Fools of Fate

This short D.W. Griffith feature works well enough, both in its story-telling and its content. It's the kind of story that often brought out the best in Griffith, and here the technique is good enough to make the points clearly even though most of the titles seem to be missing (since there are gaps in the print that are clearly so marked).

The story concerns a romantic triangle with some unusual aspects. It's the kind of story that typifies, at least in a basic way, the kind of material that Griffith was best at - a story that brings out the inevitability of human weakness and sadness. He usually had a good touch with that kind of material (as opposed to his more heavy-handed efforts at politics and the like), and he allows you to see into all three of the characters, as simple as they are.

Though neither the story nor the characters are especially interesting in themselves, there's enough to it to make it a little better than average among the short dramas of its era.

The IMDB summary for "Fools of Fate" is pretty amazing. After all, it's one of the longest and most thorough summaries I've seen for any film....yet it's run time is less than 13 minutes!! And, because the summary is THAT thorough, I'll skip reviewing what the film is about and just say what I liked or hated about it!

Like all the D. W. Griffith films I've seen from this era, the story would have been helped considerably had they used intertitle cards to explain some of the action or to convey what the folks were saying. As such, having this summary on IMDB was quite helpful. I do appreciate the subtlety in the acting in this compared to many other films of the 1900s....the usual overly exaggerated acting is less obvious here. For its time, an excellent and engaging story.

When you watch some of these early Griffith films you are not watching entertainment but a vocabulary unfolding before your very eyes. He is using the language of cinema as the new novel to tell a story to ordinary people who probably couldn't read. In a way, he is the poor man's director.

Fools of Fate (1909)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

D.W. Griffith film about a hunter, who can't swim but goes out in a boat but when it capsizes he is near death when a camper on shore notices and saves him. As fate would have it, later in the week that same camper hits on a woman who just happens to be the wife of the hunter. This is one of Griffith's better films with some nice suspense and a rather unusual but effective ending.

Available through Grapevine as part of their D.W. Griffith: The Director series.

Marion Leonard (as Fanny) and James Kirkwood (as Ben) seem to be a happily married couple. One day, Mr. Kirkwood goes out on a hunting jaunt, in a canoe; when he rises to fire at some game, the canoe capsizes. Apparently a poor swimmer, Kirkwood is rescued by nearby hunter Frank Powell (as Ed). Mr. Powell helps dry Kirkwood off, and the two crawl under a blanket for the evening. The next morning, Kirkwood thanks Powell for his kindness, and goes on his way. Then, Ms. Leonard meets Powell, while on one of her shopping trips; and, they kindle an attraction. Soon, Leonard and Powell are meeting regularly, and decide to run away together, leaving Kirkwood in the cold…

Remarkable 1909 story, content-wise, from D.W. Griffith, G.W. Bitzer, and the good folks at Biograph. Leonard's performance as a "torn-between-two-loves" woman is a highlight, ahead of its time. Her leading men do are quite good, also, with some implausible situations. "Fools of Fate" is a cut above the usual, due to its interesting premise, and Marion Leonard's performance.

***** Fools of Fate (10/7/09) D.W. Griffith ~ Marion Leonard, James Kirkwood, Frank Powell