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"The Wind" (1928)
Lillian Gish
Directed by Victor Seastrom
Produced by Andre Paulve, Fred Orain
Screenplay by Frances Marion
Based on The Wind by Dorothy Scarborough
Starring Lillian Gish, Lars Hanson, Montagu Love
Cinematography John Arnold
Editing by Conrad A. Nervig
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date November 23, 1928
Running time 78 mins
Country United States
Language Silent, English intertitles
The film is still under copyright, which prevents us from streaming it on our site. We will be able to show you this masterpiece in 2023.
"The Wind" (1928) is a critically acclaimed drama starring Lillian Gish. This film illustrates the work of our star director Victor Seastrom.
Letty, played by Lillian Gish, is a young woman relocating from Virginia to her cousin's home in the prairies. In the train she is approached by Wirt, a middle-aged man, who tells her that where she is going the wind never stops blowing and this drives people, especially women, crazy. Letty doesn't believe him, and is full of optimism for the future. Wirt is a traveling merchant and tells Letty he will be in touch.
Letty is taken to the ranch by Lige (Lars Hanson), her cousin's neighbor. She is warmly welcomed by her cousin, who was raised in her mother's home and who is like a brother to her. Her cousin's wife, however, doesn't like at all the warm relations between her husband and Letty. She is suspicious of everything Letty does, including being nice to her children. As time goes by, the cousin's wife grows increasingly antagonistic towards Letty.
Day and night strong winds carrying sand blow across the area and Letty very much troubled by this dreary place.
One night at the town's dance party Letty is courted both by Lige and by his buddy. Then when Wirt shows up Letty stops by to say "Hi", but unexpectedly for her he asks her to leave with him for the East. At that moment a tornado almost strikes the house, and Letty is hesitating whether to stay in this inhospitable place or to go.
Amid her hesitation her cousin's wife viciously confronts her, telling her to get out of her home. Letty decides to leave with Wirt, but backs off when he tells her that he is a married man. Her cousin's wife tells her to get married to one of her two suitors as her only choice.
Letty marries Lige, but he realizes that she does not love him and decides to save money and send her back home East. Then one day the ranchers bring to her home an injured man, who turns out to be Wirt. As he recovers, and in the absence of Lige, Wirt tries forcefully to make Letty leave with him. When she refuses, he becomes violent and Letty fatally shoots him in self-defense.
All the while hurricane-strong winds hammer the area, smashing windows and violently shaking the house. Letty seems to fulfill Wirt's prediction and appears to slowly lose her mind.
Then Lige returns home and Letty sees him altogether differently. She tells him that she wants to stay and that she loves him. Lige asks: "Aren't you going to be afraid of the wind all the time?" Letty replies: "Now I am not afraid of anything".
The film is ranked number 13 in the list of The Top 100 Silent Era Films of the influential website Silent Era.
In 1993 the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The film enjoys a very strong rating in IMDB.
Click to enlarge:
The Wind
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Lillian Gish travels by train to her cousin's home in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is approached by Montagu Love in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish tells Montagu Love that she is coming from Virginia in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish tells Montagu Love that she is going to her cousin's beautiful ranch and he bursts into a hearty laugh in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is told by Montagu Love that in this land of the wind women go crazy in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is troubled by Montagu Love's words in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish tells Montagu Love that she is not afraid in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is troubled again as she sees the wind hammering sand at the train windows in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is met by Lars Hanson at the train station in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish says goodbye to Montagu Love as strong winds blow in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is ready to travel by open coach as strong winds blow in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is told by Lars Hanson about the wild horses running away from the strong winds in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is unwelcome by Dorothy Cumming in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is met by Edward Earle in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is warmly welcomed by Edward Earle in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is happy to meet Dorothy Cumming, but gets no love in return in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish sits at the table for dinner in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish gets attention from Lars Hanson in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is troubled again as she sees the strong winds hammer sand at the windows in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish gets a lot of attention from Lars Hanson in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is not liked at all by Dorothy Cumming in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish likes to spend time with her cousin's children in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Dorothy Cumming is doing a butcher's job and looking at Lillian Gish in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish sees Montagu Love at the dance party in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish says "Hi" to Montagu Love at the dance party in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is courted by Montagu Love at the dance party in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is told by Montagu Love this is an awful place as a tornado passes by in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is asked by Montagu Love to go with him in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is given one day to think by Montagu Love as her two suitors look on in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish and Montagu Love say goodbye in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is told by Dorothy Cumming to stay away from her husband in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is told by Dorothy Cumming to get out of her home in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is pushed away by Dorothy Cumming and is very troubled by the strong winds again in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish makes up her mind to leave with Montagu Love in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish won't go with Montagu Love after she learns that he is a married man in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish looks on as Lars Hanson is congratulated by his friend for getting married in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish doesn't respond well to Lars Hanson's attempts to kiss her in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is very unhappy when Lars Hanson kisses her forcefully in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is sorry for Lars Hanson in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lars Hanson realizes that she doesn't love him and decides to send her home in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish imagines that Montagu Love looks at her with lustful eyes in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is confronted by Montagu Love in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is confronted even more by Montagu Love in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is extremely troubled by the violent winds and the shaking house in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish seems to be losing her mind as hurricane winds hammer and shake her home in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is confronted violently by Montagu Love in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is ready to shoot at Montagu Love in self-defense in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish tells Lars Hanson she killed Montagu Love in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish is told by Lars Hanson that soon her troubles will be over when she leaves for the East in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish tells Lars Hanson that she loves him and wants to stay as strong winds push the front door open "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish tells Lars Hanson that she is not afraid of the wind any more in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
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Lillian Gish and Lars Hanson are ready for love and life in "The Wind" (1928), directed by Victor Seastrom.
Lillian Gish
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