The Wind (1928)

The Wind (1928) / Country: Sweden / Director: Victor Sjöström / Duration: 95 min / Language: Swedish / Subtitles: English / Entrance: FREE

When Letty Mason relocates to West Texas, she finds herself unsettled by the ever-present wind and sand. Arriving at her new home at the ranch of her cousin, Beverly, she receives a surprisingly cold welcome from his wife, Cora. Soon tensions in the family and unwanted attention from a trio of suitors, including neighbor Lige Hightower, leave Letty increasingly disturbed, resulting in tragedy. An intensely-told, psychological drama, The Wind is considered to be a classic, and one of Gish's most brilliant performances.

The film's main themes were the violating penetration of the wind, a woman's innate fear of assaultive and corruptible men (symbolized by the aggressive and violent wind in nature), the metaphor of the fantasized image of a stampeding, wild white stallion tied to the cruel norther' wind, and the vanquishing of feminine fears leading to ultimate freedom.