I have to hand it to D.W. Griffith, the guy he got to play Edgar Allan Poe certainly looked an awful lot like him. Facially it was him and the clothing, makeup and hair were dead on target. Unfortunately, the acting performance itself can be called many things...but subtle certainly isn't one of them. Even by 1909's standards the acting is a bit over the top and heavy-handed.
The story begins with Poe at home with his wife. She's quite sick and he hopes to make a sale--presumably to get her medicine or take her to Arizona for the climate or pay for a subscription to Match.com. Regardless, he spends much of the film going from publisher to publisher trying to get his story published. Only in the end does he find a buyer and when he returns home, he's saddened to see her dead--unable to share in his joy.
While the story is VERY short, it does capture the essence of Poe's life and loss of his wife. However, the film was quickly rushed to production and shows it. Not one of Griffith's better shorts but it's quite watchable.
The story begins with Poe at home with his wife. She's quite sick and he hopes to make a sale--presumably to get her medicine or take her to Arizona for the climate or pay for a subscription to Match.com. Regardless, he spends much of the film going from publisher to publisher trying to get his story published. Only in the end does he find a buyer and when he returns home, he's saddened to see her dead--unable to share in his joy.
While the story is VERY short, it does capture the essence of Poe's life and loss of his wife. However, the film was quickly rushed to production and shows it. Not one of Griffith's better shorts but it's quite watchable.