D. W. Griffin’s A Corner in Wheat (1909) and America’s Obsession with Monopolization
The film is divided into three central stories: the production of wheat with the wheat farmers, the distribution and consumption of wheat with the bakers and their customers, and the monopolization of wheat with the businessmen. Within these three central stories, there are central characters. In the production of wheat, there is a young man and his family, who essentially ignite the film with their struggle to meet the high demand for wheat as farmers. To explore the distribution and consumption of wheat, a bakery is introduced. The rising costs in wheat and bread leads to a great amount of conflict between both parties. In the monopolization of wheat, the central character is Mr. W. J. Hammond, who benefits the most from the wheat industry; however, the wealth that brought him so much of his power eventually leads to his death.
The only character that is named is the “Wheat King” Mr. W. J. Hammond, whose name appears on a letter. Thus, the only way to characterize the principal characters is through their settings and actions. The wheat farmers are only ever seen in the wheat field and next to a barn on the wheat farm. Both the wheat field and the side of the barn appear desolate, quiet, making all the events that take place feel even more sedated and depressing. The bakery is rather empty except for a few shelves and a table with bread to the right of the screen. The atypical framing of the bakery bring the audience’s attention towards the actions with such intrigue. Customers enter and exit to the right of the screen as well; thus, the claustrophobic nature of the right side of the bakery explodes when there is a physical altercation between the customers and the police. There is various locations for scenes involving the businessmen; however, one thing is evident in all of the settings: luxury. The tables are finely decorated and there is an abundance of company. The only time this is different is when Mr. W. J. Hammond falls into the elevator shaft and dies.
During this scene, Hammond is alone and in a the workplace of the lower class elevator engineers. Making his death even more symbolic of the modern wealth superiority in America.
The cinematography during the entire film involves a stationary camera. However, the cinematography is anything but uninteresting. The camera’s location always reflects any chaos, sadness, and anger present in the film’s characters. The editing utilized grips the audience’s attention to the very end. The film is constantly cutting in between the three central stories; thus, the audience is always invested in the story. Cut-away editing is also used to make Mr. W. J. Hammond’s death and the physical altercation between the baker’s and their customers more dramatic and tense.
