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6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Linda remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you're looking for something fast-paced to watch tonight, Linda is definitely not going to be your thing. It is a very slow, very heavy drama from that awkward time when movies were just starting to figure out how to tell bigger stories. 🌲
It is mostly for people who like those old-fashioned stories where everyone lives in a cabin and has a lot of 'honor' problems. If you hate movies where people just stare at each other while dramatic music probably played in the theater, you will probably hate this one.
The whole thing is basically about Linda, played by Helen Foster, who is stuck in the middle of nowhere. Her dad is played by Noah Beery, and man, he is just mean in this one.
He basically forces her to marry this older guy, Decker, because of some backwoods logic I didn't quite catch. Warner Baxter plays the husband, and he’s actually pretty decent, even if he looks way too old for her. 🪵
There is this one scene where Linda is looking out a window and you can see the dust floating in the light. It’s a small thing, but it made the whole cabin feel real and stuffy, like you could smell the old wood.
The problem is that she’s actually in love with this young doctor. Allen Connor plays the doctor, and honestly? He’s a bit of a bore.
He has this very shiny hair that never moves, even when he's supposed to be stressed out. I found myself rooting for the older husband just because he had a bit more personality in his face. 🙄
It reminded me a bit of the vibe in The Dark Swan, but way less fancy. Everything here is rugged and kind of dirty.
The pacing is... well, it’s not great. There is a sequence involving a storm that feels like it takes about three years to finish. ⛈️
I noticed that in the wide shots, the extras in the background sometimes look like they aren't sure if the camera is still rolling. One guy in a hat just stands there holding a piece of wood for a long time.
It’s these little mistakes that make me like these old movies, though. It feels like a real play that someone happened to film in the dirt.
Noah Beery really leans into the 'angry dad' thing. Every time he points his finger, I felt like I was getting in trouble too. 👈
Some of the titles cards are a bit flowery. They use all these big words to describe 'love' when you can clearly see the actors are just cold and want to go inside.
The movie gets a bit more interesting when the conflict between the doctor and the husband finally comes to a head. But even then, it’s very polite.
I kept thinking about The Road to Love while watching this. Both movies have that same 'destiny' feeling that feels a bit silly today.
The ending is... well, it's an ending. It feels a bit rushed compared to how slow the rest of the movie was. 🏃♂️
One thing that bugged me was the lighting in the night scenes. You can tell they just filmed it in the middle of the day and hoped nobody would notice the huge shadows.
It’s not a masterpiece like Exit Smiling, which actually has some life to it. This is more of a 'sit and think about the woods' kind of movie.
Is it worth a watch? Maybe if you're bored on a Sunday and want to see what people thought was scandalous in 1929.
Otherwise, it’s just a lot of pouting in flannel shirts. Which, hey, maybe that's your thing. 🤷♂️
I did like the dog, though. There is a dog in one scene that looks very confused by the actors' shouting.
Overall, it’s a bit of a dusty relic. It’s got some heart, but it’s buried under a lot of pine needles and slow stares.
IMDb 7.1
1916
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