The Sorrows of Satan (1926 film)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
The Sorrows of Satan is a silent film by D.W. Griffith released in 1926. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Marie Corelli. At this point in his career Griffith had given up his independent filmmaker status by joining Paramount Pictures. Reportedly the director did not want to helm this project, but as his first Paramount assignment he was not given a choice. Remarkably, however, the film turned out to be one of Griffith's most fully realized works and its critical stock has risen considerably in the last several decades.
This was Carol Dempster's final screen role.
Plot summary
Adolphe Menjou stars as Prince Lucio de Rimanez, who is in fact really Satan assuming a human form. When struggling writer Geoffrey Tempest is moved to curse God for his misfortunes, Prince Lucio makes a sudden appearance, informing Cortez that he's inherited a fortune. The only proviso is that Tempest must place his fate entirely in the Prince's hands. As he ascends to the uppermost rungs of European society, Tempest is ordered by Lucio to marry Russian Princess Olga, even though the writer still loves his sweetheart Mavis Claire. Eventually, Prince Lucio reveals his true identity, but not before Olga has committed suicide. After rejecting the Devil and all his false promises, Tempest lives happily ever after with Mavis.
