Edgar Allan Poe

Probably months of Poe's Life are squeezed into just seven minutes by D. W. Griffith in this tribute to the author that was rush-released to coincide with the centenary of his birth - which apparently is the reason for the misspelling of his name in the title. It's a film that's plagued by the usual over-acting, particularly from Barry O'Moore in the title role, but it achieves a level of ironic poignancy in its final scene that is rarely found in early cinema.

D.W. Griffith took inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe (who created the vocabulary for writing short tales) to write this six minute one-reeler. The 108 short films that Griffith made in this year were more like Poe's tales rather than Maupassant's short stories. He was churning them out 2 a week.

Like many of the earliest Biograph shorts, the title cards for Edgar Allan Poe have gone missing. In the version they made available as an extra on The Avenging Conscience DVD, Kino decided against attempting a restoration. A wise choice; this motion picture has no need of words.

Although Griffith was yet to develop the advances to the editing process he is well known for, his staging of drama, his use of space and his handling of actors already placed him well ahead of his peers in making cinema a form of visual storytelling. Typically, a short like this might begin with a title card describing Poe as a struggling writer, but actually his conditions are adequately revealed to us through the small, dimly lit set, an interior which is made all the more confining by that sloping wall on the left of the frame. Also of note is the following scene in which Poe is turned away by the publishing house. Most directors of this time would directly show Poe talking to the publisher, but Griffith places another man (I assume the "resident poet" from the cast list) unconcernedly working away in the foreground. This touch, which would be unremarkable in a film made five years later, adds realism to the setting and the necessary tone of unpleasantness to the situation.

Griffith's shorts from 1909 vary immensely in quality, and some of his attempts at action episodes are appalling (see for example Voice of the Violin, released six weeks after this), but this understated drama is nicely suited to his abilities of the time, and satisfying on its own simple terms. It's ironic though that it draws from the life of one of Griffith's favourite authors, because its style owes more to theatrical traditions than the literary narrative techniques that would galvanise his later pictures.

D.W. Griffith is among the finest filmmakers of all time. Despite being the director of the most racist film ever made (the infamous and influential masterpiece "The Birth of a Nation"), he impacted cinema so heavily that it is impossible to deny his importance to the art! The same can also be said about Edgar Allan Poe, one of, if not the, greatest authors ever. His writings contained what I call a "dark beauty" to them. They were normally very disturbing, creepy, and weird, but they were also written in a powerful and atmospheric way. A way that was oddly beautiful.

Griffith was a huge fan of Poe, and ended up adapting some of his works in a feature length film called "the Avenging Conscience". According to IMDb, it adapts the short stories "the Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Tell-Tale Heart", as well as the poem "Annabel Lee". I have yet to see the film, but since I've read the stories it's very hard for me to imagine how they can all be stuffed together in the same film.

Anyway, on to my actual review of THIS film, "Edgar Allan Poe". It's a very early short film by D.W. Griffith that focuses on a small section of Poe's life in which he sells the famous poem "The Raven" and then his wife tragically dies. It's an interesting little film with one major issue: the acting! Even for a silent film made in the 1900's, the acting is bad and over the top. Since it was made during the silent era, over the top acting is expected, but the acting in this film is especially over the top to the point in which this drama becomes a comedy!

However, I'm not really angry about the acting and it didn't completely ruin the movie or anything, it just felt weird and unnatural. Overall, this film is definitely worth seeing if you have some interest in Griffith and Poe. It's in no way spectacular but it is interesting and short.

Edgar Allen Poe (1909)

*** (out of 4)

Short, seven-minute film on the life of Poe (Herbert Yost) sees the author suffering as the woman he loves his slowly dying. Poe goes out to try and sale his stories but ends up getting rejected. You'll notice that the writers name is misspelled in the title and according to the notes on the DVD, historians believed this was the fault of Biograph who rushed this out to capture crowds on the celebration of Poe's centenary birthday. As for the film, it's pretty good as long as you know what not to expect. Those expecting a full bio will be disappointed but Griffith handles the seven-minutes pretty well and delivers a quick and by the numbers picture. Yost does a very good job as Poe and what's shocking is how much they look alike.