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Director's Spotlight
Senior Film Conservator
Director's Spotlight: United States
A Deep Dive into the 1922 Vision of Edward Sedgwick
Exploring the Action underpinnings of Chasing the Moon leads us to the stylistic boundaries pushed by Edward Sedgwick during the production. Through a lens of existential fatalism and Action tropes, it continues to spark endless debates among critics and cinephiles alike.
In Chasing the Moon, Edward Sedgwick pushes the boundaries of conventional narrative. The film's unique approach to its subject matter has sparked endless debates and interpretations among cinephiles and critics alike.
While deeply rooted in United States, Chasing the Moon has achieved a global reach, influencing directors from various backgrounds. Its ability to translate Action tropes into a universal cinematic language is why it remains a cult staple decades after its 1922 release.
| Cinematography | High-Contrast |
| Soundtrack | Synth-Heavy |
| Editing | Rhythmic |
| Art Direction | Naturalist |
Visualizing the convergence of Edward Sedgwick's style and the core Action narrative.
Dwight Locke, a blasé millionaire who has seen and done everything, gives a party for his ranch hands at a city restaurant. His fiancée, Jane Norworth, sees him there with a chorus girl and later upbraids him for not being a worker like her chemist brother Milton. When Dwight breaks a glass distillation bottle in Milton's laboratory and cuts his hand, he learns that it contains a poison that will kill in 30 days unless offset by an antidote known only to Professor Sulphite, who has sailed for Russia. Dwight takes up the chase to find the professor within the time limit, with adventures aboard horses, ships, carriages, and trains. Meanwhile, Milton discovers that the container did not contain poison and that Dwight will die if he takes the antidote, so he and Jane pursue Dwight until they find him in Spain, where the lovers are united.
Decades after its release, Chasing the Moon remains a vital piece of the cinematic puzzle. Its influence can be seen in countless modern works, solidifying Edward Sedgwick's status as a master of the craft in United States and beyond.