Back to God's Country / Something New

Rating:
Summary: DVD Update.
Review: I have alredy reviewed this title in its VHS version which is the same as the DVD. CORRECTION: The films were not directed by David Hartford but by Nell Shipman and her then husband Fred Shipman. They were divorced before SOMETHING NEW was filmed.

Rating:
Summary: Films of the Wilderness
Review: The two films included on this DVD, Back to God's Country and Something New, are interesting and unusual. The star of these films, the relatively obscure Nell Shipman, was certainly busy, for she not only wrote and produced both films, she also co-directed Something New. On the surface the two films seem very different. Back to God's Country is set in the wilds of Canada, including the frozen wastes around Baffin Island, while Something New is set in the Mexican desert. However, the stories have similar themes and action. In both films Shipman is threatened with rape, in both she has a faithful dog that aids her and in both there is a flight and chase across the wilderness. Something New, is thus not very new at all, but rather a semi-remake of the previous year's Back to God's Country. One has to somewhat question Shipman's writing ability when she reproduces herself so quickly, but really what makes these films interesting and worth watching is not so much the stories as the settings. The stories may be rather unoriginal and clichéd, but these films travelled to locations where few silent films dared go. They are filled with beautiful images of Canada and the Mojave Desert. These locations are used imaginatively so that they become integral parts of the story. This is especially the case with Something New, which includes some incredible stunts involving a car making its way across some very rough desert terrain. Even a modern day off-road vehicle would struggle with this landscape. It's hard to believe that a 1920 Maxwell Sedan could actually be driven in this way.

The tinted prints used for this Image DVD have been restored by the National Archives of Canada. On the whole they are fairly good, but at the start of each film there are some brief moments of serious print decomposition. Back to God's Country has material from two prints and thus the quality varies slightly, but at times it looks stunning. Something New shows slight damage throughout and is in places a little dark, but none of the wear and tear on these films seriously harms the viewing experience. These films are great fun and most enjoyable.