DbcultAccessing Vault...
Director's Spotlight
Senior Film Conservator
Director's Spotlight: United States
A Deep Dive into the 1919 Vision of Lois Weber
The brilliance of Home (1919) is inseparable from the visionary mind of its creator, Lois Weber. Serving as a mirror to the anxieties of a changing world, it persists as a haunting reminder of our own cinematic history.
In Home, Lois Weber 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.
| Cinematography | Noir-Inspired |
| Soundtrack | Synth-Heavy |
| Editing | Disjunctive |
| Art Direction | Baroque |
Visualizing the convergence of Lois Weber's style and the core cult narrative.
Envious of the wealth of her classmates at the fashionable boarding school to which her parents struggled to send her, Millicent Rankin hides the fact that her father is a plumber. She invites her friend Beatrice Deering to her home, which she describes as lavish, for the vacation, but thinks that Beatrice will refuse. The embarrassment Millicent feels when she receives a wire that Beatrice is coming causes her mother pain, but when Millicent's sister becomes ill with scarlet fever, Millicent goes instead to Beatrice's country residence where she hopes to meet a rich husband. At the Deerings', Millicent is soon disappointed with society's mores. After almost succumbing to the advances of Elmer Lacy, who secretly is carrying on an affair with Beatrice's stepmother, Millicent protects Mrs. Deering's reputation by humiliating herself. When she learns that her mother is ill, Millicent rushes home and discovers happiness with her family and her old sweetheart.
Decades after its release, Home remains a vital piece of the cinematic puzzle. Its influence can be seen in countless modern works, solidifying Lois Weber's status as a master of the craft in United States and beyond.