This brief film, rather poorly lit and with exaggerated acting, is (I'm assuming) a fair example of a pre-Griffith Biograph. On a limited budget, the production team has created a sparse and crowded set, and the actors have presumably supplied their own clothes. The action is very controlled and the gestures overly indicative.
I find 'A Ballroom Tragedy' interesting because it seems to have been made as though the audience knows exactly who is who and where they are. Which leads me to two conclusions. The first is that this is a sequence from a popular stage play or novel, or it was a news incident that was prominent at the time. Therefor the audience would know enough to follow the story without having to have it placed in too much context.
Not a bad film overall, however flawed you may find it. Period fashion fanatics should take note. It can be downloaded from the Library of Congress website.
I find 'A Ballroom Tragedy' interesting because it seems to have been made as though the audience knows exactly who is who and where they are. Which leads me to two conclusions. The first is that this is a sequence from a popular stage play or novel, or it was a news incident that was prominent at the time. Therefor the audience would know enough to follow the story without having to have it placed in too much context.
Not a bad film overall, however flawed you may find it. Period fashion fanatics should take note. It can be downloaded from the Library of Congress website.