Orphans of the Storm – a Silent Film That Speaks Volumes in Todays Society

Silent film

In 1921, film producer and director, D. W. Griffith created two and a half hour film called Orphans of the Storm. It is set in the 18^th century in France during a period that preceded the Bolshevik Revolution. Orphans of the Storm tells the story of the democratization of France and the deep chasm that existed between the haves and the have-nots.

Orphans of the Storm tells the story of two sisters who were orphaned and got separated in Paris. It follows one of the sisters, Henriette, in her search for her blind sister, Louise. More significantly, Orphans of the Storm highlights the contrasts between the rich who overindulged in excess while just outside their doors the poor beg for the crumbs that fall from their tables. Does this sound familiar? Your first instinct may be to say “No;” but if you look beyond the pictures to the story you mind find that Orphans of the Storm is closer than you think to your reality.

The appearance of Governor Sarah Palin on the political scene has resurrected the culture wars that are very obvious in Orphans of the Storm. She has fallen in love with politics, but is not seen as being acceptable by the “elites.” In the same way, Henriette in Orphans of the Storm fell in love with an aristocrat but was prevented from pursuing the relationship by his uncle who taught she was too much of a commoner to marry his nephew.

Palin is said to represent the largest group of Americans – the middle class. The crux of her support lies with them and many of them would like to see her in the second highest office in the land. The obstacle for her is that the people with the power do not care much for her ‘down-home’ style. In Orphans of the Storm, the uncle of the man Henriette fell in love with had her imprisoned in an effort to keep her away from his nephew.

Orphans of the Storm speaks to a mentality that prevails in our society where if you don’t speak, look or act a certain way, you are not deemed of being worthy for certain positions. Eighty-seven years after the making of Orphans of the Storm, the themes that it still covers are very relevant today. Shows you how much things have changed, doesn’t it?