Watching: House in the North Country

Overview

Described as being based on a play by Talaya Delaney, Kevin Jerome Everson' silent HOUSE IN THE NORTH COUNTRY is not your typical stage adaptation. For one, it is unclear where the rehearsal ends and the performance begins. Everson's close-ups offer a distinctly cinematic rendering of theatrical blocking, with the actors' repeated movements (a soldier’s salute, a woman's carrying a lit torch) taking on heightened significance. The plot remains obscure but Everson conjures a psychological intensity comparable to Maya Deren's studies for camera. - Max Goldberg