| The Finals for Artistic Design. |
| The anticipation is building as the Cinema Olympics Auditorium is beginning to fill once more. A hush comes over the crowd as the finalists for the Artistic Design award are ready to be announced: |
| And the Finalists are: � Eugenio Bava, Segundo de Chomon & Giovanni Pastrone: Cabiria (1914) (Italy) The Italian delegation is making some noise. Their landmark film is receiving some much-deserved recognition, and the crowd fully appreciates the wonderful historical reconstruction with the mind-bending sets. � Wilfred Buckland, Howard Higgin & Mitchell Leisen: Male & Female (1919) (USA) While somewhat lighter fare than some of the epics, the crowd seems to really enjoy the lavish costumes and decor. This is a truly ravishing entertainment; Hollywood at its finest. � Rochus Gliese & Kurt Richter: The Oyster Princess (1919) (Germany) While, given recent events, some in the crowd aren't certain they're quite ready for German comedy, this film is looking to be an exception, as the audience warms up and to the outlandish antics of leading lady Ossi Oswalda in the awesome mansion/castle wonderfully designed by Gliese and Richter. � D. W. Griffith, Walter L. Hall, Ralph M DeLacy, Joseph Stringer & Frank Wortman: Intolerance (1916) (USA) Absolutely no one is surprised by the nomination of Intolerance, and folks in the audience are properly awed when watching the montage of scenes from four different time periods, each with mind-blowing sets and period costumes. � Georges Melies: Kingdom of the Fairies (1903) (France) Mr. Melies is becoming the toast of the town, and is proving that joy and heart can go along way, even in the face of technical limitations as he makes a surprise trip into the finals and keeps alive the hope for another medal for France. � Joseph Stringer: Broken Blossoms (1919) (USA) Whether in bustling China, dock-side London, storefronts, slum tenements, boxing arenas or pubs, Joseph Stringer created a number of picture perfects sets for this film. Visually speaking, there's not a weak moment. |
| So, after another brief intermission, the tension is so thick that everyone is ready to strangle one another, so in the interest of public safety, let's give out some medals. |
| Bronze: Joseph Stringer: Broken Blossoms (1919) (USA) Your Technically Inept Chairman simply cannot say enough about Mr. Stringer's set work throughout all of D.W. Griffith's big-3 films. The others are bigger, but not necessarily better. There's not a weak setting in Broken Blossoms, and each one perfectly augments the scenes being filmed there. Broken Blossoms is probably Griffith's most satisfying work as a whole, and Stringer's work contributes greatly. Silver: Wilfred Buckland, Howard Higgin & Mitchell Leisen: Male & Female (1919) (USA) Beautiful people do a beautiful job of beautifully wearing beautiful costumes on beautiful sets. It's all done so beautifully, that your he wishes he were so beautiful Chairman is having a difficult time coming up with a word to adequately describe it. Gold: D. W. Griffith, Walter L. Hall, Ralph M DeLacy, Joseph Stringer & Frank Wortman: Intolerance (1916) (USA) No surprise here, as Intolerance is a mind blowing visual extravaganza of the likes never seen before (and judging by the costs, if the Hollywood money-men have their way, it might be sometime before we see anything like it again.) Relish in the sets and costumes of this movie, and see what happens when a massive ego in a man as talented as Griffith is allowed to run amuck. It is awe-inspiring. |
| So, after day four the big winners are D.W. Griffith (whose films now have 4 medals and 2 golds) and Joseph Stringer (who was justly rewarded with 2 medals for his set building). The United States sweep puts it way ahead in the medal count with seven (compared to 2 each for France and Great Britain.) There are many in the crowd who are uneasy with the outcome. While the nominations and finals showed a stronger international flair than in the previous competitive competition, that wasn't seen in the final results. It will be interesting to see what the future holds. |