Miss Lu Lu Bett (1922)
In the National Film Registry
•
1h 10m
Misfit spinster Lulu Bett finds herself trapped as a servant for her overbearing family.
Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play and novel, Miss Lulu Bett (1922) explores themes of female independence and societal expectations through a unique lens.
Director William C. deMille utilizes techniques uncommon for the time. Interior monologues, conveyed through intertitles and expressive acting by Lois Wilson as Lulu, delve into the character's inner thoughts and frustrations. This approach challenges the silent film's typical focus on external action and dialogue.
Furthermore, the film employs innovative camerawork. Close-ups on Lulu's face emphasize her emotional turmoil, while Dutch angles and distorted perspectives create a sense of unease that reflects her stifled life. These techniques hint at the emerging German Expressionist style gaining traction in cinema.
Miss Lulu Bett's significance lies in its exploration of feminist themes and its experimentation with narrative techniques. It stands as a bridge between traditional silent film and the burgeoning era of more subjective and expressive filmmaking.
Up Next in In the National Film Registry
-
Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912)
In gritty NYC, a struggling musician and his wife face poverty and danger.
While not entirely abandoning traditional narrative, D.W. Griffith's 1912 short film, Musketeers of Pig Alley, pushes boundaries in its portrayal of violence and social issues. Set in the gritty underbelly of New York Ci...
-
Nanook of the North (1922)
Blends documentary and drama to depict Inuit life in Canada.
While presented as a documentary chronicling the life of Inuk hunter Nanook and his family in the Canadian Arctic, Robert Flaherty's 1922 silent film, Nanook of the North (1922), blurs the lines between documentary and staged reality. ...
-
Newark Athlete (1891)
Young athlete swings clubs, marking dawn of cinema.
Newark Athlete, a brief silent film produced in 1891, stands at the genesis of cinematic experimentation. Clocking in at just 12 seconds, this work by William Kennedy Dickson showcases a young athlete swinging Indian clubs. While seemingly sim...
