Daniel Eagan of Film Journal International described Dwan as one of the early pioneers of cinema, stating that his style "is so basic as to seem invisible, but he treats his characters with uncommon sympathy and compassion.
dˈænjəl ˈiːɡən ʌv fˈɪlm dʒˈɜːnəl ˌɪntɚnˈæʃənəl dᵻskɹˈaɪbd dwˈæn æz wˈʌn ʌvðɪ ˈɜːli paɪənˈɪɹz ʌv sˈɪnəmə, stˈeɪɾɪŋ ðæt hɪz stˈaɪl "ɪz sˌoʊ bˈeɪsɪk æz tə sˈiːm ɪnvˈɪzᵻbəl, bˌʌt hiː tɹˈiːts hɪz kˈæɹɪktɚz wɪð ʌŋkˈɑːmən sˈɪmpəθi ænd kəmpˈæʃən.