Avenging Conscience

After years of squinting through poor-quality copies, our friends at Kino have released Griffith's 1914 film "The Avenging Conscience" on dvd. This means we have an excellent print to view and enjoy. Thanks Kino.

This is one of those films that seem to get better each time you watch it and discover more layers and facets of this rather macabre, psychological thriller. It also reveals another facet of D.W. Griffith who wrote and directed this unusual drama just one year before he directed the landmark "Birth of a Nation" in 1915, and many varied epic and historic films to follow. Besides his interest in history and people's struggles generally, which many of his best known films reflect, he obviously also had a penchant for Edgar Allan Poe, combining poetry and prose with the mental anguish and emotional horror which characterized Poe's work. Griffith managed to balance the dark elements of the story with good and beautiful things, not in the least the triumph of the good in man over the evil when the main character in this story succumbs to his guilty conscience and repents. But all is not as it seems when the story first unfolds to show a bitter old man resent and attempt to destroy his nephew's romance with the excuse that marriage would ruin the business and career plans for his nephew and only heir. Filled with anger and resentment, the nephew starts to wish for his uncle's death, and so begins his long and twisted course down to the depths of utter despair and misery. The strong emotions expressed by all three main characters are disturbingly palpable in many scenes so that the viewer is swept away with the young couple's agonizing plight while in anxious suspense of what the final outcome will be. Although some of the special effects scenes are very basic, the momentum and intriguing plot keep the viewer's attention focused on the emotional issues rather than occasional poor camera work. This has the effect that the climax and final twist will be an unexpected surprise, and in the end bring the whole story into harmony and balance. Another feature of Griffith's directing which is prominent in "The Avenging Conscience" is the use of close-ups of babies, cute puppies and other pets, as well as some poetic lines from Poe to give emphasis to deeper emotions. Sometimes criticized for his rough and fast editing, this film nevertheless shows that Griffith was a master of the film-making art in the way he put together this complex film with characters which seem to scream out at the viewer. These are the aspects one comes to appreciate more deeply after several viewings, and for these reasons I've upgraded the rating from four to five stars. It is also an important film in the Griffith repertoire which has been neglected, and a newly-composed piano score for this new release does the film justice. The picture quality is near perfect and a pleasure to watch, and for those familiar with Griffith's early films, his regular stock actors are also to be seen, namely Mae Marsh and Robert Harron as a young romantic couple who remind the grumpy uncle of young love, while Blanche Sweet is perfect as the nephew's love interest. A moving and unforgettable Griffith short from 1909 called "Edgar Allan Poe" is also included, as well as some notes about the film and music to complete this exciting DVD release which is part of Kino Video's new Griffith set putting the spotlight on his less-known but equally worthy films.

"The Avenging Conscience" could be early silent cinema's first standout film. Though credited elsewhere as containing many different motifs from Poe stories, it is primarily "The Tell-Tale Heart" which it derives its source material from. It was released in 1914 by Mutual Studios, with the legendary D.W. Griffith directing, producing, and scripting the feature. Henry B. Walthall (who later went on to work in many horror-themed productions, including the lost "London After Midnight" with Lon Chaney) stars as a frustrated young man whose overbearing uncle keeps him away from his lover. As he considers murdering the uncle, he is tortured by horrific visions, and after watching various insects devouring each other, goes through with his evil plans. Griffith uses all the tricks in his bag in this film - double exposures and special effects that portray the madness that Walthall may - or may not - be sinking into. Watch this film and see if it ends the way Poe's great story did!!!

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