Narrated by Kathleen Turner, filmmaker Eric Stange's PBS-aired American Masters documentary notes that the works of Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) continue to fascinate readers due to their timeless quality—not rooted in era or place, but motivated by universal themes of doubt, dread, loss, and fear. Poe lost his mother early, and he always seemed to be searching for perfect love. Sent to a Richmond, VA, foster home, Poe was brought up by a loving foster mother, but had a cold, distant father, who eventually denied him his inheritance. After an unlikely stint at the West Point military academy, Poe worked in the new, burgeoning field of periodicals, where he earned the nickname "tomahawk man" for his brutally honest literary reviews. The background for Poe's own writing was the new world of crime and urban violence that was then plaguing cities like Baltimore, New York, and Philadelphia, all homes for Poe. The author was good at cultivating a moody, romantic public persona, but he suffered from alcoholism and self-destructive behavior, and money was always a problem, particularly after his marriage to his sickly child bride. Poe was sensitive to the phenomena of early death—which was unfortunately common in 19th-century America—and he tapped into a universal dread with his short story "The Premature Burial." His poem "The Raven" created a sensation, securing his reputation, which led to popular (and lucrative) public readings of his work, but worries about his wife's health, coupled with a knack for making enemies (one critic wrote a scathing obituary of Poe) affected his stability, and he would die mysteriously in Baltimore at the age of 49. Featuring insights from modern critics, readings from Poe by Chris Sarandon, and dramatic re-creations with Denis O'Hare playing Poe, this is a fine portrait of the artist. Extras include outtakes from the film. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)
Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive
(2017) 84 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.99 w/PPR). PBS Video. ISBN: 978-1-5317-0267-0. Volume 33, Issue 2
Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive
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