"True Heart Susie" *** (out of ****)If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life / Never make a pretty woman your wife / So from my personal point of view / Get an ugly girl to marry you
Lyrics to song "If You Wanna Be Happy" written by Joseph Royster, Carmella Guida and Frank Guida
Lillian Gish follows her heart in D.W. Griffith's "True Heart Susie" (1919).
"True Heart Susie" is a silent dramatic love story following in the footsteps of Griffith's previous film, "Broken Blossoms" (1919), one of the screen's first interracial love stories, which also starred Lillian Gish.
Gish plays Susie, a so-called plain looking girl, who is in love with William (Robert Harron), an attractive, somewhat dim-witted, neighbor. There seems to be an attraction between the two, as they walk home together, though not holding hands but with Susie walking behind William, a perfect visualization of the power dynamic in the relationship. William has to be kind of sweet on Susie as he carves their initials in a tree but can't bring himself to kiss her, even as Susie is all puckered up.
The moral of Griffith's story, told in the opening inter-titles, questions whether men fall for women based on their looks ("the net of paint, powder, and suggestive clothes") or what is inside (their "true heart")? Women, on the other hand, are not given many options, and must idly wait for men and love to come their way. The movie claims to be dedicated to women "and their pitiful hours of waiting for love that never comes".
That sounds like a back handed compliment and one of the problems with Griffith's movie. On one hand it wants to offer a rather progressive message about women and their independence yet on the other hand it engages in all kind of gender stereotypes concerning games women play to attract men and the idea that women "trap" men. The men are presented as clueless simpletons not in touch with their emotions and unable to recognize true love.
So what type of man is William? Is he one that goes after looks or something deeper? In "True Heart Susie" of course, seeking something deeper means going after a "plain girl" (another back handed remark). Only homely looking women have hearts of gold? Susie has hopes William is the kind of man not interested in looks and thus will be interested in her.
Of course, Susie has standards too. She wants to be with an accomplished man. William is not the sharpest tool in the shed. He loses a spelling bee question to Susie, and comes from a poor family. This will make it impossible for him to afford going to college. God may have answered Susie's prayers when a wealthy businessman, wanting to flaunt his wealth, tells William, in his face he sees a great man. He will call William with an employment opportunity.
Unfortunately, this leads to one of many disappointments for Susie. The wealthy businessman never calls William and so it will now be up to Susie to step in and help. Susie decides to sell her dearly beloved cow and mail all the cash to William, pretending to be the businessman, as an offering to pay for his schooling.
A rather obvious issue with "True Heart Susie" is the casting. Lillian Gish was not a flapper. She wasn't a sex symbol. But, to imply she was a "plain girl" is a bit hard to swallow. Gish was as attractive or more attractive than the so-called better looking women in the movie. Which leads to another issue. Does this not contradict Griffith's message of the two camps women fall in? The ones looking to trap men and the plain girls. Because, Susie is just as sneaky, working behind the scenes, trying to "capture" William.
If the viewer can get pass Lillian Gish playing a "plain girl", unnoticed by men, the movie does get one thing right. It understands unrequited love. It reminds me of my high schools years, and to be honest, college too, when I was attracted to women that were "out of my league". There was a lot of wishing and hoping that goes into that scenario and this delusional wishful thinking preoccupies our thoughts. Whether the person is "plain" looking or not doesn't matter. It becomes a universal message. One we can all relate to. We have all been Susie at one time in our life.
Naturally, Susie's scheming will be put to the test, as will William's declaration that men marry plain looking women not flappers. A new woman comes to town, Bettina (Clarine Seymour, who sadly died a year later at age 21). Will she catch William's eye? This is a another universal truth the movie hits on. Never listen to a person describing their "type". While some people may stick to their description, in my experience, others have no clue what they are talking about and end up with people that are the complete opposite of their type.
There are some critics that actually believe "True Heart Susie" is one of Griffith's best films. I personally don't share that view but admit "True Heart Susie" is a well made movie and despite its age, 100 years old, hits on elements of human nature still relatable today. When it comes to matters of love, not much has changed. It has its flaws and seems to contradict its message. It is also rather predictable plot-wise and miscast. And, it leaves one wondering, what does Susie see in William?
But, one has to praise Lillian Gish's performance. She was always a likeable figure on-screen that audiences could relate to. By any standard she was a good actress and an important figure in the history of cinema. She fares much better than Robert Harron, who would also died one year later, from a self-inflicted gun wound. Gish is required to express more of an emotional range, going from moments of comedy to melodrama.
Griffith does some things here I prefer over "Broken Blossoms", which is too melodramatic (this is the movie Gish has lead such a hard life, she doesn't know how to smile) but nothing that can top "Way Down East" (1920), one of his best. Movie lovers should see "True Heart Susie". There is no such thing as exposing yourself to too much D.W. Griffith.
Also, spot Carol Demoster in a bit part. She would go on to replace Gish as Griffith's leading lady. It has even been said she was Griffith's mistress. You can see her in a much bigger role opposite W.C. Fields in Griffith's "Sally of the Sawdust" (1925).
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