Sjöström's silent adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's
classic novel offers Lillian Gish in one of her most affecting
post-Griffith roles as the adulteress Hester Prynne, whose sin is
commemorated by a scarlet "A" sewn upon her dress. It seems
ideal material for Sjöström with its pastoral setting and
themes of emotion and repression, guilt and expiation, and certainly
his subtle use of light, shadow and oppressive compositions express
those themes with considerable power. But the film is marred by an
overwrought performance from Hanson as Hester's lover, and some inane
comic relief. No masterpiece, then, but consistently engrossing.
