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Director's Spotlight
Senior Film Conservator
Director's Spotlight: United States
A Deep Dive into the 1920 Vision of James D. Davis
The brilliance of Let 'er Go (1920) is inseparable from the visionary mind of its creator, James D. Davis. Serving as a mirror to the anxieties of a changing world, it persists as a haunting reminder of our own cinematic history.
In Let 'er Go, James D. Davis 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.
The visual language of Let 'er Go is defined by its use of shadows and framing, a hallmark of James D. Davis's style. By utilizing a 1920-era palette, the film creates an immersive experience that perfectly complements its Short themes.
| Cinematography | Deep Focus |
| Soundtrack | Diegetic |
| Editing | Elliptical |
| Art Direction | Expressionist |
Visualizing the convergence of James D. Davis's style and the core Short narrative.
On the usual thread of romance in this kind of Mack Sennett comedy, are hung a series of amusing situations, and one of the most original is where one of the "fighting gentlemen" attempts to keep the tail of the cow he is milking still by tying it to his suspenders. When the cow takes fright and decides to make her getaway it is easy to imagine what happens. This, however, is only the outcome of another funny incident in which the dog and a couple of his grown-up playmates are engaged in a game of "blind man's buff" and he who happens to be chosen "it" gets in the way of an old-fashioned swing in motion. He is knocked into the midst of several hives of bees, and his mad rush to escape the stings of the insects sets several other comedy properties in motion. An old automobile, a team of horses in a runaway dash, driven by a tiny baby boy, and various persons on bicycles and otherwise propelled enter the chase. Another amusing and original incident is where Louise Fazenda, in a perfectly modest bathing suit, is fished from the stream by the hook of a young man's fishing pole. - Moving Picture World, 12 June 1920.
Decades after its release, Let 'er Go remains a vital piece of the cinematic puzzle. Its influence can be seen in countless modern works, solidifying James D. Davis's status as a master of the craft in United States and beyond.