The Telltale Heart (1928)
*** (out of 4)
Charles Klein directed this rather interesting take on the Edgar Allan Poe story. Otto Matieson plays The Insane who murders The Old Man (William Herford) but slowly begins to lose his mind when he thinks he hears the man's heart beating.
Klein's THE TELLTALE HEART is certainly a very good version of the story and one that was filmed quite often throughout the history of cinema. This one here was done in an avante-garde way meaning that we get a lot of strange visuals that help tell the story. The sequences with the pounding heart and the "kill! kill! kill!" written all over the screen was quite effective and certainly the highlight of the picture. I actually thought the entire thing was well-made and for the most part the cinematography was exceptional. Klein certainly built up a nice atmosphere and the use of shadows was well-done.
