VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrated? in Golden Age Horror Forum

Forum Jump

VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrated?

Author	Comment
GaryP11111	VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrated?	Lead	[-]
May 22 05 10:04 PM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	VAMPYR is a masterpiece. What is actually a simple vampire story of good vs. evil becomes, in the hands of Carl Theodor Dreyer, the complex tableau of a supernatural battleground in the small French town of Courtempierre. Taking the narrative, Dreyer creates one of the finest evocations of unease in classic horror history through the use of symbolism, camera effects and most importantly, by breaking the syntax of the cinematic language as developed in Hollywood. VAMPYR also contributes one of the greatest scenes of classic horror ever unspooled before an audience: the sequence of Allan Grey dreaming he is trapped inside a coffin, watching the world through the coffin's small, glass window as he is carried along by several pallbearers. And the scene showing the doctor getting what he deserves in the flower mill at the end of the movie is not too shabby either. What do the rest of you think about VAMPYR? GARY L. PRANGE "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectos nunc."
	Remove this ad
Joe Karlosi	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#1	[-]
May 23 05 5:27 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I hate to disagree because I know how much you like the film, Gary, but while I found it to be very dreamy and surreal -- it was ultimately a bronzed bore for me. ------------------------------------ "It's MORE ... than a hobby!"
Chesterbelloc	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#2	[-]
May 23 05 6:49 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I agree with Gary, the movie is a masterpiece. The dream sequence is one of the most effective things I've ever seen in any film, genre or otherwise.
Wolfman Joe	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#3	[-]
May 23 05 7:10 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I've found individual scenes in the movies quite fascinating, but every time I've tried to watch it beginning to end, I've fallen asleep. EVERY time. I guess it is "dream-like" - but in my case, it actually sends me to dreamland!
DrCaligari666	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#4	[-]
May 23 05 10:24 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I too like this film... the entire thing has a nightmare-like quality to it that I really dig... technically not one of Dreyer's best (check out his "The Passion of Joan of Arc") but due to the subject matter, well....
Return of the Ape Man	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#5	[-]
May 23 05 10:57 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I love the film, and wish it would be released on DVD in a truly restored print, preferably Criterion. It deserves it.
Bill Warren	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#6	[-]
May 23 05 11:40 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I haven't seen it in years, but the last time I did, I liked it very much. It didn't seem the least bit pretentious.
MartinZ60	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#7	[-]
May 23 05 12:20 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	VAMPYR is a strange, nightmarish film that I find compelling. The death in the mill, the coffin, and the old female vampire whose presence is like a spreading pestilence. The scene with Sybille Schmitz becoming a vampire in front of her sister, staring at her in a most chilling fashion is still one of the spookiest things i've seen in a movie. Rudolf Mate's cinematography is also a strong point, shooting scenes at dusk and dawn and employing scrims to achieve the the diffuse effect. All the Best - MZ
hnicolella	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#8	[-]
May 23 05 1:43 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	(The scene with Sybille Schmitz becoming a vampire in front of her sister, staring at her in a most chilling fashion is still one of the spookiest things i've seen in a movie.) I agree totally;a profoundly unsettling moment (always found the tragic Sybille Schmitz really fascinating to watch) I don't find VAMPYR pretentious and don't see why anyone would describe it that way. I prefer more traditional narrative film and VAMPYR is not a "fun" film like the Universals but it succeeds completely in what it sets out to do:capturing the eerie incoherency of a nightmare. Seem to remember reading that Dreyer saw the Lugosi DRACULA and thought he could do better; hence, VAMPYR. Dreyer takes some getting used to and I confess I still haven't summoned up the fortitude to sit through my tape of ORDET and I walked out on a showing of MASTER OF THE HOUSE. Silent movie buffs are divided over his PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC with some considering it a masterpiece and others an excrutiating bore. I think it's a great film but not one I care to watch very often. I feel the same way about VAMPYR.
JimPV	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#9	[-]
May 23 05 7:36 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I've never seen Vampyr, but would really like to. I consider The Passion of Joan of Arc to be one of the absolute classics of cinema. What's the best DVD out there of Vampyr? I'm also surprised Criterion hasn't picked this one up. "If I had a hidden microphone inside of my heart, I would turn the power on..."
GaryP11111	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#10	[-]
May 23 05 9:19 PM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	>> Seem to remember reading that Dreyer saw the Lugosi DRACULA and thought he could do better; hence, VAMPYR.<< Yes, VAMPYR was produced as a reaction to DRACULA. In a Danish journal, Dreyer criticized films that got their chills by simply showing blood pooling on the ground, as he put it. An interesting observation from a man who shows blood pooling on the ground (under the dead coachman) in VAMPYR! It's not something he should have forgotten since the article was published one week after VAMPYR was released. GARY L. PRANGE "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectos nunc."
	Remove this ad
LesDaniels	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#11	[-]
May 24 05 12:41 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I can see its merits, but when I first watched it a lifetime ago, I knew little about the film except that it was a version of Le Fanu's classic story "Carmilla." On that basis, it was a big disappointment.
ken10	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#12	[-]
May 24 05 10:32 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	The Image/Blackhawk DVD release of 'Vampyr' is pretty pathetic, with a very scratchy and abused-looking print. Granted, it's an old film, but look at what they were able to do with 'The Passion of Joan of Arc". The worst part is that someone decided to use gigantic white-on-black block gothic lettering for the subtitles. Anywhere from a quarter to one-half of the screen might be consumed by this during a given scene! Even so, this film is an almost perfect evocation of nightmare, unequalled until perhaps 'Eraserhead'. It is more than deserving of a Criterion-style release. I've always thought Julian West (Allan Grey) resembled a young HP Lovecraft...
Gerry Carpenter	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#13	[-]
May 24 05 11:03 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Count me as one who considers VAMPYR a masterpiece. The aforementioned dream sequence is wonderful. The thing that always comes to mind for me when I think of it is the way the shadows detach themselves from their owners and wander around. A wonderful visual effect and very moody. Sybille Schmitz is wonderful as Leone as well. Love that smile!
JT Soister	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#14	[-]
May 24 05 1:12 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	One of the all time great snoozers. And Passion of Joan of Arc is right up there with it. Yeah, I know... there's definitely something wrong with me...
Cool Breeze II	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#15	[-]
May 24 05 2:05 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	My local library had a great print of this that I used to check out and show thirty years ago, and it had more footage of the doctor's death in the flour mill than I have seen in any video releases. I had a girlfriend who thought the Allen Grey character was a dead ringer for Zeppo Marx.
todmichel	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#16	[-]
May 24 05 5:54 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It would be nice if Criterion decides some day to release this movie. But a long work of restoration is necessary. "Vampyr" was shot in France as a silent, then Dreyer and his cast post-synchronized the movie in three different languages: French, German and English. I don't know if the editing of the three versions was the same originally, but it seems that the current prints are different, some sequences being in a version and not in another. So, if a mixing of the three versions could produce a "complete" one, for the language, it would be problematic... Excepted of course if the added segments are silent.
DrPaulArmstrong	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#17	[-]
May 24 05 7:21 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'm definitely a VAMPYR fan. There's really nothing else quite like it. I only saw it for the first time a couple years back and was startled at the "raw" quality of the film; very effective, with some primitive power. I'm fairly happy with with my taped-off-TCM until a restoration comes along. Besides Zeppo and Lovecraft, I recall Julian West resembling Gustav Mahler a bit. But those three never could walk down the street together without confusing people.
GaryP11111	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#18	[-]
May 24 05 9:28 PM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* "Vampyr" was shot in France as a silent, then Dreyer and his cast post-synchronized the movie in three different languages: French, German and English. I don't know if the editing of the three versions was the same originally, but it seems that the current prints are different, some sequences being in a version and not in another. So, if a mixing of the three versions could produce a "complete" one, for the language, it would be problematic... Excepted of course if the added segments are silent. Dreyer also made some cuts requested by censors. VAMPYR is much like METROPOLIS in that it is more than likely impossible to cobble together a version that is equal to the release print. A restoration of sorts was made in the middle-to-late 1990s using elements from a couple archives and it was shown on a European channel. Sure wish it were given a home video release. GARY L. PRANGE "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectos nunc."
GaryP11111	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#19	[-]
May 24 05 9:30 PM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	*Quote:* The Image/Blackhawk DVD release of 'Vampyr' is pretty pathetic, with a very scratchy and abused-looking print. Granted, it's an old film, but look at what they were able to do with 'The Passion of Joan of Arc". The worst part is that someone decided to use gigantic white-on-black block gothic lettering for the subtitles. Anywhere from a quarter to one-half of the screen might be consumed by this during a given scene! That print originally had Danish subtitles. In order to add English subtitles, the Danish subtitles had to be completely matted over, losing a good chunk of the image. *Quote:* I've always thought Julian West (Allan Grey) resembled a young HP Lovecraft... I hadn't noticed that, but you're right! GARY L. PRANGE "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectos nunc."
GaryP11111	Re: VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrat	#20	[-]
May 24 05 9:36 PM Burgomaster Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I was visiting relatives in France several years ago and thought about visiting Courtempierre (it actually exists and is one of the locations Dreyer filmed VAMPYR), however it wasn't on any map I had access to and I was running out of time. One weekend I spent some time hiking the forests of Fountainebleu with one of my cousins and after returning to the States, looked up Courtempierre on the internet and discovered I had been perhaps a 25 minute car ride from the small town. Sheesh! GARY L. PRANGE "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectos nunc."
	Remove this ad

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Add Reply

Yuku free message boards

VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrated?

VAMPYR: masterpiece of horror or pretentious and overrated?