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The Struggle

Play trailer Poster for The Struggle 1931 1h 27m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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29% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 36% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
A young husband's descent into alcoholism threatens his marriage.

Critics Reviews

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Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader One of his most powerful and intensely felt works -- not merely a heartbreaking story and a portrait of the Depression at its grimmest, but a poignant summary of everything that Griffith could do with a camera. Apr 8, 2016 Full Review Richard Brody New Yorker D. W. Griffith's last film, a crude, grim, grotesquely sentimental melodrama about an alcoholic's degradation, fits into the rare category of films that are great but not really very good. Apr 7, 2016 Full Review Mordaunt Hall New York Times Neither Miss Loos, Mr. Emerson nor Mr. Griffith can be said to have accomplished anything particularly novel by this screen work. Mar 25, 2006 Full Review Ronald Bergan Radio Times Griffith turned it into a rather maudlin and naive morality tale -- though it didn't merit the hostile reviews that it initially received. Rated: 2/5 Apr 8, 2016 Full Review TV Guide One of the greatest directors who ever lifted a megaphone, David Wark Griffith was 56 when he made this, his last movie, and it is a shame that he had to bow out with such a dud. Rated: 1/5 Apr 8, 2016 Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion Griffith doesn't cloak the story's creakiness, he faces it head-on and erects images to embody and purify its emotions. Apr 7, 2016 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (7) audience reviews
Audience Member The last film from the father of film industry D.W Griffith that sadly after this film just faded away to obscurity. This film despite poor acting & below average sound recording is actually a well written story that with stronger performances could be an exceptional film. Despite my bias adoration of D.W Griffith (due to his impressive silent film work) this film just falls so short, largely due to technical aspects but I also believe this story was far to raw for audiences in 1931. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Too bad that this is the final movie of DW Griffith, because it's not that good. The story makes these illogical jumps and the main character exists in one of two states, sober and great, or drunken stumbling around maniac. A little subtlety could have done this good, because all the basics are there for some great real drama, and on many occasions it almost succeeds. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Although D.W. Griffith?s last film is not up there with his silent masterpieces, it is still an interesting film. There is some very good cinematography. The acting is a bit crude however, but the cast is with no stars I have even heard of. The story is fair, a bit too melodramatic. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Although D.W. Griffith's last film is not up there with his silent masterpieces, it is still an interesting film. There is some very good cinematography. The acting is a bit crude however, but the cast is with no stars I have even heard of. The story is fair, a bit too melodramatic. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Prohibition era movie about the ills of alcoholism and its effects on the family. Overacted but interesting movie wraps up a little too abruptly. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member I guess it may have been the first, or one of the first, to take on the issue of alcoholism. However, only one picture comes to mind when I think of classic Hollywood pictures that deal with alcoholism seriously: The Lost Weekend. This picture is not quite in the same league as The Lost Weekend, but it certainly drives home the fact that going to a party full of sober individuals when drunk is never a good plan. The more Griffith talkie pictures I see, the more I feel that his genius was particularly suited to the silent film and that he couldn't quite make the transition successfully to the talkie era. It's a brave and effective picture for its time, but not a masterwork by any stretch of the imagination. It's funny that this is a bit like an indie picture from 1931. Having his own studio certainly seems to have allowed Griffith creative freedom, except for the Hollywood happy ending. It definitely seems a bit out of place. I can't imagine this one was a box office smash. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Struggle

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A young husband's descent into alcoholism threatens his marriage.
Director
D.W. Griffith
Producer
D.W. Griffith
Screenwriter
John Emerson, D.W. Griffith, Anita Loos
Production Co
D.W. Griffith Productions
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
May 23, 2017
Runtime
1h 27m