The Coward

1915

Action / Drama / History / War

5
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 95%
IMDb Rating 6.0/10 10 364 364

civil war

Plot summary

Set during the American Civil War, Keenan stars as a Virginia colonel and Charles Ray as his weak-willed son. The son is forced, at gunpoint, by his father to enlist in the Confederate army. He is terrified by the war and deserts during a battle. The film focuses on the son's struggle to overcome his cowardice.

Director

Reginald Barker Photo
Reginald Barker

Top cast

Charles Ray Photo
Charles Ray as Frank Winslow
John Gilbert Photo
John Gilbert as A Young Virginian
Nick Cogley Photo
Nick Cogley as A Negro Servant
Patricia Palmer Photo
Patricia Palmer as Amy
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
595.23 MB
968*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
18 fps
1 hr 17 min
Seeds 1
1.11 GB
1440*1072
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
18 fps
1 hr 17 min
Seeds ...

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by jjnxn-1 7 / 10

Fascinating for what it represents

A story of the old code of family honor at the dawn of the Cibil War and the way that reluctance to throw one's life away was treated with disgrace and exile. The acting is overwrought by today's standard but mixed in with the exaggeration are some bits of touching human emotion.Seeing as the film is now one hundred years old and was made about facts that at that point were only fifty years in the past the film makers were able to have a perspective on events that is impossible to us now. As such this is a precious piece of cinema. As a movie it's a hoary old chestnut but as an historical document it's fascinating. The damage to the print actually adds to the feeling that you're watching a series of Matthew Brady daguerreotypes come to life.
Reviewed by MartinHafer 6 / 10

archaic but impressive to watch

I think a lot of the impact of this early silence feature film is lost today, but more about that later in the review. When it was released in 1915, attitudes about plot and drama were very different than today. Predictability was expected from movies and what we would consider over-acting was the norm. Also, having white folks run around in black face playing slaves was, unfortunately, pretty widely accepted. And so, by 1915 standards, this is an exceptional movie and one of the earliest full-length films ever made. I think it is a lot better than its much-admired contemporary, BIRTH OF A NATION--which is ponderously long and one of the most racist films made in America. Unfortunately for the makers of this film, people in 1915 preferred BIRTH OF A NATION and it went on to make a ton of money and was hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. That's really a shame, because there are some exceptional aspects to this film that have been overlooked. In particular, the costumes and battle sequences are excellent (though not quite as grand as those in BIRTH OF A NATION) and the story, though very simplistic and predictable, is still compelling. And, its use of two white folks in black makeup, though appalling, is not nearly as offensive as about 90% of the other film.Now, as for today's audiences, the plot is very very dusty to say the least. Having the son be afraid of war and deserting was excellent, but the contrived way that his own father accidentally shoots and kills him in battle is so over-the-top dramatically (though not in its day). BUT, it is STILL worth seeing for its historical value. Not a great or memorable film, but one of the most watchable of the early feature-length films.
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