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6.4/10
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Prevented from dating his sweetheart by his uncle, a young man turns his thoughts to murder.Prevented from dating his sweetheart by his uncle, a young man turns his thoughts to murder.Prevented from dating his sweetheart by his uncle, a young man turns his thoughts to murder.
Josephine Crowell
- The Sweetheart's Mother
- (uncredited)
Walter Long
- The Detective
- (uncredited)
Wallace Reid
- The Doctor
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Edgar Allan Poe(poem "Annabel Lee")
- D.W. Griffith
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaHad a massive influence on young Alfred Hitchcock.
- Quotes
Intertitle: She fears something more than mere mental derangement.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Kingdom of Shadows (1998)
Featured review
One of the first ever horror films
This D. W. Griffith film is an early effort by the director and shows his developing skill on the lead up to epics such as Intolerance. It's about a young man who falls in love with a girl. This love drives a wedge between him and his uncle who has set a path for him that does not allow for such frivolous distractions. This situation drives the man to murder his overbearing uncle. This event leads to madness and psychological breakdown.
The story is based on Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart' with elements of 'Annabel Lee' and 'The Black Cat' thrown in for good measure. It's a rare horror outing for Griffiths. Indeed it is one of the very first fully form horror films at all. As such it is of interest. It contains several eerie and macabre details like the ghostly spectre of the uncle back from the dead and thoughts of murder represented by a spider on web and ants attacking a larger insect en mass. It's very primitive stuff overall but that is to be expected considering its age. Worth a look if you are interested in the genesis of the horror film though.
The story is based on Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart' with elements of 'Annabel Lee' and 'The Black Cat' thrown in for good measure. It's a rare horror outing for Griffiths. Indeed it is one of the very first fully form horror films at all. As such it is of interest. It contains several eerie and macabre details like the ghostly spectre of the uncle back from the dead and thoughts of murder represented by a spider on web and ants attacking a larger insect en mass. It's very primitive stuff overall but that is to be expected considering its age. Worth a look if you are interested in the genesis of the horror film though.
helpful•40
- Red-Barracuda
- Apr 7, 2012
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- The Murderer's Conscience
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 18 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was The Avenging Conscience: or 'Thou Shalt Not Kill' (1914) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer