I'd be lying if I said I didn't fall in love with this movie from the very start. Whether or not the Russian countryside believably fills in for the Yukon is a question I leave to those with more geographical expertise - but in any event, the great thing about cinema is that we already have our suspension of disbelief prepared. More substantively, I have a profound admiration for the approach director Lev Kuleshov took in building shots and scenes, and for that matter kudos as well to cinematographer Konstantin Kuznetsov. The small cast, simple landscape, and utilitarian set design and decoration makes for rather distinct, stark imagery. Pair with this many shots from the very beginning in which the cast are not centered, but perhaps their hands are seen, or objects they're interacting with - a manner that rather serves to isolate and diminish the human element, even as these few characters are seen conducting themselves in a social fashion. Figure in the hard work, spartan lifestyle, and sparing rewards of panning for gold, and I feel 'By the law' establishes itself as an early example of a psychological drama. It is, immediately, a fascinating viewing experience.
True, my perception of that angle may well be influenced by the musical accompaniment of the instance where I watched this - a ruminative modern electronic score by Franz Reisecker, ambient and atmospheric, with tinges of industrial noise on the edges. Yet as I watched I couldn't help but marvel at how every slight element seems to feed into the notion that this is a fine predecessor of more well known, often underhanded, deeply affecting dramas and thrillers. The assembled actors give bewitching performances full of adept range and physicality, seemingly accentuating the thoughts and states of mind of the roles they inhabit. In Kuleshov's direction - his guidance of the cast, his orchestration of each scene - and in the adapted screenplay he developed with Viktor Shklovsky, the same bent seems very plain. In my eyes the characterizations appear to be developed as an exploration of managing tragedy, violence, hardship, and indeed sanity in surroundings and circumstances where survival is already a daily chore. In turn, much of the camera's vision specifically captures close-ups of actors' faces, highlighting the toil and emotive fervor as the narrative progresses. The dialogue, as related in intertitles, denotes barefaced reflection of either the reactions and feelings of the characters, or the plainspoken course of events - and both serve the same slant. And in the writing and realization of each scene, and the story each collectively builds - once more, truly: we're given a presentation of deepening madness and woe as Dennin, Hans, and Edith fight through the dire scenario. Personally, I think this is altogether extraordinary.
The cast is fantastic. Without hesitation, the three primary stars - Aleksandra Khokhlova (Edith), Sergey Komarov (Hans), and Vladimir Fogel (Dennin) - wholly embrace the wild, spiraling plot, and above all the states their characters are increasingly driven into as time wears on. For all the tremendous value of the silent era, few performances from early cinema have done so much to earn my favor so sharply and quickly. One could perhaps argue that the rough situations the production accordingly endured played into the exceptional, dour zeal of the acting, but even if so, the fact remains that the displays we see make a huge impression. And, frankly, so it is on down the line with every last aspect of the feature: all appearing to support the captivating psychological drama unfolding, all terrific in their detail of consideration and execution.
So awesomely rich and vibrant is 'By the law' that I quite think it could nearly pass for a modern art film delving into the same genre and concept; the only significant difference, of course, is the total lack of sound. Yet the picture is so vivid and dynamic that it feels to me as though our own mind conjures the rancor of human conflict and unforgiving environment as strongly as though we were hearing it with our own ears. Very honestly - I love silent films, but for all the stupendous, unforgettable titles I've watched, and many more I can't wait to see, I'm completely blown away by what this Soviet adaptation of Jack London's tales has given us. This is one of the most unswervingly arresting, riveting movies I can recall watching - in recent memory, at any time in my life, of the silent era, of cinema at large. I cannot overstate how wonderfully engrossing and rewarding the feature is.
I should note a content warning for violence (if minimalized, in the standards of 1920s cinema), and there's a passing line of racism that can't be missed - though one could argue it's merely a reflection of the prejudiced code of law in a somewhat lawless, certainly unpopulated region at a particular time in history. Still, for whatever indelicacies may present - the writing, the direction, the acting, the contributions of every single person down to every last small facet: 'By the law' is phenomenal, an exquisite exemplar of film that far exceeds the typical approach to storytelling of the time. It's surprisingly intense, inescapably engaging, and marked with utmost excellence in every possible way. I do not jest when I say I think this might be one of the greatest movies I've ever seen. Wherever and however you can watch 'By the law,' as far as I'm concerned this is an essential must-see and earns my very highest recommendation!
