The White Rose

Plot

Joseph, a wealthy young Southern aristocrat, graduates from seminary with idealistic notions about serving humanity. Before taking his assigned parish, he decides to experience the 'real world' and travels to New Orleans, where he encounters Bessie, a poor orphan girl working in a disreputable establishment. Despite their vastly different social backgrounds, Joseph is drawn to Bessie's innocence and vulnerability, leading to a romantic relationship that results in her pregnancy. Torn between his religious calling and his responsibility to Bessie and their unborn child, Joseph faces a moral crisis that tests his faith and character. The film explores themes of redemption, social hypocrisy, and the conflict between religious duty and human love, culminating in Joseph's struggle to reconcile his ideals with the consequences of his actions.

Historical Background

The White Rose was produced during a pivotal moment in American cinema history. The early 1920s saw the film industry transitioning from the pioneering era of the 1910s to the studio system that would dominate Hollywood. D.W. Griffith, who had revolutionized filmmaking with works like 'The Birth of a Nation' and 'Intolerance,' was struggling to adapt to these changes. The film reflected the social tensions of the post-World War I era, including questions about traditional morality, the role of religion in modern society, and the growing awareness of social inequality. The Roaring Twenties were beginning, bringing with it more liberal attitudes toward sexuality and social issues, making Griffith's Victorian moralism seem increasingly dated to contemporary audiences.

Making Of

The production of 'The White Rose' reflected the changing dynamics of Hollywood in the early 1920s. Griffith, once the undisputed master of American cinema, was finding it increasingly difficult to secure financing and maintain creative control. The film was made through United Artists, the company Griffith had co-founded, but even there his influence was waning. During filming, tensions arose between Griffith and his crew, particularly regarding his insistence on casting Carol Dempster, whose performance was considered weak by many contemporaries. The New Orleans settings were recreated on studio backlots, demonstrating Griffith's continued commitment to visual spectacle despite budget constraints. The film's production was marked by Griffith's growing frustration with the industry's shift toward more commercial, less artistically ambitious projects.

Visual Style

The cinematography, while not as innovative as Griffith's earlier work, demonstrated his continued commitment to visual storytelling. The film used chiaroscuro lighting to create moral contrasts between characters, particularly in scenes depicting the contrast between Joseph's religious world and Bessie's life in the underworld. The New Orleans sequences featured atmospheric street scenes and detailed set designs that reflected Griffith's background in Southern storytelling. The camera work included some of Griffith's characteristic techniques, such as iris shots and cross-cutting, though these were employed with less frequency and innovation than in his classic period.

Innovations

While not technically groundbreaking like Griffith's earlier works, 'The White Rose' demonstrated refined techniques in set design and lighting. The film's recreation of New Orleans on studio backlots showcased advanced production design capabilities for the time. The lighting techniques used to create moral contrasts between characters and settings were particularly sophisticated, employing the latest developments in artificial lighting technology. The film also featured some innovative uses of focus and depth of field to emphasize emotional moments, though these were subtle compared to the revolutionary techniques Griffith had pioneered earlier in his career.

Music

As a silent film, 'The White Rose' would have been accompanied by live musical performances in theaters. The original score was composed by Louis F. Gottschalk, Griffith's frequent collaborator. The music typically included classical pieces adapted to fit the film's emotional tone, with particular emphasis on religious themes for Joseph's scenes and more melancholic melodies for Bessie's story. The score reflected the film's moral dichotomy through its musical contrasts, using traditional hymns and sacred music alongside popular songs of the era that represented the 'worldly' elements of the story.

Memorable Scenes

• Joseph's graduation from seminary, filled with idealistic speeches about serving humanity that foreshadow his later moral crisis
• The atmospheric New Orleans street sequence where Joseph first encounters Bessie, using chiaroscuro lighting to contrast their different worlds
• The pivotal scene where Joseph learns of Bessie's pregnancy, filmed with tight close-ups to emphasize his emotional turmoil
• The climactic confrontation between Joseph's religious duty and his personal responsibility, set against a stormy backdrop that mirrors his internal conflict

What Critics Said

Contemporary critics were largely dismissive of 'The White Rose,' with many finding it melodramatic and morally preachy. The New York Times criticized the film's sentimentality and Dempster's performance, while Variety noted that Griffith seemed to be repeating formulas that had worked better in his earlier films. Modern critics have been somewhat more charitable, viewing the film as an interesting if flawed late work by a master filmmaker. Some contemporary scholars have reevaluated the film as containing mature thematic explorations that were overlooked at the time of its release. The film is now generally regarded as a minor work in Griffith's oeuvre, significant primarily for what it reveals about his artistic decline and the changing tastes of 1920s audiences.

What Audiences Thought

The film was a commercial disappointment, failing to attract the audiences that had flocked to Griffith's earlier works. Contemporary audience reactions were mixed, with many finding the story overly moralistic and the pacing slow compared to the more dynamic films being produced by younger directors. The film's themes of religious hypocrisy and fallen womanhood, which had been powerful in Griffith's earlier works, seemed dated to 1920s audiences who were embracing more modern and sophisticated entertainment. The poor reception contributed to Griffith's growing financial difficulties and his decreasing ability to secure funding for ambitious projects.

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