Germinal

Very ambitious for 1913 to attempt an almost 2 1/2 hour adaptation of heavy literature from Émile Zola. And it's at times a gripping movie, but suffers naturally from the primitive techniques of the era. That's why it's hard to really feel the aggression and suffering these people go through. Especially since close-ups wasn't a style used much in this period of movie making and we don't get as intimate with the characters as one hope to drift deep into this underground tragedy.