FILM FILM - University of Macau Library

36 Transition and Transformation
Fig. 2: From a trade paper: A God’s eye view on Name the Man:
“See it – that’s all!”
The reception of the film was varying. The audience present at the release in
Stockholm sent a telegram to the director, certifying that if Sjöström would continue
in the same way, he could be assured of its gratitude: “Continue the way
you have begun, faithful to your own specificity and your traditions, and you
may always be assured of the gratefulness of your native country regarding
your artistry, your enthusiasm, and above all, the depth and authenticity of
your feelings that bring fame to Sweden over there.” 27 At least one Swedish
critic, however, found “the mixture between Swedish and American” confusing,
a confusion that had to do with Sjöström’s ambition of creating a human
drama based on character development and not only a narrative where certain
events unfolded. 28 (FIG. 2)
In an interview on the shooting of Name the Man, Conrad Nagel, who
played the male lead, suggests a difference between production modes revealed
in the European way of working within the studio, which also testifies to gener-