Stella Maris

this was just bad, so so so boring, like truly what is the point of the story, like unity just has a depressing ending and stella gets a happy one, so unfair and that dog plot was so not needed, it gets 1 star just because of the cool filmmaking techniques that were sometimes used but overall, i hated this film

this was just bad, so so so boring, like truly what is the point of the story, like unity just has a depressing ending and stella gets a happy one, so unfair and that dog plot was so not needed, it gets 1 star just because of the cool filmmaking techniques that were sometimes used but overall, i hated this film

A solid and simple melodrama elevated by strong themes and an extraordinary dual role performance from Mary Pickford. It's fascinating watching this in 2025 which has had a number of movies that have had actors acting opposite themselves, and here is a movie from 107 years earlier that does it well and still leaves you asking "How did they do that?" While Stella is very much the Pickford we all know and love, her Unity is so subtly unrecognizable you almost can't believe that it's the Mary Pickford. I don't know whether to chalk that up to make-up (or lack thereof), different hairstyles, or just Pickford using her face differently than usual, but it is utterly remarkable. Also some really gorgeous moments in the cinematography here, really pushing what you'd expect from a 1918 picture. Also I really love the score on this VCI Blu-Ray, goes with the film very well.

A solid and simple melodrama elevated by strong themes and an extraordinary dual role performance from Mary Pickford. It's fascinating watching this in 2025 which has had a number of movies that have had actors acting opposite themselves, and here is a movie from 107 years earlier that does it well and still leaves you asking "How did they do that?" While Stella is very much the Pickford we all know and love, her Unity is so subtly unrecognizable you almost can't believe that it's the Mary Pickford. I don't know whether to chalk that up to make-up (or lack thereof), different hairstyles, or just Pickford using her face differently than usual, but it is utterly remarkable. Also some really gorgeous moments in the cinematography here, really pushing what you'd expect from a 1918 picture. Also I really love the score on this VCI Blu-Ray, goes with the film very well.

damn she rlly beat her ass

damn she rlly beat her ass

Yes, Mary Pickford is great, and the double-exposure tricks that allow her to act opposite herself were truly innovative for the time. But the two performances that really stood out for me were Marcia Manon as the main villain, Louise -- I reckon her acting chops would have fit in just fine in Hollywood today -- and the dog (supposedly Mack Sennett's dog), who has his own fully fleshed-out subplot, and delivers it convincingly.

The plot itself is kind of thin for a feature, and there's a reason Conway Tearle hasn't gone down in history as one of Classic Hollywood's Great Leading Men, but eh, whaddyawant.

So, yeah, come for Mary Pickford doing some serious acting, but stay for the evil lady and the pooch.

Yes, Mary Pickford is great, and the double-exposure tricks that allow her to act opposite herself were truly innovative for the time. But the two performances that really stood out for me were Marcia Manon as the main villain, Louise -- I reckon her acting chops would have fit in just fine in Hollywood today -- and the dog (supposedly Mack Sennett's dog), who has his own fully fleshed-out subplot, and delivers it convincingly.

The plot itself is kind of thin for a feature, and there's a reason Conway Tearle hasn't gone down in history as one of Classic Hollywood's Great Leading Men, but eh, whaddyawant.

So, yeah, come for Mary Pickford doing some serious acting, but stay for the evil lady and the pooch.

Continuing my journey through the silent era. 

Loved Mary Pickford in the dual roles. I’m not sure how they did this so seamlessly in 1918 as I couldn’t see any splices in the film and you could see both of Pickford’s character’s faces... nice work however they did that.

The story was fine, unrequited love is always intriguing to me. There were some shocking moments and some nicely framed bits. The title cards were beautiful and had a better pace to them than most silent films. Loved the bit that The Artist copied with Unity pretending to move John’s coat as if it was her. 

Overall, pretty standard, but I liked it!

Continuing my journey through the silent era. 

Loved Mary Pickford in the dual roles. I’m not sure how they did this so seamlessly in 1918 as I couldn’t see any splices in the film and you could see both of Pickford’s character’s faces... nice work however they did that.

The story was fine, unrequited love is always intriguing to me. There were some shocking moments and some nicely framed bits. The title cards were beautiful and had a better pace to them than most silent films. Loved the bit that The Artist copied with Unity pretending to move John’s coat as if it was her. 

Overall, pretty standard, but I liked it!