Time: 95 Minutes
Age Rating: PG – Sexual assault theme
Cast:
Lillian Gish as Letty
Lars Hanson as Lige
Montagu Love as Roddy
Dorothy Cumming as Cora
Director: Victor Sjöström

I had never heard of The Wind, so I went into the screening of it at my film society not knowing anything going in, except that it would be accompanied by some live music. Coming out of it, I think it’s one of the best silent films I’ve seen.

From the outside, The Wind appears to be a western, and it is definitely set in that time period. But at its core, it is a bleak and unnerving psychological thriller which had me constantly engaged. The most surprising part was the progressive social commentary throughout all of this. It’s seen with all the limitations its protagonist is facing, with the repressive environment and the external forces pushing her in many directions, between the wind and sandstorm as well as society and the world she’s living in. We are alongside her as she’s being driven mad. The lowest point of the movie was the ending, and it wasn’t too surprising to learn afterwards that it was a change made by the studio. It just doesn’t feel earned and felt out of place from the rest of the movie. The theatrical ending is still fine, but it definitely would’ve worked better with the original planned ending.

Lillian Gish is phenomenal in the lead role of Letty. It’s such an expressive and physical performance, and we can really see her transformation over the course of the movie. She really sells everything and is believable as we see her overwhelmed by all the forces, both physical and societal.

Victor Sjöström’s direction is amazing. The visuals are outstanding, with such effective use of light and shadow. They really convey a sense of dread with the horses, trains and sand and surreal imagery. It has an eerie atmosphere throughout and is very haunting. The wind itself feels like a force of nature, with the hostile environment feeling like a character in itself. The use of practical effects is effective and makes everything feel so natural, even for a movie from the 20s. The live score that was playing at my screening was fittingly haunting and added so much to the experience.

The Wind (1928) is an excellent, haunting, and fantastically directed psychological western silent film.