This film tells a fairly simple story of a young noblewoman who helps the poor, only to be taken advantage of by an unscrupulous man. When she tells her newlywed husband her dark secret, it affects both of their lives forever. It was a rather haunting film, and the earliest of Bauer's work that survives. It's not quite as refined as what Griffith was doing at the time, but the lighting and camera angles are occasionally quite interesting. The acting shows the influence of contemporary theater work, but it's more subdued than some other efforts from this time. Overall it's pretty intriguing, and it tells the story in a very economical and precise way.
Review of Sumerki zhenskoy dushi
