Four Sons

Plot

Set in a Bavarian village before and during World War I, the film follows the Bernle family, a widowed mother and her four sons. When war breaks out, three of the sons enthusiastically enlist to fight for Germany, while the fourth son, Joseph, has already emigrated to America. As the war progresses, the mother receives devastating news about her sons fighting on the front lines, while Joseph joins the American army when the United States enters the conflict. The film culminates in a powerful reunion scene where Joseph returns to Germany as an American soldier, confronting the devastating impact of war on his family and homeland.

Historical Background

Four Sons was produced in 1928, during the final months of the silent film era and just before the Great Depression. The film emerged a decade after World War I, when American society was still processing the war's impact and many European immigrants were dealing with the trauma of having fought against their adopted country. The film's sympathetic portrayal of German characters was notably progressive for its time, as most American films of the 1920s still depicted Germans as one-dimensional villains. The movie reflected America's complex relationship with immigration and national identity during a period of restrictive immigration policies. Its release coincided with the rise of pacifist sentiment in the late 1920s, making its anti-war message particularly resonant with audiences who had witnessed the devastating effects of the recent conflict.

Making Of

John Ford, then still known primarily for his Westerns, fought studio executives to make this emotional family drama. He discovered Margaret Mann at a school where she was teaching and insisted on casting her despite her lack of acting experience. The production involved constructing elaborate Bavarian village sets on the Fox backlot, complete with working brewery and authentic German architecture. Ford worked closely with cinematographer Charles G. Clarke to develop a visual style that contrasted the warm, intimate family scenes with the stark, brutal battle sequences. The war scenes utilized actual WWI veterans as extras and technical advisors to ensure authenticity. Ford's attention to detail extended to having all German dialogue and signage in the film be accurate, requiring German-speaking consultants throughout production.

Visual Style

Charles G. Clarke's cinematography in Four Sons represents some of the finest visual storytelling of the late silent era. The film employs a distinctive visual contrast between the warm, intimate family scenes in the Bavarian village and the harsh, stark imagery of the battle sequences. Clarke used soft focus and warm lighting for the domestic scenes, creating a nostalgic, almost dreamlike quality that emphasizes the family's happiness before the war. The battle sequences, by contrast, utilize high-contrast lighting and handheld camera techniques that create a sense of chaos and immediacy. Notable tracking shots follow characters through the village streets, establishing a sense of place and community. The cinematography makes effective use of depth of field, particularly in scenes showing the mother waiting for news, where the empty space around her emphasizes her isolation. Clarke's work on this film helped establish visual techniques that would become standard in family dramas and war films for decades to come.

Innovations

Four Sons showcased several technical innovations for its time, particularly in its battle sequences. The film employed early forms of the tracking shot to follow characters through the village, creating a sense of continuity and immersion. Ford and his cinematographer developed techniques for simulating explosions and artillery fire that were remarkably realistic for the period, using multiple camera angles and carefully timed pyrotechnics. The film's editing, particularly in the cross-cutting between the mother waiting at home and her sons at war, was considered groundbreaking in its ability to build tension and emotional impact. The production also pioneered the use of large-scale miniature models for certain village and battlefield scenes, allowing for shots that would have been impossible or too dangerous to film full-scale. The film's preservation in 1999 required advanced restoration techniques to repair damage to the original nitrate elements, making it a showcase for both historical and modern technical achievement.

Music

As a silent film, Four Sons was originally accompanied by a compiled score performed live in theaters. The Fox studio provided a detailed musical cue sheet suggesting appropriate classical pieces and mood music for different scenes. The score prominently featured works by German composers including Wagner and Brahms for the family scenes, contrasting with more dissonant, modernist pieces for the battle sequences. Some theaters commissioned original scores from their house composers, with the Roxy Theater in New York creating a particularly elaborate orchestral arrangement. The 1999 restoration included a newly commissioned score by composer Gillian Anderson, which attempted to recreate the musical aesthetic of the late 1920s while incorporating modern sensibilities. The music plays a crucial role in the film's emotional impact, particularly in scenes without intertitles where the score alone conveys the characters' feelings.

Memorable Scenes

• The emotional opening sequence showing the mother with her four sons in their Bavarian home, establishing the family's close bond before the war
• The farewell scene where three sons leave for the German army while Joseph departs for America, visually representing the family's division
• The powerful sequence of the mother receiving telegrams about her sons, using visual storytelling to convey devastating news without dialogue
• The climactic battle scenes showing the brutal reality of trench warfare, filmed with remarkable technical sophistication for 1928
• The final reunion scene where Joseph returns as an American soldier, confronting his mother and the devastation of war
• The haunting shot of the mother walking through the empty village, emphasizing the loss and isolation caused by war

What Critics Said

Contemporary critics praised Four Sons as one of the most powerful and emotionally affecting films of 1928. The New York Times called it 'a masterpiece of silent cinema' and specifically lauded Margaret Mann's performance as 'the most moving maternal portrayal in screen history.' Variety noted Ford's 'extraordinary visual storytelling' and predicted the film would 'stand as a landmark in American cinema.' Modern critics have reevaluated the film as a crucial work in Ford's filmography, with many considering it his first great film. The Criterion Collection included it in their Ford at Fox box set, with accompanying essays highlighting its technical innovations and emotional depth. Contemporary film scholars often cite it as an example of silent cinema's ability to convey complex themes through visual means, arguing that its power might have been diminished had it been made with dialogue.

What Audiences Thought

Four Sons was a major commercial success upon its release, particularly resonating with immigrant audiences and families who had experienced the impact of WWI. The film's emotional core struck a chord with viewers, with many reports of audiences weeping during the mother's scenes. The movie played for extended runs in major cities and was especially popular in areas with large German-American populations. Audience word-of-mouth helped sustain its theatrical run for months beyond typical booking periods. The film's success was such that it became one of Fox's most profitable productions of 1928. Even during the transition to sound, theaters continued to book Four Sons due to audience demand. The film's reputation among classic film enthusiasts remains strong today, with restored screenings often selling out at revival houses and film festivals.

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