MOONRISE
US, 1948, 90 minutes, Black and white.
Gail Russell, Dane Clark, Ethel Barrymore, Allyn Joslyn, Rex Ingram.
Directed by Frank Borzage.
Moonrise is an interesting melodrama, directed by Frank Borzage, director of many sentimental melodramas of the 30s and 40s. The failure of Moonrise at the box office meant that Borzage was not to make a film for another ten years. He then made China Doll and The Big Fisherman.
This film has a toughness that sometimes underlies some of Borzage's more obviously romantic features. The film focuses on Dane Clark's performance as Danny Hawkins, a young man persecuted as he grew up and bearing a grudge against society. Gail Russell is attractive as a schoolteacher. Ethel Barrymore is once again wise as the grandmother. Allyn Joslyn is the sympathetic sheriff and Rex Ingram is Mose, Danny Hawkins' friend.
While the melodramatic style is contrived, the strength of the performances and the intensity of the plot make for arresting entertainment.
1. Interesting and enjoyable psychological study? Portrait of a community? Exploration of character? Responsibility and guilt?
2. Black and white photography? Authentic locations for the backwoods? The importance of the background, nature? Night and day, light and dark? The title and its symbolism?
3. The portrait of Danny Hawkins - his background, his being persecuted and ridiculed, the reputation of his father? The support of his grandmother? Jerry Sykes and his continued taunts? The grown-ups and the continued clash? Jerry and his malice, Danny's friendship with Gilly? Danny and his bitterness, his anger? The fight with Jerry? The accidental death? Danny and his running away? Protecting himself? The suspicions on the bandleader? Danny's internal fears, his memories of his father, feeling that he might do violence to others? His uneasy conscience? His going into the hills? The support of his grandmother? Gilly and her love and advice? Mose? his understanding? Danny giving himself up? His future? Justice to be done?
4, The youngsters in the small town, their cruelty to one another? Jerry Sykes and his antagonism towards Danny? Breaking up the relationship with Gilly? Young men and the dancing, the fights? Jerry's death? The suspicion of the bandleader and Danny's not coming forward?
5. Gilly and her place in the town, schoolteacher, her love for Danny? Jerry Sykes and his breaking up the relationship? Gilly, going out to see Danny, her love, advice?
6. Danny's grandmother and her living in the swamps, her love for her grandson, her understanding of her son, her explaining things to Danny, helping him cope?
7. Nose and his place in the community, friendship for Danny, support and advice?
8. The sheriff and his authority in the town, the challenges to it, the question of the killing, his investigations, with Gilly? His support of Danny, persuading him to give up?
9. The portrait of pressures, cruelties? justice? Danny as a product of his community?
10. How well did the film, explore characters, situations. tension, consequences?
