''The Awakening'' (1928) is a

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

directed by Victor Fleming and starring Vilma Bánky. It was based on a story by

Frances Marion Frances Marion (born Marion Benson Owens, November 18, 1888 – May 12, 1973) was an American screenwriter, director, journalist and author often cited as one of the most renowned female screenwriters of the 20th century alongside June Mathis a ...

Plot

In Alsace, which was under German occupation, shortly before the outbreak of the First World War. Marie Ducrot is a pretty young peasant woman who falls in love with Count Karl von Hagen, a German army officer. Marie is seen when she visits von Hagen in his quarters. The people suffering under the occupation see Marie as a traitor and assault her physically. Marie disappears and is believed dead. But she has fled to a monastery where she is accepted as a novice. The war breaks out. Von Hagen is wounded in fighting near the monastery. Marie nurses him back to health. Von Hagen wants her to go to Germany with him. The French lieutenant Le Bête helps the two to reach the German lines. The couple get to safety, but Le Bête is killed by a sniper's bullet.

Cast

* Vilma Bánky as Marie Ducrot * Walter Byron as Count Karl von Hagen *

Louis Wolheim Louis Robert Wolheim (March 28, 1880 – February 18, 1931) was an American actor, of both stage and screen, whose rough physical appearance relegated him to roles mostly of thugs or villains in the movies, but whose talent allowed him to fl ...

as Le Bete * George Davis as The Orderly *

William Orlamond William Anderson Orlamond (1 August 1867 – 23 April 1957) was a Danish-American film actor. Orlamond appeared in more than 80 films between 1912 and 1938. Partial filmography * '' A Rogue's Romance'' (1919) * '' Elmo the Mighty'' (191 ...

as Grandfather Ducrot *

Carl von Haartman Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...

as Lieutenant Franz Geyer

Reception

the film was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Production Design The Academy Award for Best Production Design recognizes achievement for art direction in film. The category's original name was Best Art Direction, but was changed to its current name in 2012 for the 85th Academy Awards. This change resulted fro ...

at the 2nd Academy Awards. The Nominee,

William Cameron Menzies William Cameron Menzies (July 29, 1896 – March 5, 1957) was an American film production designer (a job title he invented) and art director as well as a film director and producer during a career spanning five decades. He began his career ...

was also nominated the same year for

Alibi (1929 film) ''Alibi'' is a 1929 American pre-Code crime film directed by Roland West. The screenplay was written by West and C. Gardner Sullivan, who adapted the 1927 Broadway stage play, ''Nightstick'', written by Elaine Sterne Carrington, J.C. Nugent, ...

Critical reception

A review in the trade publication '' Harrison's Reports'' summarized the film as "'spotty;' that is, it is good, in fact very good, in spots; on the other hand, in spots it is slow, and even poor." It also commended Banky and Byron for "good work" in their roles and Fleming for his direction.

Preservation status

The film is presumed lost.''The Awakening'' at Silentera.com
/ref>

References

External links

* 1928 films 1928 drama films American black-and-white films American silent feature films Films directed by Victor Fleming Samuel Goldwyn Productions films Lost American films Silent American drama films 1928 lost films Lost drama films 1920s American films {{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub