The Woman Suffers

"Woman like she refuses to divulge the name of him who wronged her."

This 1918 Australian feature is one of the most significant surviving treasures of a silent film heritage which is now largely extinct. Comprising three interconnecting storylines, it finally resolves into a dramatic saga of love, honour, betrayal, seduction and revenge.

The story takes the concept of primitive justice - an eye for an eye - and extends it to 'a sister for a sister'. Ralph Manton discovers that his sister Marjory has been seduced and demands to be told the name of the man. Faithful to her lover, she refuses but later Ralph discovers his identity and confronts him. The tables are turned...

The film was a critical and commercial success and offered audiences more than just a sensational melodrama. It questioned the social mores of the day and the double standards of morality in regard to the men as the seducers.

This restoration by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia uses still photographs and additional intertitles to replace the missing early scenes from the film and ensure continuity of story. Due to the archival nature of the original nitrate film, some deteriorated sections affect the picture quality. The colour tints are from the original source film print.