I love this movie. It's one of Griffith's best, and Walthall's best. Anyone who really wants to know what Walthall was capable of doing, should watch this film. Griffith made it just before his (in)famous epic, The Birth of a Nation, which, of course, also starred Walthall.
In brief, Walthall is a young man with only one surviving relative, his uncle, who has raised him. When Walthall's character (simply known as "The Nephew" in the titles) falls in love, the uncle feels threatened by his nephew's lack of attention, and grows intolerant and demanding. This leads to...
A hell of a good story, is what it leads to. Walthall really shines in this movie, as the young man in love/devoted nephew/thwarted lover/criminal/nervous wreck. Nobody could do it the way he could, and he's just marvelous. The movie shows a strong Poe influence (even down to one of his poems). And the outdoor scenes! They show a bucolic Southern California that now only exists in these classic films. Isolated houses, empty fields, and even the sepia air looks better, somehow.
Great Halloween watching. Take a look.
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