1920s – The Twisted Twenties

The age of silent film!. These are often mocked by those only accustomed to modern films. What’s with those wild, staring eyes on all the actors?  It’s true. Staring into the void without blinking as if mesmerized by something unseen, it’s sometimes difficult to tell if they are expressing love and wonder or if they have turned into zombies. (After all, we’re talking horror films, are we not?). When a character is in contemplating mode, s/he can take on the appearance of someone strung out on heroin.

There’s a reason for this. German Expressionism was a popular artistic movement of the time. This movement values expressivism over naturalism. Scenery is purposely exaggerated or contorted. One might even say it’s twisted! (Hey, that explains the title of this article!)  Not all the films on this list fall into the German Expressionism camp, but its influence was far reaching. 

Putting aside the characteristics of this movement, over emphasizing facial expressions was necessary since there was no sound. The first “talkie” was The Jazz Singer, which premiered in the last months of 1927 and the first film on this list is from 1920. 

My advice for watching these is to think not of them as movies as defined by modern day culture but as visual art with photography in motion. Absorb the overall mood and tone and let the expressive nature run its course. By doing this, the genius within these classic works unravel.  Especially in horror, tone is important. As is the use of shadows, which are often missing in today’s horror films.

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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari – 1920 

This film is the epitome of German Expressionism. Various stage sets of bizarrely angled roads with buildings and windows displaying arcane geometry bring the uncanny town in this story to life. It’s a story of a somnambulist (sleepwalker) who is kept in a box by Dr. Caligari. Under the hypnotic influence of this doctor, he murders people. 

An eerie movie with a twist at the end.

The part of the Somnambulist is played by Conrad Veidt, who will show up two more times on this list of 1920’s horror films. 

 Nosferatu 1922

    This is the very first film adaption of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The vampire in this film is Count Orlock. The name change is due to this being an unauthorized retelling of Stoker’s story. It’s a German Expressionist film, and there is something very creepy about a bald, white-faced vampire with pointy ears coming to life in this artistic style.  The way he hides his face and peeks out from behind his long collar.  The sight of his carriage coming and going.  A very monumental film.

Haxan – 1922

Let’s leave Germany for a moment and see what’s happening in Sweden.  What’s happening is a pseudo documentary on the history of witches.  Created in 1922, this film wasn’t released in the United States until 1968.  This is a bold film, controversial by even today’s standards. From the somber and cruel  scenes depicting the persecution of innocent women accused of witchcraft to the freakish depictions of the content of their forced confessions, this is the stuff of WTF?  We see Satanic rites in the woods, Satan himself (with a hairy chest, lol), and wraith-like witches flying on broomsticks.  Whatta film!

  The Hands of Orlacc – 1924

According to wikipedia, there is some debate as to whether or not this film qualifies as a German Expressionism film. It was made in Germany and certainly bears the earmarks of the movement, so it’s good enough for me.  Conrad Veidt joins us again as a professional piano player who has his hands damaged in a train accident.  Maybe if some doctor removes those hands and reattaches the hands from the corpse of a murderer, he will be able to play his instrument again. Is it successful? Fat chance!  Not only is he still unable to perform at his profession, but his hands seem inclined to commit murder.

  There are many ghoulish scenes of the poor guy staring at his long, sinuous fingers. His face expresses the horror of what he has begun. And yet, it is the psychology of his situation that plagues him the most. 

 

Phantom of the Opera – 1925

Five cellars underground, beneath the Paris Opera House  lurks the opera ghost and his pipe organ. Through channels of water via a gondola, he surfaces now and then. Always in the shadows, he haunts the opera. An exquisite filming of the dark passages below combined with a flamboyant display of performances on stage above make for an excellent film.  A Universal film starring Lon Chaney Sr. as The Phantom of the Opera.  His son, Lon Chaney Jr. is an icon of horror, playing all four of Universal’s fab four monsters.

 

 

The Man Who Laughs

In one source this is listed as a horror film. In another, it is not, rightfully declared a romantic drama. By my usage of the world “rightfully” in the last sentence, I hope you can deduce that I agree it is not horror.  So why am I placing it here?  Well, it’s sort of horrifying in a couple of ways. 1) The smile of the main character has been surgically constructed on his face since he was a young boy.  2) This smile is what inspired the appearance of Batman’s Joker. 

Here we have Conrad Veidt once again. First he was a somnambulist kept in a box. Then he was a man with surgically implanted hands that he couldn’t seem to control. Now he’s cursed with an all day long creepy smile.  Poor dude.   Below is the trailer

 

Hidden Gem

The Phantom Carriage – 1921

This Swedish film deserves a lot more attention than it gets. Oh heck, maybe the right people already know of it (right people = people who would appreciate it). It is nothing short of a masterpiece.   

Like any masterpiece, it cannot be limited to one specific genre. Horror applies, as a phantom carriage rider is tasked with collecting all the dearly departed souls over the course of a year. His ghostly image scoops the soul right out of the body (the film shows this happening, effectively done considering it was the early 1920s) and deposits it into his carriage. Who is this phantom driver?  He is the last person to have passed away at the end of the year, right at the stroke of midnight.  Now this is pretty horrifying, wouldn’t you say?

The film is also about sorrow and redemption. It’s about looking back with regrets. Imagine It’s a Wonderful Life as a horror movie. This film also brings to mind the movie Filth, a 2013 film which depicts the life of a despicable man. The Shining even copied one of the scenes.

Trust me, this film is worth viewing. Very much so!  

(Sorry, only a trailer – if it’s still there)