The Eavesdropper (1909) User Reviews

Depth of Field

[Single-Black-Male · 23 February 2004]

The 34 year old D.W. Griffith is growing up in the industry through short films like this one. He creates the pre-cursor to the close-up in the form of what was called an Iris-in. He's kind of like a Rembrandt, painting moving pictures with careful brush strokes.

The facial expressions of the eavesdropper are excellent

[deickemeyer · 31 August 2014]

A Biograph film in which a peon wins the love of a handsome senorita. The girl's father is in financial difficulties, however, and the man who holds the mortgages says he will release him if he will give him the hand of his daughter in marriage. When asked the girl finally consents, but not until she has undergone a tremendous struggle. The rich suitor hears from an adjoining room the parting of the lovers. Just before they separate he enters, places their hands together and blesses them. As he passes out he presents the girl with the papers which clear her father's money difficulties. The facial expressions of the eavesdropper as he listens to the lovers are excellent. And the action of the lovers themselves is unusually good. They appeared more natural than most lovers do in motion pictures. - The Moving Picture World, May 8, 1909