Directed & written by Benjamin Christensen, this Swedish/Danish silent film is a strangely poetic work of art. It is beautifully shot, and is less of a horror film than a history lesson. Still, it's over-the-top subject matter for the time, certainly qualifies it as a "horror" film, particularly in light of certain scenes which are quite terrifying and nightmarish. The resemblance of many scenes to Francisco Goya's supernaturally charged "Black Paintings" and witchcraft-themed etchings is quite striking.
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In the list of topics, you mentioned Goya's black paintings but also symbolist painters. Who? Like Edvard Munch, Henri Fuseli, and Phillip Burne-James? I thought they went with Edison's Frankenstein but I couldn't find any other artists mentioned. Are the two above paintings by Goya?
ReplyDeleteLook up the symbolist movement on google. The two paintings above (well, ones an engraving and one is a painting) is indeed Goya. Fuseli is considered a Romantic in style, and Phillip Burne-Jones..well, his style is a little harder to pin down, but I believe would be considered Romantic. Famous symbolist painters include: Moreau, Klimt, Redon, Rops, Munch and even Frida Kahlo in Mexico!
ReplyDeleteare there any links anywhere to the whole film? are there any links you would reccomend that deal with the film?
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