Power of Evil on AllMovie

Practically every film produced in Armenia during the 1920s was hailed as the "first" Armenian production. Power of Evil was no exception, although technically it was merely the first film produced under the auspices of Armenia's new Soviet government; hence, it actually qualifies as a Russian film. Barbara Matatian plays a marriageable young miss whose impending wedding is endangered by the girl's epilepsy, which her parents try to keep a secret from the wealthy groom. After the marriage, the bride bears a child, likewise epileptic. A self-styled holy man is brought in to exorcise the child, and when this fails, the bride's in-laws decide to strangle the poor infant. Thus does the "power of evil" triumph in this unpleasant exposé of blind and foolish bigotry. Co-director P. Barkhoudian also played one of the leading roles.