disguise of fictional narrative. There's something disingenuous and insulting about a message film. Such filmmakers believe dramatization, rather than reasoned argument, is more convincing--and they're, of course, correct that plenty are that stupid, especially with the filmgoers in training of 1915. For those who already accept the message, it may be reinforcement, which is just as irrational.
I didn't especially enjoy watching this film. I enjoyed thinking about it, or studying it. Not to say my enjoyment originated from my process--"Hypocrites" is an interesting film, which is why I rank it highly. It's one of three interesting feature-length films from 1915 that I've watched so far; "The Birth of a Nation" and "The Cheat" were entertaining, and part of the reason I pondered over "Hypocrites" for an extended time was that it's not.
Before discussing what's most interesting, Weber's competence in direction--style is a reason this film was somewhat enjoyable to watch, although not especially. The camera pans often, extensively in the fête day scene, which includes tilts and a dolly shot, as well. There's some appropriate picturesque photography and nice tinting. Racking focus serves as transitions in the tableau scenes of naked truth revealing hypocrisies to Gabriel--and us. (Is it hypocritical for naked truth to attempt covering her breasts and to walk in similar purpose?) Effects as simple as superimpositions, dissolves and fades are used saliently.
The narrative is layered. Beginning and ending at present, a series of religious allegory follows. In first leaving the present-day thread, Weber cuts to a different angle of Minister Gabriel, making it at first an ambiguous segue--when he shuts his eyes, and his superimposed self leaves his body. It's not a dream; he's dead, and his soul is leaving the vessel.
As William D. Routt wrote in "Lois Weber, or the exigency of writing" (which I recommend as accompaniment to this film - it's available on the web), the fatal decision for Gabriel was in "the mote in the eye" scene. He, an ascetic, recoils from the woman's (played by Myrtle Stedman) affection for him. Pure himself, yet neither able to lead his congregation to truth purely, or to fulfill his life otherwise, he is left to enter "The Gates of Truth"--heaven--alone.
In the first allegorical episode, Gabriel tries to lead his flock to truth. The members of the congregation are still in modern clothes. The next episode is further into the unreal, or supernatural, as the congregation change clothes for allegory set in some past. Gabriel now tries to bring them truth. This is where the film gets very interesting; Gabriel's medium to bring truth is allegorical art--a statue of the superimposed naked truth we've seen previously. Art within art--Gabriel is doing for his congregation what Lois Weber does for us. Routt mentioned another example of Gabriel being the representation, or surrogate, for Weber: In the opening scene, the way the congregation reacts to Gabriel's sermon is much how Weber expected we might react to her film. Additionally, Gabriel watches from afar his statue revealed; first, I thought it agreed with the subjectivity of the narrative, but it also alludes to the film viewer. Gabriel further doubles as us in the tableaux dénouement. "Hypocrites" is thus self-referential, or reflexive.
Courtenay Foote's posturing is annoying, but, as opposed to in most other films, it seems appropriate here. Anyhow, Routt pointed out to me that in "the mote in the eye" scene, the cameraman cranking the camera is visible in a direct shot of an eye revealed in a mirror. Unintentional and unavoidable as it may be, it's congruous with the rest of the film, and I consider the entire scene the apex of the picture; main constitutes of it--character revelations, religious allegory, self-reference and reflection--coalesce. Weber was one of the earliest female directors in film history. More importantly, however, she was one of the first intelligent filmmakers.
(Note: A few scenes contain some bleeding.)
One may evaluate a message on whether they agree with it, find it enlightening, or they may evaluate the presentation of the message. The message is evangelical, the presentation a thin disguise of fictional narrative. There's something disingenuous and insulting about a message film. Such filmmakers believe dramatization, rather than reasoned argument, is more convincing--and they're, of course, correct that plenty are that stupid, especially with the filmgoers in training of 1915. For those who already accept the message, it may be reinforcement, which is just as irrational.
I didn't especially enjoy watching this film. I enjoyed thinking about it, or studying it. Not to say my enjoyment originated from my process--"Hypocrites" is an interesting film, which is why I rank it highly. It's one of three interesting feature-length films from 1915 that I've watched so far; "The Birth of a Nation" and "The Cheat" were entertaining, and part of the reason I pondered over "Hypocrites" for an extended time was that it's not.
Before discussing what's most interesting, Weber's competence in direction--style is a reason this film was somewhat enjoyable to watch, although not especially. The camera pans often, extensively in the fête day scene, which includes tilts and a dolly shot, as well. There's some appropriate picturesque photography and nice tinting. Racking focus serves as transitions in the tableau scenes of naked truth revealing hypocrisies to Gabriel--and us. (Is it hypocritical for naked truth to attempt covering her breasts and to walk in similar purpose?) Effects as simple as superimpositions, dissolves and fades are used saliently.
The narrative is layered. Beginning and ending at present, a series of religious allegory follows. In first leaving the present-day thread, Weber cuts to a different angle of Minister Gabriel, making it at first an ambiguous segue--when he shuts his eyes, and his superimposed self leaves his body. It's not a dream; he's dead, and his soul is leaving the vessel.
As William D. Routt wrote in "Lois Weber, or the exigency of writing" (which I recommend as accompaniment to this film - it's available on the web), the fatal decision for Gabriel was in "the mote in the eye" scene. He, an ascetic, recoils from the woman's (played by Myrtle Stedman) affection for him. Pure himself, yet neither able to lead his congregation to truth purely, or to fulfill his life otherwise, he is left to enter "The Gates of Truth"--heaven--alone.
In the first allegorical episode, Gabriel tries to lead his flock to truth. The members of the congregation are still in modern clothes. The next episode is further into the unreal, or supernatural, as the congregation change clothes for allegory set in some past. Gabriel now tries to bring them truth. This is where the film gets very interesting; Gabriel's medium to bring truth is allegorical art--a statue of the superimposed naked truth we've seen previously. Art within art--Gabriel is doing for his congregation what Lois Weber does for us. Routt mentioned another example of Gabriel being the representation, or surrogate, for Weber: In the opening scene, the way the congregation reacts to Gabriel's sermon is much how Weber expected we might react to her film. Additionally, Gabriel watches from afar his statue revealed; first, I thought it agreed with the subjectivity of the narrative, but it also alludes to the film viewer. Gabriel further doubles as us in the tableaux dénouement. "Hypocrites" is thus self-referential, or reflexive.
Courtenay Foote's posturing is annoying, but, as opposed to in most other films, it seems appropriate here. Anyhow, Routt pointed out to me that in "the mote in the eye" scene, the cameraman cranking the camera is visible in a direct shot of an eye revealed in a mirror. Unintentional and unavoidable as it may be, it's congruous with the rest of the film, and I consider the entire scene the apex of the picture; main constitutes of it--character revelations, religious allegory, self-reference and reflection--coalesce. Weber was one of the earliest female directors in film history. More importantly, however, she was one of the first intelligent filmmakers.
(Note: A few scenes contain some bleeding.)