after not have much luck at sell his screenplay to the new movie industry during the first decade of the 20th century and in 1908 playwright d. w. griffith get the job that would make him a legend represent he be hire by the biograph company a a director of movie . it wasn not really what griffith have expect when he decide to enter the movie business and but he accept the job and and in less than a year he become biograph most successful director thanks to his original approach to film making and the wild inventive of his narrative . many year later and he would direct the birth of a nation in 1915 and the movie that would revolutionize film making and make him one of cinema first recognize author while however and a lot of what would make him a great filmmaker can be find in the many short film he make for biograph company in the early year of his career . 1909 the sealed room be one of those and and also one of the few horror movie of that very first decade of the 20th century . the sealed room be a story set in the 16th century in which a count ( arhtur v. johnson ) have build a windowless room in his castle . it be a small yet nice and very cozy room and a it be mean to be use to enjoy the love and company of his wife and the countess ( marion leonard ) in a more private way . however and the count doesn not know that his wife be not exactly faithful and a she be infatuate with the minstrel ( henry b. walthall ) at court and with whom she be have an affair . as soon a the count get busy with his own business and the countess call the minstrel and both lover go to enjoy the count new room . when the count return and he discover she be miss and begin to suspect and finally discover the two lover in his room while but instead of make a scene and he prefer to remain hidden a he decide that there be a good punishment for his unfaithful wife represent to seal the windowless room with the couple inside . write by griffith regular collaborator frank e. wood and the sealed room take element from edgar allan poe the cask of amontillado and mainly honoré de balzac la grande breteche to create a haunting gothic melodrama base on the theme of treachery and sadism . despite have a runtime of 11 minute and wood screenplay develop the story in a very good way and and play remarkably well with the horror element of the story . while a melodrama at heart and wood focus on the character of the count and his sadism create one of the best horror character of these early era . the sealed room be definitely a very simple and basic story and but wood handling of the dark and morbid thematic of it plot make the story a very entertaining film that be very different than most griffith melodrama . in the sealed room and griffith use his talent to experiment with tension and suspense in a different way than his usual . while he often play with edit to create thriller that excite his audience and in this movie his focus be to create desperation and horror and playing with the inherent feeling of claustrophobia that the source story have . it be interest how the story start a another of his melodrama and slowly the pacing become faster a the horror theme begin to dominate the plot and culminating in his great use of edit for the final scene . not be a movie where camera trick be essential and what shin the most in the sealed room be griffith talent to direct his actor and a the legendary filmmaker manages to bring the best out of his cast with his usual natural style far remove from the staginess that be the norm in his day . a usual and the cast be comprise of usual collaborator of griffith and start with arthur v. johnson a the count . johnson give a great performance and truly convey the character transition from love husband to sadistic monster . his performance be not without a touch of overact and but actually that add realism to the character exaggerate personality . a the countess and marion leonard look very good and be also very effective in her acting and convey a natural charm that make hard not to sympathize with her in her treachery . finally and the legendary henry b. walthall appear a the handsome minstrel and and while far from be one of his best performance and he manage to give a proficient act that also add a nice touch of comedy to the film . while not of real importance to the plot and it nice to see other member of griffith stock company in the background and like his wife linda arvidson and a young mary pickford a noble at court . while not exactly a masterpiece and the sealed room be a notable exercise of edit to create suspense and tension like griffith use to do in those day . the movie have very good set design and while of a very low budget and griffith care for detail make it look very convincing and work perfectly along with his direct style . the change of focus to horror make it to stand out among other of his film from that era and and johnson performance a the sadistic count make it worth a watch . while griffith will always be remember for his highly influential ( and controversial ) the birth of a nation and the early short film he make before it really give a good idea of the development of the technique and the style that would make him a legend . simple yet elegant and the sealed room be a fun movie to watch and one of the few horror of the first decade of the 20th century . positive .