The Hands of Orlac (1924) (1924) Review

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The Hands of Orlac (1924) (1924) ReviewI have waited since 1968 to see this movie which I first encountered in Carlos Claren's seminal book AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE HORROR FILM which traces horror movies from 1895 through 1967. It has been worth the wait. In fact I was so taken with the film that I immediately watched it again and enjoyed it more the second time. Made in 1924 at the height of Expressionism in German silent cinema, THE HANDS OF ORLAC is the one of the finest examples of this genre that I have ever seen. Directed by Robert Wiene (THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI) the film combines lighting, sets, camerawork, and performances into a dreamscape of enormous power.
The movie is like a hallucination come to life as we follow the descent of Conrad Veidt into the depths of madness. Veidt, more than any other silent performer, used his body language to illustrate and convey the most intense emotions. What really surprised me was the sensual almost erotic quality of scenes involving him and the two principal female performers Alexandra Sorina and Carmen Cartellieri. This adds an element not to be found in the more stylized CALIGARI and shows that there was more to Robert Wiene than we have seen so far. The story of a concert pianist whose amputated hands are replaced with those of a murderer has been remade a number of times most notably by MGM in 1935 as MAD LOVE with Peter Lorre. However none of those versions can compare to this one. Having said that let me also say that those unfamiliar with silent films will find this version tough going for it requires you to adjust your present day expectations to those of the silent era where body language and visual storytelling are everything. If you can do that then you should find THE HANDS OF ORLAC a rewarding experience especially on repeated viewings.
The restoration of the film isn't top notch (it resembles how NOSFERATU used to look) but thanks to a remarkably brooding and effective score from Paul Mercer you'll be drawn in before you know it and will hardly notice the imperfections. This is a much better film than THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI and until other of his movies see the light of day to contradict the fact, THE HANDS OF ORLAC is Robert Wiene's masterpiece. Thanks to Kino International and the F.W Murnau Foundation for making it available.The Hands of Orlac (1924) (1924) Overview

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Tony Palmer's Film About the Wagner Family Review

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Tony Palmer's Film About the Wagner Family ReviewI recognize the picture - it's on the cover of 'The Wagner Clan', a fairly enjoyable, gossipy little book by Jonathan Carr. However, the Amazon listing tells us nothing about the film itself. It doesn't even tell us the length. Could this be as good as 'The Golden Ring', or just another potboiler?
I thought I'd find out.
This is a fairly enjoyable, gossipy little film.
There are a few production issues, of which more later, but they don't detract from the entertainment value of watching the latter-day Wagners sniping at each other. Gottfried was in particularly good voice: he pioneered trolling long before the concept was popularized on the net. The internecine squabbling and daggers-drawn hatred is quite amazing, particularly the venom allegedly displayed by the late Wolfgang towards his brother's family, and his children by his first marriage. Katharina somehow manages to give a bad impression, even without the help of her family. If anything, the notorious Winifred, with her friend Adolf, come across as mild by comparison.
To give a very loose translation of the title of this review 'After Richard, they were a shower' (with the possible exception of Cosima).
If you are a Wagnerite, I suspect this film will irritate and entertain. At least that's how it affected me.
Production issues?
English voice-over rather than subtitles. In a film where most interviews were in German, this became annoying.
Constant switching between aspect ratios. Archive material 4:3, modern footage 16:9. There's nothing unusual about this, but the resultant DVD track didn't standardize, so my old Wega couldn't cope.
If you have read and enjoyed 'The Wagner Clan', you'll enjoy this film.
If you're a Wagnerite, you'll enjoy the shots of Wahnfried and the Festspielhaus.
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