The Awakening (1928 film)

The Awakening is a 1928 American synchronized sound feature film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Vilma Bánky. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using both the sound-on-disc and sound-on-film process. The film was based on a story by Frances Marion.

Plot
In Alsace, under German occupation shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, Marie Ducrot is a pretty young peasant woman who falls in love with Count Karl von Hagen, a German army officer. Marie is seen when she visits von Hagen in his quarters. The people suffering under the occupation see Marie as a traitor and assault her physically. Marie disappears and is believed dead. However, she has fled to a monastery where she is accepted as a novice.

The war breaks out and Von Hagen is wounded in fighting near the monastery. Marie nurses him back to health. Von Hagen wants her to go to Germany with him. The French lieutenant Le Bête helps the two to reach the German lines. The couple get to safety, but Le Bête is killed by a sniper's bullet.

Cast

 * Vilma Bánky as Marie Ducrot
 * Walter Byron as Count Karl von Hagen
 * Louis Wolheim as Le Bete
 * George Davis as The Orderly
 * William Orlamond as Grandfather Ducrot
 * Carl von Haartman as Lieutenant Franz Geyer

Reception
The film featured a theme song entitled "Marie" with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin.

Reception
The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Production Design at the 2nd Academy Awards. The Nominee, William Cameron Menzies was also nominated the same year for the film Alibi.

Critical reception
A review in the trade publication Harrison's Reports summarized the film as "'spotty;' that is, it is good, in fact very good, in spots; on the other hand, in spots it is slow, and even poor." It also commended Banky and Byron for "good work" in their roles and Fleming for his direction.

Preservation
One reel of the film (approximately 1000 feet of 35mm nitrate film) survives at the BFI.