Hearts of the World
Directed by	D.W. Griffith
Produced by	D.W. Griffith
Starring	D.W. Griffith Lillian Gish Dorothy Gish Ben Alexander Robert Harron Mary Harron Sir Edward Grey
Cinematography	Billy Bitzer
Editing by	Rose Smith, James Smith
Release date	January 1, 1918 USA
Running time	2 hours, 32 minutes
IMDb profile

Hearts of the World is a D.W. Griffith's silent film, a war-time propaganda classic that was filmed on location in Britain and near the Western Front, made at the request of the British Government to change the neutral mindset of the American public. David Lewelyn Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 - July 23, 1948) was an American film director (commonly known as D. W. Griffith) probably best known for his film The Birth of a Nation. ... David Lewelyn Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 - July 23, 1948) was an American film director (commonly known as D. W. Griffith) probably best known for his film The Birth of a Nation. ... David Lewelyn Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 - July 23, 1948) was an American film director (commonly known as D. W. Griffith) probably best known for his film The Birth of a Nation. ... Lillian Gish Lillian Diana de Guiche (October 14, 1893 – February 27, 1993), was an Oscar-nominated American actress, better known as Lillian Gish. ... Dorothy Gish photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1932 Dorothy Gish (March 11, 1898 - June 4, 1968) was an American actress. ... Ben Alexander (May 26, 1911 – July 5, 1969) was an American actor. ... Robert Bobby Harron (April 12, 1893 - September 5, 1920) was a highly successful and publicly popular American motion picture actor of the early silent film era. ... Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon (April 25, 1862 - September 7, 1933), better known as Sir Edward Grey was a British politician and ornithologist. ... Georg William Billy Bitzer (April 21, 1872–April 29, 1944) was a cinematographer notable for his close association with D. W. Griffith, working with him on some of his most important films and contributing significantly to cinematic innovations attributed to Griffith. ... There are articles for several people named James Smith: Sir James Smith (1759 - 1828) was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society James Smith (ca. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... David Lewelyn Wark Griffith (January 22, 1875 - July 23, 1948) was an American film director (commonly known as D. W. Griffith) probably best known for his film The Birth of a Nation. ... The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ...

Synopsis

Two families live next to one another in a French village on the eve of World War I. The Boy in one of the families falls for the only daughter in the other family. As they make preparations for marriage, World War I breaks out, and, although the Boy is American, he feels he should fight for the country in which he lives. Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire French Empire Italy Russian Empire Kingdom of Serbia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria German Empire Ottoman Empire Commanders Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Ferdinand Foch Nikolay II Nikolay Yudenich Radomir Putnik Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Reinhard Scheer Franz Josef I Oskar...

When the French retreat, the village is shelled. The Boy's father and the Girl's mother and grandmother are killed. The Girl, deranged, wanders aimlessly through the battlefield and comes upon the Boy badly wounded and unconscious. She finds her way back to the village where she is nursed back to health by The Little Disturber who had previously been a rival for the Boy's affections. The Boy is carried off by the Red Cross.

Upon his recovery, the Boy, disguised as a German officer, infiltrates the enemy occupied village, finds the Girl, and the two of them must kill a German sergeant who has discovered them. Von Strohm, by whom the Girl had narrowly escaped rape earlier in the story, discovers the dead sergeant and locates the Boy and Girl who are locked in an upper room at the inn. It's a race against time with the Germans trying to break the door down as the French return to retake the village.

External links

• Hearts of the World at the Internet Movie Database