This is a silent film by director D. W. Griffith and stars Lionel Barrymore and Lillian Gish. It is a very sincere but silly movie about the effects of music on psychotic patients in a hospital. The film begins at the friendly neighborhood insane asylum. A savage patient in brought in who attacks several of the staff and escapes with a loaded gun! Well, instead of quickly catching them, he wanders into the home of the hospital director. But, instead of killing his wife, the patient sees reason--thanks to the healing power of music! Tha lady begins to play and the man becomes rational and gives himself up to the authorities.
The movie is actually an interesting time capsule into the history of the treatment of the mentally ill. Instead of the chambers of horror some early hospitals had been (especially before the Civil War), this one is very modern in its thinking and institutes a program of music therapy. While such progressive ideas did start to catch on at this time, it's really ashamed the movie isn't correct about the curative powers of music--if only it worked THAT well. An interesting if somewhat bizarre time capsule.
The movie is actually an interesting time capsule into the history of the treatment of the mentally ill. Instead of the chambers of horror some early hospitals had been (especially before the Civil War), this one is very modern in its thinking and institutes a program of music therapy. While such progressive ideas did start to catch on at this time, it's really ashamed the movie isn't correct about the curative powers of music--if only it worked THAT well. An interesting if somewhat bizarre time capsule.