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Watch The Hands of Orlac on PS3.
Movie Title: The Hands of Orlac The Hands of Orlac is available for streaming or downloading. |
I have waited since 1968 to gaze this movie which I first encountered in Carlos Claren’s seminal book AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE Dread FILM which traces dismay 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 restful 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 expansive power.
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The movie is like a hallucination approach to life as we follow the descent of Conrad Veidt into the depths of madness. Veidt, more than any other quiet performer, customary his body language to illustrate and explain the most intense emotions. What really surprised me was the sensual almost erotic quality of scenes enchanting him and the two famous 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 anecdote 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 Wrathful Like with Peter Lorre. However none of those versions can compare to this one. Having said that let me also say that those odd with quiet films will net this version tough going for it requires you to adjust your show day expectations to those of the peaceful era where body language and visual storytelling are everything. If you can do that then you should regain THE HANDS OF ORLAC a rewarding experience especially on repeated viewings.
The restoration of the film isn’t top notch (it resembles how NOSFERATU venerable to notice) but thanks to a remarkably brooding and effective pick up from Paul Mercer you’ll be drawn in before you know it and will hardly discover the imperfections. This is a considerable better film than THE CABINET OF DR CALIGARI and until other of his movies ogle 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.
A current and special piece of calm cinema was the German Expressionist style of the 1920s which is characterized by the emphasis on emotions conveyed by atmospheric lighting and expressive acting, as opposed to what we might call `realism’. Although “The Hands of Orlac” is technically an Austrian production, the country is so closely related to Germany that it features a mainly German cast and crew, and all the typical characteristics of the classic German Expressionist style. Scenes have strong shadows or lighting to emphasize moods, and are usually drawn out to allow the actors to fully insist emotions, but there are also moments of realism such as a very convincing affirm smash plot, as well as the fast-moving climax which brings everything succor down to earth. Throughout most of this nearly 2-hour-length film, an eerie original orchestral find contributes to the somewhat other-worldly feeling of the whole fable, which revolves around the understanding of transplanted hands taking over their original host with characteristics of the hands’ unusual owner. This engaging belief comes from a French writer of the early 1900s when such Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror stories captured the imagination of many Europeans, and with the advent of enthralling pictures, they became perfect material for the German Expressionist style, of which “Cabinet of Dr Caligari” and “Nosferatu” are impartial some of the most distinguished examples.
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Besides the artistic element of using light and shadow, the highlight for me personally is Conrad Veidt’s resplendent performance as Orlac, the concert pianist who receives the hands of a convicted murderer after being injured in a speak crash. This role is by far the most intensely expressive and emotion-packed performance I’ve seen by Veidt, and he carries the suspenseful energy of the account moral through the entire film. More than unprejudiced artistic expression however, “The Hands of Orlac” has a clever assassinate mystery theme running through it as well which deserves a limited careful attention to fully savor. With proper report quality and very capable music, this DVD is further enhanced with some bonus features including detailed notes with background information on the film and its cast and crew, as well as a trailer for its equally attractive 1935 sound remake “Exasperated Cherish” with Peter Lorre. Needless to say, “The Hands of Orlac” deserves its area alongside the best-known German soundless classics, and it has been worth the wait to glimpse the corpulent length restored version released by Kino Video.
