Civilization (1916)
In the fictional kingdom of Wredpryd, a submarine commander refuses to torpedo a passenger liner and is killed for his defiance, then returns from the afterlife possessed by the spirit of Christ to preach against the war until he persuades the king to seek peace.
Civilization was producer Thomas H. Ince’s lavish anti-war spectacle, released amid World War I and credited by the Democratic National Committee with helping Woodrow Wilson win reelection in 1916 on a platform of keeping America out of the conflict.
Background
Civilization was produced by Thomas H. Ince and directed by Reginald Barker, Raymond B. West, and Ince himself. It was a large-scale anti-war spectacle released during World War I, when American debate over neutrality was at its height. The film presents war as a conflict that falls hardest on ordinary people. Howard C. Hickman and Herschel Mayall appear in the cast. It was widely seen at the time, and Democratic campaign materials cited it in support of Woodrow Wilson’s 1916 reelection bid, on a platform of keeping the country out of the war.
What to watch for
The allegory is the main thing to watch. A submarine commander refuses to torpedo a passenger liner and is killed for his defiance, then returns from the afterlife, possessed by the spirit of Christ, to preach against the war. The sequences at sea, on the battlefield, and at the royal court show the film’s large-scale staging. Watch the scenes in which the king is persuaded to seek peace, since they form the film’s argument. The religious imagery is central to the message, and the film uses spectacle to make its case for peace in a way that was intended to reach a mass audience.
