Faces of Children

Faces of Children French Visages denfants is a 1925 FrenchSwiss silent film directed by Jacques Feyder. It tells the story of a young boy whose mother has died and the resentments which develop when his father remarries. It was a notable example of film realism in the silent era, and its psychological drama was integrated with the natural landscapes of Switzerland where much of the film was made on location.

When Jean returns home, he becomes resentful of his stepmother Jeanne whom he sees usurping his mothers place, and his feelings find their outlet in his growing hostility towards Arlette. Finding that his spacious bedroom is now occupied by Arlette and Pierrette and that he now has a smaller room, Jean takes the only portrait of his mother to his new room for comfort. While playing with Pierrette, he refuses to let Arlette join them. When he sees Jeanne take a dress that that his mother wore to make dresses for the two girls, he ruins it intentionally.Jean and Arlette now despise each other. One day in winter while travelling in a sled, Jean surreptitiously throws Arlettes beloved childhood doll onto the track. That night, he tricks Arlette into venturing out onto the snowcovered mountain by telling her where her doll fell. Arlette gets lost and takes refuge in a chapel which becomes covered by an avalanche. Stricken with guilt, Jean tells Pierre what he has done, and a search party rescues Arlette from the chapel. Jean is silently reproached by his family, and when he turns to his mothers portrait for consolation it appears faded and distant. ........

Source: Wikipedia