Director: Damian Draven

Cast: Michael Bates, Áine de Siún

Production Company: Oracle Pictures

Runtime: 18 minutes

Damian Draven has laboured to bring us one of the most meaningful cinematic versions of Edgar Allan Poe’s greatest work. The Raven (2018) is a pleasure to watch.

In the short, a poet is grieving for his lost love when he is met by an unexpected visitor. A raven enters his home and plagues his aching heart with the bitter truth…

This film is a faithful adaptation of the original poem by Edgar Allan Poe. It goes further by providing us with images that connect the story to Poe’s real life situation.

Poe’s wife was in bad health when he wrote his most famous poem. For him, it was a way of preparing for her inevitable death. It tortured his mind and drove him to heavy drinking.

Michael Bates is perfect as Edgar Allan Poe in this adaptation. His physical resemblance to Poe is truly uncanny. He also manages to capture the artist’s manner and soul…

Bates gives us a highly dramatic performance on screen, while also providing a wonderful reading of the poem itself. His narration is both moving and powerful.

The film was shot at James Joyce House in Dublin, Ireland. This is a beautiful and historic location that makes for a very appropriate and purposeful setting.

Moody lighting and atmospheric scenes also help to bring the story to life. Everything including props and wardrobe are completely on point here.

The Raven sheds new light on Poe’s inner darkness. It’s an authentic recreation of Poe’s most personal work and his deeply troubled life…

– John Migliore

For more information on the film, check out the links below…

Official Trailer

IMDb Page

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