Steffi_P His Trust is not particularly remarkable as Griffith Civil War shorts go, except for one aspect. Along with its sequel His Trust Fulfilled, it features the only heroic black character in all his films. That's not to let Griffith off the hook for the appalling racism of Birth of a Nation – this is still a rather patronising portrayal, not to mention the ridiculous use of white actors in blackface. However it is further proof that Griffith was not an out-and-out racist, and it even hints tentatively at miscegenation.Throughout Griffith's dozen or so Civil War shorts he made while at Biograph you can see the battle scenes evolving. In the one here, the emphasis is more upon chaos than heroism. It's an important development, although Griffith never quite mastered the depiction of war as tragedy – he could never get away from trying to make action sequences exciting. Still, there is some good staging here, with Griffith foregrounding individual soldiers being shot against the backdrop of gun smoke, making the casualties stand out and appear real.The battle sequence is brief however, and you can see what Griffith is really trying to develop here is the emotional angle. Unfortunately, while the family scenes are given prominence, they are not done especially well. The scene of the soldiers going off to war is actually a step backwards from the very similar one in his previous civil war film In the Border States. The shot composition is rather messy, and you barely notice Claire McDowell slipping indoors, distraught. Another weakness is that Griffith fails to visually introduce Wilfred Lucas' character. The significance of the "old Negro servant" is mentioned in the opening title, but in his first scene he is shoved to the side of the frame, and the all important moment where the trust is given takes place half on and half off screen.The standout moment in His Trust is towards the end, where the mother and daughter watch their home burn to the ground. It's said that Griffith invented the face in cinema. Well, he probably also invented the back. As in The Unchanging Sea, this is a good example of how he faces actors away from the camera to convey sadness with the subtlety of their body language. There's also a great bit of emotional punctuation as the house finally comes crashing down. However, this well-staged moment is not enough to save what is overall a rather dull picture.

wes-connors Subtitled "The faithful devotion and self-sacrifice of an old Negro servant", this early film portends the director D.W. Griffith's future "Birth of a Nation". When the Civil War breaks out, Confederate Del Henderson goes into battle, leaving his wife (Claire McDowell) and daughter in the hands of their beloved slaves. Patriarch of the household slaves is George (Wilfred Lucas); among other things, he plays "horsey" with the child by letting her ride on his back. When Yankees try to burn down the Master's house, George must spring into action. However intentioned, "His Trust" is a racist film. The loyal slaves are played by white actors in "black-face" makeup, and they look ridiculous. Didn't Griffith know any real "People of Color"; or, he didn't think they could act? Weren't there any darker skinned people in the USA who could play these roles? ** His Trust (1/16/11) D.W. Griffith ~ Wilfred Lucas, Claire McDowell, Dell Henderson

Snow Leopard This D.W. Griffith short feature, the first of a two-film series, has some good technical aspects, but the story and characters are a bit too labored and contrived to be fully convincing. The content is a combination of two themes that Griffith seems to have considered important, namely, the society of the Pre-War South, and the concept of someone fulfilling a trust despite all obstacles.Although the story becomes too exaggerated to work very well, it does start out with a worthwhile idea, with a father heading off to fight in the War, and entrusting the safety of his wife and daughter to a valued servant. It's the kind of experience that immediately evokes sympathy even from those who have not faced it.Further, the large-scale scenes, such as the parade and the battle, are done quite well, especially considering the limitations of the era. One problem, though, comes into play with the portrayal of the slaves. There is no doubt that they were intended as sympathetic characters, but they also reflect Griffith's own idealized views, and as a result the portrayals are not convincing.The story, which continues in "His Trust Fulfilled", has a handful of compelling moments, but it just never feels as if it has reached its potential.

cgw-3 D.W. Griffith's 1911 film "His Trust" is about colored servant George who takes care of the wife and child after the husband died in battle. Good films. Better than average on most levels, although the black face makeup remained the prime focus of the civil war film. Followed by sequel released a week after this film during its initial run in theaters.