Uriel Acosta

• Release Year: 1914

Plot

Produced by Great Players Film Corporation, Uriel Acosta was adapted from the Yiddish stage play of the same name. Set during the Spanish Inquisition, this is the story of a Catholic boy named Uriel Acosta, who, through a series of bizarre but plausible circumstances, is adopted by a Rabbi and educated in the Jewish faith. As an adult, Uriel becomes a tireless pro-Jewish activist, earning himself an arrest and excommunication. The "stain" of Acosta's so-called blasphemy has a long-ranging effect, destroying every member of his family and driving his sweetheart to suicide. Variety somewhat callously pointed out that the film was pretty slow going until Acosta's persecution accelerated the pace and added some excitement to the proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide