The Power of Darkness

The Power of Darkness is a 1909 Russian short silent art film. It is a film adaptation of the eponymous 1886 play by Leo Tolstoy, starring Pyotr Chardynin and Aleksandra Goncharova, and directed by Chardynin in his directorial debut. Like most Russian films of the era, it is considered lost. Plot Nikita is a Russian peasant working for a married couple with two children. The wife, Anisya, is dissastified in her marriage, and with the help of Nikita's mother, poisons her husband to death in order to be with Nikita instead. However, after they are married, Nikita spurns her for her daughter (and his step-daughter) Akulina. Akulina becomes bethrothed to a neighbor, but has also become pregnant by Nikita. After the baby is born in secret, Nikita murders it at the urging of both his wife and mother, but he is consumed by guilt over his sins. He confesses to the police on the day of Akulina's wedding, and is taken away. Cast The cast for this film was recruited from Vvedensky People's House, a theater which staged the play in 1908.