Watch By the Law

By the Law is a morally complex and psychologically intense silent film from 1926, directed by a renowned Russian filmmaker, Lev Kuleshov. The story unfolds in the Yukon region of Canada, where three gold prospectors - a woman named Edith (played by Aleksandra Khokhlova) and two men, Hans (played by Sergey Komarov) and Karl (played by Vladimir Fogel) - stumble upon a rich gold deposit. The trio decides to join forces and work together on the mine, but things quickly turn sour between them, sparked by jealousy, distrust and disagreements about the division of labor.

The central conflict of the film arises when Hans, who has taken on the role of the group's leader, shoots and kills Karl, whom he accuses of stealing from the mine. Edith, the only witness to the shooting, urges Hans to turn himself over to the authorities and face trial for murder. However, Hans insists on sticking to a strict "law of the miners" that dictates that they should settle all disputes and crimes among themselves, without any outside intervention. He convinces Edith that they can hold a trial and establish a just verdict themselves, and so he takes on the role of the prosecutor, while Edith acts as the judge, and they invite two other miners to serve as the jury.

The actual trial scenes take up a large portion of the film, and they are both tense and hypnotic in their pacing and visual composition. Kuleshov uses a range of experimental editing techniques to heighten the dramatic impact of the proceedings, such as cutting back and forth between close-ups of the characters' faces, inserting symbolic images of nature and animals, and creating a sense of spatial disorientation with the set design. The dialogue is sparse, but each word and gesture carries weight, as the characters grapple with their conflicting desires for justice, revenge, and redemption.

One of the most fascinating aspects of By the Law is the way it explores the psychological dynamics of the group, and how they shift and evolve over the course of the trial. At first, Hans seems like a rational and fair-minded leader, but as the trial progresses, it becomes clear that he is driven by a deep sense of guilt and insecurity, stemming from his own past crimes and mistakes. Edith, on the other hand, starts out as a passive observer, but she gradually becomes more assertive and decisive, challenging Hans's authority and pushing for a more compassionate and humane approach to justice. The two jury members also offer contrasting perspectives, with one being more sympathetic to Hans and the other favoring Karl's memory.

Overall, By the Law is a nuanced and thought-provoking film that delves into timeless themes of justice, morality and human nature. Despite being almost a century old, it retains its power to grip and captivate audiences with its innovative storytelling techniques and emotional resonance.

By the Law is a 1926 western with a runtime of 1 hour and 19 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.6.