description A Corner in Wheat Overview
A Corner in Wheat is a 1909 American silent short film directed by D. W. Griffith for the Biograph Company. It uses parallel editing to contrast a financier's wheat speculation with the poverty of ordinary consumers and farmers.
The film is an early example of Griffith's narrative crosscutting and of social commentary in American cinema.
help A Corner in Wheat FAQ
What is the wheat corner in A Corner in Wheat?
A wealthy speculator buys control of the wheat market and drives up the price to enrich himself. Griffith contrasts his luxury with a farmer's hardship and a bakery where poor customers can no longer afford bread.
What happens to the speculator at the end of A Corner in Wheat?
During a celebration at his grain operation, he falls into a storage bin and is buried by wheat. The ironic death turns the commodity he manipulated into the instrument of his punishment.
What literary works inspired A Corner in Wheat?
The 1909 film draws on Frank Norris's writing about grain speculation, particularly The Pit and the wheat-trilogy project that began with The Octopus. Its economic montage condenses Norris's critique into contrasting images of wealth and hunger.
Why is A Corner in Wheat important in early film history?
The Biograph short is noted for cross-cutting among the farmer, the bread line and the speculator rather than following only one protagonist. That structure let D. W. Griffith present speculation as a social system with consequences for several classes.
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