True Heart Susie

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Nick M Like many Griffith pictures, this one begins with some philosophical intertitles of dubious and dated morality, generalizing on the human condition in such a manner as to fit his flatulent world view. A stark distinction is made between women of "true heart" and those who catch men "by the net of paint, powder, and suggestive clothes". To the first sort, we are told, "and their pitiful hours of waiting for the love that never comes, we dedicate our story." Yeesh. It's a familiar tale of a plain Jane-type, played by Lillian Gish, who is passed over for a woman more capable of turning heads. Her beau, played by Robert Harron, is easily duped into trusting the ritzier gal, played by Clarine Seymour, who is getting some on the side and would take a pass on honesty even if it came with a free hat. For all that Susie wants to marry a smart man, I'm not sure this sucker fits the bill. After he marries the second gal, Susie swallows her love and pride and goes about helping the woman maintain her husband's rosy image of her, even after he is forced to acknowledge that he made the wrong choice. After sneaking out one night to go to a party, she gets caught in a rain storm and, wouldn't you know it, catches a fatal illness from the cold. After being told the truth by various townspeople, he finally asks Susie to marry him. The film isn't horrible by any means, but it also isn't original, and falls well short of the high bar that Griffith usually sets for himself. This isn't terribly surprising since the much better "Broken Blossoms" (another Griffith picture) was released just a couple of weeks before this one. Oddly enough, whereas I normally can't find much to like about Gish's performances, I sort of enjoyed her in this one. I felt some genuine emotion from her during some of her scenes when she felt passed over, and her trademark "dead eyes" were much livelier in general throughout. I still don't get the appeal, and I swear her lasting reputation is built upon parroted past perceptions of her that have gone unchallenged in the century since her heyday, but others are entitled to their opinions. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/17/24 Full Review Audience Member In this D. W. Griffith motion picture, audiences are asked the question about love. Do men follow their hearts or do they follow those who are in high society? True Heart Susie tells the story of a woman named True Heart Susie (played by Lillian Gish) who falls in love with her neighbor (Robert Harron) and will do whatever it takes to make him happy even thought he is clueless about her intentions. While the film isn't as good as Griffith's other previous movies possibly because of the lazy production design in this particular one, True Heart Susie is still a serviceable film due to a well performance by Lillian Gish. True Heart Susie is a decent film that I think audiences will appreciate. as it's pretty sweet and touching. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member I don't imagine women-centric films were the norm in 1919, so this came as a pleasant surprise to me. There's nothing revolutionary about the story, but it's quite touching, and there is even a good bit of dry humour in the word cards. The quaint outdatedness of the presentation, in addition to the bewitching soundtrack, lends a magical air to the film. The acting is very good, led by a fine Lillian Gish performance. Quite a good watch. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review spencer p A hugely sentimental though also resonating silent film that rings with a timeless story. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member A much smaller & lesser know work of DW Griffith staring the always delightful Lillian Gish. This is an extremely linear film that is frustratingly dated & small minded. Gish is terrific as the girl who loves whole heartedly & her hopes are always crushed by Bill. Filled with a few too many cliches this film is held together by Gish's amazing portrayal of sadness. I appreciated it for its time but it is no as memorable as their other collaborations... Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Griffith's best movie, whatever. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

True Heart Susie

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