Saturday, August 17, 2019

Early Silent Horror Classics- 75 Days to Halloween



The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari-(1920) Germany
Dir- Robert Wiene
Long considered to be the first genuine horror movie, Dr. Caligari is the archetype mad scientist out to do evil deeds with the aid of a sleepwalker named Cesare. Cesare murders those whom the Doctor feels are too close to his evil deeds. The setting is both nightmarish and expressionistic in its use of exaggerated sets and weird angles. The shock ending is only the icing in a movie that invents a whole genre of horror devices- the mad scientist, the zombie, the helpless heroine carried onto the roofs.




The Golem: How He Came into the World-(1920) Germany
Dir- Paul Wegener
Before Frankenstein thrilled audiences Paul Wegener delivered this classic silent tale which even to this day remains as one of the most impressive German films of the period. Wegener stars as the clay man who is brought to life by a rabbi to help protect a Jewish ghetto from its enemies. The creature owes its life to sacred words contained in a star on its chest. The Golem is used for both good and bad deeds and ultimately rebels against the people, wreaking havoc on the very community he was created to protect. This classic tale was made a few years before by Wegener, but this time, he paid better attention to the classic tale, and his direction greatly enhanced the look of this horror classic. As with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari the effective use of setting, lighting, and direction helped set the trend for other German films of the period and with this, we have one of the great classics of early German horror.





Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)
Dir- John S. Robertson
Of the dozen or so silent versions of this story by Robert Louis Stevenson, John Barrymore is best remembered as the spidery Mr. Hyde in this the most famous version of the classic tale. One of the first American made horror movies and readily available for audiences today. Also, the first version to introduce the idea of two separate women for each of his personalities. Remade countless times.




Häxan (1922)
Dir- Benjamin Christensen
A Swedish-Danish documentary on the role that superstition played during the witch hunts of Europe in the 15th Century based on a study of the Malleus Maleficarum. Häxan is broken up into four parts that go into the origins of demons and witches in our culture. Superstitions are explored involving the beliefs of witchcraft and the role Satan plays, this is followed by how people were punished for engaging in their activities. The final segment tries to demonstrate how modern approaches to science and medicine may explain away mental illnesses that were often confused for demonic possession. Häxan was a controversial movie in its day and was banned in the US for many years.





Nosferatu (1922) Germany
Dir- F.W. Murnau
In all of cinema history, no villain has ever topped Dracula in darkness and evil, and no version of the vampire has yet to match Max Schreck as the dreaded Count Orlok. Considered to be the first vampire movie and as one of the most creepy looking vampires to grace the screen. Count Orlok swept through the German town of Bremen like as plague claiming the innocent until a fair heroine takes it upon herself to stop this monster. Schreck's rather stiff and corpse-like Count makes this film a pure classic and as well as a pioneer of horror. Remade in 1979.





The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Dir- Rupert Julian
After 90 years no one has yet to match the unforgettable presence of Lon Chaney as the disfigured skull-faced Erik, who courts a lovely young singer in the Paris Opera behind a faceless mask. A sad tale of a man who is driven into madness, becoming a monster due to rejection and hatred from those around him. Chaney's presence is unforgettable in such scenes as his appearance as Poe's Mask of the Red Death during the masked ball. The abduction scene through the catacombs of the opera house and the famous unmasking which even today packs a shocking blow. Phantom is remembered as classic horror and tragedy, and Chaney's portrayal would establish an archetype that has yet to be matched even by the romantic musical version of The Phantom.





The Student of Prague (1926) Germany
Dir- Paul Wegener
A poor student named Baldwin decides to sell his mirror image to a man named Scapinelli, a stranger he meets. In exchange for this, he is promised success and the love of an aristocratic woman. When his doppelganger becomes an annoyance, he actively seeks to halt it. What results is quite tragic as the stranger is in actuality the devil and Baldwin has sold his soul to him. This classic tale was told in Edgar Allan Poe's story of William Wilson and made a great early chiller for its beautiful setting and direction. Unlike its predecessor, this version had a better budget and better feel due to the many years of progress made in filmmaking. This silent remake would be remade once again with sound in 1935.

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