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Director's Spotlight
Senior Film Conservator
Director's Spotlight: United States
A Deep Dive into the 1915 Vision of George Fitzmaurice
The enduring fascination with Via Wireless is a testament to the artistic risks taken by George Fitzmaurice that eventually paid off. Challenging the viewer to find meaning in the cult shadows, it reminds us of the fragility and beauty of the 1915s.
In Via Wireless, George Fitzmaurice 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.
To fully appreciate Via Wireless, one must consider the cinematic climate of 1915. During this period, United States was undergoing significant artistic shifts, and George Fitzmaurice was at the forefront of this cult movement, often challenging established norms.
| Cinematography | High-Contrast |
| Soundtrack | Minimalist |
| Editing | Disjunctive |
| Art Direction | Baroque |
Visualizing the convergence of George Fitzmaurice's style and the core cult narrative.
Marsh, a draughtsman in the gun factory of John Durant, is swindled by Edward Pinkney, Durant's general manager, out of the huge royalty to be paid should a gun of Marsh's invention prove a success. Pinkney loves Maisie, but is far outrivaled by Lieut. Somers, U.S.N. Somers also has invented a gun which he gives to be cast by the Durant Iron Works, and which, if successful, will do Pinkney out of his expected graft on the Marsh invention. Pinkney takes good care that the Somers gun is "killed" in the making. He then misrepresents Somers to Maisie and her father, and though Maisie loves the Lieutenant, she feels she must give him up. Accompanied by her mother and Pinkney, she goes in the Durant yacht for a cruise in Turkish waters, formally engaging herself to Pinkney. The Durant yacht hits a mine, and in the rush to leave her, Maisie is trapped in the wireless room. With the water surging up about her shoulders, and every means of escape barred she sends out the S.O.S. signal taught her by Lieut. Somers. The lieutenant, aboard a U.S. cruiser, protecting American interests in Turkey, gets the signal, and arrives at the side of the doomed ship just in time to make a sensational rescue. Here follow a mass of complications as the plot gradually resolves itself to its end.
Decades after its release, Via Wireless remains a vital piece of the cinematic puzzle. Its influence can be seen in countless modern works, solidifying George Fitzmaurice's status as a master of the craft in United States and beyond.